Birds of Allegany Park 245 



home sites within the Park be not allowed to bring in or keep cats 

 (cf. Forbush, '16). 



The dog is less harmful to bird life than the cat, and more easily 

 controlled. Dogs running at large often destroy birds and ground 

 nests as well as small mammals and other forms of wild life. Dogs 

 should not be allowed to run loose in the Park except when used 

 for hunting during the regular hunting season. 



The English Sparrow and the Starling are not enemies in that 

 they prey upon other birds, but in that they annoy and drive out 

 native species, upsetting the natural balance. The question of the 

 economic status of these two birds is a difficult one, both of them 

 being at times valuable insect destroyers, and at other times harmful 

 in food habits. It is not probable that they directly drive off all 

 native birds, as has been charged, but they displace hole-nesting 

 species such as the Bluebird and Flicker. Were there no English 

 Sparrows in the Park it would not be difficult to get nesting colonies 

 of the beautiful Purple Martin. When the Starling increases in 

 the region, as it pretty certainly will, Bluebirds and Flickers will 

 be liable to decrease. 



Nor is the question entirely one of nesting sites. These intro- 

 duced species undoubtedly get food that other species depend upon. 

 The Starling, particularly, is almost omnivorous, eating insects, 

 fruits and seeds. Its flocks will often get large quantities of wild 

 fruit that other species such as the Cedar Waxwing, Robin and 

 Catbird have more or less depended upon. In open fields it prob- 

 ably gets both insects and seeds that have formerly been food for 

 Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds and others. Just 

 how these birds are to be combated is a complicated and difficult 

 question, but certainly no protection and every means of discour- 

 agement should be used in the State Park. Any practicable means 

 of getting rid of them that may present itself in the future and 

 seem to promise success should be tried. 



Methods of Attracting and Increasing Birds. The problem of 

 attracting birds to the Park in general, is hardly necessary to con- 

 sider, as birds are already there in about natural numbers. The 

 question of attracting particular species, however, or of enticing 

 birds about camp sites and summer homes, may well be considered. 



There are four principal things that can be done to attract birds. 

 These are the placing of bird houses for hole-nesting species ; the 

 constructing of drinking and bathing places : winter feeding ; and 

 the planting of trees, shrubs or vines particularly attractive to birds. 



There are nine species now known to nest in the Park that are 

 desirable and could be attracted about camp sites by the placing of 

 nesting boxes in suitable situations. These species are the Blue- 

 bird, Robin, Chickadee. Nuthatch, House Wren. Crested Fly- 

 catcher, Flicker, Screech Owl and Sparrow Hawk. Tbe English 

 Sparrow and Starling will also occupy bird boxes in their favorite 

 localities, but should not be allowed to do so. The Purple Martin. 

 while not included in this list, is reported to occur occasionallv in 

 Salamanca. There seems reason to believe that colonies could be 



