FOOD or WEST VIRGINIA BIRDS 13 



trees of West Virginia would be denuded of every green leaf and even 

 the branches and trunks devoured by the many kinds of insects that 

 would increase abnormally without the birds. There are at least three 

 important relationships which birds sustain towards the trees. These 

 will be briefly discussed. 



1. Birds destroy many kinds of insects that are hurtful to the trees. 

 The Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Creeper and some of the Warblers 

 feed upon many kinds of insects that affect the bark, cambium and 

 wood of the trees. They are the guardians of the tree-trunks. Among 

 the branches the Sparrows, Warblers, Vireos, Cuckoos, Kinglets, Titmice, 

 Thrushes and many others gather insects throughout the greater part 

 of the year. The Swallows, Swifts and Flycatchers patrol the air and 

 there destroy many tree enemies. 



2. The birds distribute the seeds of many tree species and thus 

 help in the great work of reforestation. Each year millions of nuts 

 are carried by Blue Jays, Grackles, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Titmice 

 and others and are scattered in every direction. Many of these fall 

 to the ground, germinate the following spring and start new trees. The 

 seeds of fruit-bearing species are freely scattered in this same manner. 

 Under the section in which I discuss the birds in their relation to fruit 

 this point will be spoken of in detail. 



3. Birds are sometimes injurious to trees. Many species are punc- 

 tured by the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and perhaps are occasionally killed 

 in this manner. These punctures made in living trees by this species 

 of Woodpecker, and perhaps by a few other species, often result in 

 decay, or are the cause of attack by insects or fungus diseases. Dr. 

 A. D. Hopkins, however, has pointed out the fact that these wounds 

 often cause a birds-eye effect in some of our trees and thus enhance 

 their value when cut and sawed into lumber. There Is no doubt that 

 insects sometimes enter through the punctures made by birds and that 

 the spores of fungus diseases find entrance there. It is believed by many 

 that the chestnut blight fungus is carried from tree to tree on the 

 feet of the birds. Yet the harm done by the birds to our trees is as 

 nothing Avhen compared with the good they do. 



Birds and Fruits. 



Great numbers of our birds vary their daily diet by feeding upon fruits 

 of various kinds. Such birds are sometimes very destructive to certain 

 valuable cultivated fruits. Sweet cherries, sour cherries, strawberries 

 and grapes are eaten by a number of our birds. In reply to a question- 

 naire sent last summer to a number of prominent grangers throughout 

 the State the following information was forthcoming. Fifteen species 

 of birds are said to feed upon the cultivated sweet cherry, and the 

 greatest proportion of guilt falls upon the Robin, Catbird, Flicker and 

 Red-headed Woodpecker; thirteen species are said to feed upon the fruit 

 of the cultivated sour cherry, and the same birds are named as the 

 greatest offenders; the Robin, English Sparrow, Catbird, Crow, Bob- 



*See A. B. Brooks', "Forestry and Wood Industries", W. Va. Geolog. Survey, 

 p. 20. 



