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Bird - Lore 



So alarming were these and other com- 

 plaints received that the Association at 

 once sent out warnings, urging the public 

 to desist from the practice of scattering 

 poisoned bran. There seems little reason 

 to doubt that even scourges of worms can 

 be kept well in check, especially in the 

 thickly settled parts of our country, if 

 people only will take the precaution of 

 increasing the wild-bird population by 

 simple methods of attracting birds in 

 greater numbers. The association's recent 

 Bulletin No. i, entitled "Attracting Birds 

 About the Home," contains many useful 

 hints on this subject, and a copy will be 

 sent without charge to any reader of 

 Bird-Lore on receipt of two cents to 

 cover cost of transportation. 



Another Suggestion 



Mr. Archibald C. Weeks of Brooklyn, 

 New York, comes forward with the follow- 

 ing suggestions in the Brooklyn Eagle: 



"Its development expedited by the 

 recent warm, humid weather, most favor- 

 able for insect generation, the moth of the 

 army-worm {Leucania unipunctata) is just 

 beginning to emerge from its pupal case. 

 The first one noticed by me in the center 

 of Long Island was on August 15. The 

 moths conceal themselves among dried 

 grass and other withered vegetation, their 

 light, ash-colored upper wings almost 

 exactly matching their environment, and 

 rendering them discoverable only when 

 the wings are expanded in flight. Close 

 scrutiny is required to detect the moths 

 after they alight. These moths will shortly 

 lay their eggs in abandoned fields of grass 

 and weeds, and one more brood at least 

 will be perfected before frost comes. 



"All fields of this kind should be plowed 



at once, or burned over when possible, for 

 thus further generations will be fore- 

 stalled. As my man and myself were 

 raking along the border of a large field on 

 August 15, preparatory to plowing, I was 

 pleased to witness the excellent work of 

 one of the Flycatchers. As the insects dis- 

 turbed by us took flight and skimmed 

 over the herbage, the bird, on the alert 

 in the neighboring tree-branches, would 

 swoop down so swiftly that the eye could 

 scarcely note its flight, and with unerring 

 skill snap up its prey. It circled about 

 fearlessly within a few feet of us, and 

 followed us as we moved along, never 

 permitting a moth to escape. As every 

 victim, if a female, represented at least 

 250 possible larvae, the benefit conferred 

 by the activities of this bird cannot be 

 over-estimated." 



Is Insect Poison Dangerous? 



Dr. L. O. Howard, entomologist of 

 the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, when asked, on August 30, 1914, 

 his opinion of danger to birds from the 

 use of insect-killing poisons, said that the 

 Department had no evidence of a single 

 bird having lost its life from this cause. 

 Dr. Henry W. Henshaw wrote to this 

 Association some time ago that the Bio- 

 logical Survey had no authentic record 

 of the death of any bird by poisoning. 



It would seem from this that Mr. 

 Thompson's statement in the early part 

 of this article involved some error or 

 exaggeration. Is it not possible that the 

 "thousands of song-birds" mentioned 

 were killed by some other agency? 



Nevertheless, the Department of Agri- 

 culture informs us that it is striving to 

 find a safer substitute for arsenical sprays. 



STATUS OF THE TREATY WITH CANADA 



John B. Burnham, President of the 

 American Game Protective Association, 

 who has been active in advancing the 

 cause of international bird-protection, 

 has furnished, in a private letter to the 

 secretary of the National Association, 

 a statement of the progress of this im- 

 portant matter which we are privileged 

 to print. Mr. Burnham says: 



"A few weeks ago, it seemed probable 

 that conclusive and favorable action would 

 be taken during the early fall. Now it is 

 certain that no definite action will be 

 taken by the British Government until 

 after the European war is over, or at any 

 rate until more favorable conditions arise. 



" While we are marking time, however, 

 there is 'no reason why we should be in- 

 active. There is still a great deal of mis- 

 apprehension in parts of Canada as to the 



