Why Protect the Birds? 299 



well prepared report of his observations upon a farm, he says, 

 "The tree sparrows, fox-sparrows, white-throats, song-spar- 

 rows, and juncos fairly swarmed during December in the briers 

 of ditches between the cornfields. They came into the open 

 fields to feed upon weed seed, and worked hardest where the 

 smart-weed formed a tangle on low ground. Later in the season 

 the place was carefully examined. In one cornfield near a ditch 

 the smartweed formed a thicket over three feet high, and the 

 ground beneath was literally black with seeds. Examination 

 showed that these seeds had been cracked open and the meat 

 removed. In a rectangular space of eighteen square inches 

 were found eleven hundred and thirty half seeds and only 

 two whole seeds. Even as late as May 13 the birds were still 

 feeding on the seeds of these and other weeds in the fields ; in 

 fact, out of a collection of sixteen sparrows, twelve, mainly 

 song, chipping and field sparrows, had been eating old weed 

 seed. A search was made among various weeds, but so. thoroughly 

 had the work been done that only half a dozen seeds could be 

 found. The birds had taken practically all the seed that was 

 not covered ; in fact, the song-sparrows and several others had 

 scratched up much buried seed." He made an examination 

 of some four thousand stomachs of sparrows of many sorts, 

 collected all over the United States, and in his report of this 

 work he says that "during the colder half of the year the food 

 of these birds consists almost entirely of the seeds of weeds." 

 In his report Dr. Judd also said : "The problem of weed 

 destruction is perennial in 'every land where agriculture is 

 practiced. Indeed, so serious is it, that soil culture may be 

 said to be an everlasting war against weeds. * * * Certain 

 garden weeds produce an incredible number of seeds. A 

 single plant of one of these species may mature as many as 

 a hundred thousand seeds in a season, and if unchecked would 

 produce in the spring of the third year ten billion plants. 

 Fortunately certain agents are at work to check this harvest, 

 and perhaps the most efficient among them are the seed-eating 

 birds. * * * Since they attack weeds in the most critical 

 stage of life, the seed period, it follows that their services must 

 be of enormous practical value. The benefits are greatest in 

 the case of hoed crops, since here are found the largest number 



