FOOD OF WEST VIKGIMA BIRDS 29 



require, and that they would riot even appear to be suitable if we knew a 

 little more about the real tastes and preferences of birds. Perhaps no 

 other man has given so much good thought to this subject as Baron Hans 

 Von Berlepsch, whose estate, "Seebach," near Essen, Germany, has 

 become world famous as a paradise for birds. As a result of the study 

 he has given to the likes and dislikes of his feathered guests in the matter 

 of nesting sites, he has a thousand birds nesting on the twelve or thirteen 

 acres immediately surrounding his castle, every year, and thousands 

 more in the woods beyond. And it has paid him to study the comfort of 

 his guests, for they have become a power for good. When an insect plague 

 swept over that section of the country some years ago, "Seebach" was 

 the one green spot left on the face of the landscape; it stood out like 

 an oasis in the desert. And all because a thousand birds, with perhaps 

 two thousand hungry babies to feed, showed that insect destroyers of 

 vegetation can be made to serve a very useful purpose." 



Destroying Harmful Species. 



Among the tigers of India there a^e certain individuals which become 

 man-eaters; among dogs there are certain individuals that acquire the 

 habit of killing sheep; among Hawks and Owls there are some birds 

 that have the habit of killing poultry and there are a few species that 

 make poultry and game birds the chief part of their daily diet. As 

 these criminals among birds and other animals are discovered they 

 should be killed or otherwise disposed of. Some individuals among the 

 Hawks and Owls become very destructive and should be dealt with 

 accordingly. Other birds, too, beside the Hawks and Owls are harmful or 

 at least partly so. Many of our very useful birds have harmful tenden- 

 cies, and these should be restricted at various times and in a reasonable 

 manner. Perhaps the only birds in West Virginia that really do more 

 harm than good are the Cooper's Hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and 

 the English Sparrow. These two Hawks should be shot wherever seen 

 destroying chickens or game birds, and other Hawks that may acquire 

 this bad habit should be destroyed. Yet it must be remembered that we 

 have useful Hawks as well as harmful ones and this should warn us not 

 to encourage the indiscriminate slaughter of every kind of Hawk that 

 may come within gun-shot. Only the two destructive species should 

 be killed, though it is not illegal to kill the others. Perhaps our worst 

 pests among the birds are the ever-increasing hosts of English Sparrows. 

 It is not safe to poisbn them as is sometimes recommended. Useful 

 species may be destroyed by the poison that is put out for the English 

 Sparrows. Perhaps the best method of destroying these alien birds is 

 to tear down their nests. Persistent efforts along this line will result 

 in lessening greatly their numbers. When the Sparrows have formed 

 the habit of eating the young pea vines in the garden they may be caught 

 by baiting the ordinary mouse-traps with bread crumbs and setting them 

 out for the birds. I have destroyed them in considerable numbers in this 

 way. Of course they may be driven away by shooting. It is time that 

 all possible methods were used for their destruction since they are a 

 great pest and drive away many of our own native birds. 



