ox THE USEFULNESS OF BIRDS. 347 



credit, and which from its very nature it is impossible accurately to estimate. They 

 destroy countless numhers of noxious seeds. The difficulty of keeping cultivated lands 

 elean of weeds is proverbial, and the difficulty, it is claimed, is becoming greater each 

 year. Cannot this difficulty be traced to the same cause, in part, as the increase of 

 insects injurious to vegetation? Let any one examine the stomachs of quails and 

 prairie-chickens in winter and note the character of the seeds that constitute their 

 food, and it will be found that a large per cent, are composed of kinds that are inju- 

 rious to agriculture. The following I have particularly noted : 



Lincoln, Nebr., February, 1874.— Four prairie-chickens were examined. The con- 

 tents of the first were 1 grain of corn, 5 grains of wheat, 38 seeds of polygonums 

 (mostly P. amphihium), 7 seeds of cassia, and 13 of sun-flowers, and 17 that I failed to 

 identify. The contents of the second were 14 seeds of polygonums, 31 sun-flowers, 3 

 cassia, 11 verbenas (wild), 4 euphorbias, and 13 wild-rose seeds. The contents of the 

 third were 13 seeds of the cassia, 29 of wild roses, 12 seeds of polygonums, 2 grains of 

 wheat, 1 grain of barley, and 34 that I could not identify. The fourth chicken had in 

 its stomach 15 seeds of the gentians, 33 of rag-weeds, 3 of wild roses, 4 of euphorbias, 

 and 29 minute seeds that I could not identify. Of the eight quail that I examined 

 during the same month, only one had a few grains of wheat in its stomach. All the 

 rest were filled with grass-seed and the seeds of weeds, principally the latter. Those 

 that I examined in the winter of 1875 gave the same average results. 



Now, in view of these facts, which could be multiplied to any extent, the assertion 

 that a great increase of our insectivorous birds would be damaging to any products of 

 the land cannot be sustained. But even supposing that some damage was done to 

 crops of cereals, corn, fruits, and the gardens by the occasionally grain and fruit eating 

 birds, would it not ba better to suffer a little loss from them than the destruction of 

 whole crops from insects ? A. S. Packard, jr., estimates that the loss from locusts in a 

 single year in the Western States amounted to $45,000,000, and from all kinds of insects 

 $200,000,000. Now, if birds could be produced in sufficient numbers to save one-half 

 of this loss or $100,000,000 a year, would it not be better to share one-fourth of this 

 sum with the birds if this were necessary. But it is dwubtf ul whether the birds would 

 need even this comparative small amount to be expended on them. All the facts at 

 our command indicate that the proposed increase would demand the sacrifice of a very 

 small fraction of the products of the land. Only when the birds do a tithe of the 

 damage that is now being done by insects, and not till then, should permission be 

 given for their destruction. 



But even if there were considerations which would justify the killing of partially 

 grain-eating birds (which I do not admit), there are none whatever that can sanction 

 the destruction of those that are wholly insectivorous. Nearly all, for example, that 

 belong to the woodpecker, plover, and snipe families are wholly insectivorous, as well 

 as many that belong to other orders. 



I do not mean to say that every bird without exception should be so protected as to 

 cause its indefinite increase. There may be an occasional exception, but such excep- 

 tions must be rare indeed. Ex- Governor Robert Furnas, of Brownville, Nebr., reports 

 that the Baltimore oriole is exceedingly damaging to the finest grapes; that it plunges 

 its bill into them and thus causes their decay without even eating any, or at least very 

 few. I have not observed this habit myself, but, as he is a close observer and a friend 

 of the birds, he cannot well be mistaken. I hope his experience is exceptional, but, if 

 not^we probably must leave this beautiful bird outside of the protection of the laws. 



Unfortunately man often thoughtlessly destroys numberless birds. Sometimes in 

 May and June, and even earlier, when grouse, quail, plover, and other birds are nest- 

 ing, the prairies are burnt off, so as to produce tender grass for cattle later in the sea- 

 son, or for other unknown reasons. In June, 1869, I passed over a small portion of 

 Wayne County behind a raging prairie-fire. In one hour I found ruined nests of 13 

 prairie-chickens, 9 quail, 5 plover, and 3 other nests that I did not recognize. In some 

 Bcasons many thousands of nests are destroyed in this way. No prairie should be 



