Photo by ilrs. F. W. Roe 



A RKD-nELLIHD WOODPECKER 



This is a common bird in our Southern States and occasionally is seen as far north as 

 iFassacIiusetts. It inhabits alike coniferous and deciduous growths, but prefers the latter. 

 It ascends a tree in a curious, jerky fashion, accompanying each upward move by a hoarse 

 chi'ih-chuli. 



or Ijuzzards of tlie Snuth are protected 

 liiith Ijy law and piiljlic sentiment, and 

 as a result the}' are ndt (,)nly exceedingly 

 abundant, but remarkably tame. But we 

 do nut realize that gulls and some (jther 

 water birds are also beneficial as scaven- 

 gers in eating refuse, which if left float- 

 ing on the water would often be cast 

 ashore to deca)'. Dr. deorge F. Oaumer, 

 of ^'ucatan, tells me that the killing of 

 immense numbers of herons and other 

 littoral birds in Yucatan has been fol- 

 lowed b\' an increase in human mortalitN' 

 among the inhabitants of the coast, which 

 he is assured is a direct result cif tjie 

 destruction of liirds that formerly as- 

 sisted in keeping the beaches and bayous 

 free from decaying animal matter. 



hzick of space forljids an adequate 

 treatment of this subject, but reference 

 to the works and ])a|)ers mentioned be- 

 low* will support the statement that, if 



*Notes on the Nature iif the Food of the 

 l'>irds of Nebraska, li.\' S. Aughey ; First An- 

 nual Rcnort of the I'liitcd States Entomo- 

 Ingical Commission for the ^'ear 1877, Appen- 

 dix ii. PI). 13-62. The Food of Birds, by S. A. 

 ]<'iirl)es; Bulletin No. 3, Illinois State Labora- 

 tory of Natural History, 18S0, pp. 80-148. The 

 Uegulative Action of Birds upon Insect Os- 



we were deprived of the services of 

 birds, the earth \\'ould soon become un- 

 inhabitable. 



WHAT TIIEY ASK IX RETURN 



Xevertheless, the feathered protectors 

 of our farms and gardens, plains and 

 forests, rec|uire so little encouragement 

 from us — indeed, ask only tolerance — 

 that we accept their ser^'ices much as vce 

 do the air we breathe. A\'e ma\" be in 

 debt to them past reckoning and still be 

 unaware of their existence ; but to ap- 

 ]n-eciate the beaut)- of form and plumage 

 of birds, their grace of motion and musi- 

 cal powers, we must know them. 



The sight of a bird or the sound of its 

 voice is at all times an event of such 

 significance to me, a si^urce of such un- 

 failing pleasure, that wdien I go afield 

 \\'ith those to whom birds are strangers 

 I am deeply impressed b_\- the compara- 



cillations, by S. .V. Forbes : i7)i'rf.. Bulletin No. 6, 

 1883, pp. 3-3J. Economic Relations of Wis- 

 consin Birds, by F. H. King; Wisconsin Geo- 

 logical Survey, vol. i, 1882, pp. 441-610. Report 

 on the Birds of Pennsj'lvania, with Special 

 Reference to the Food Habits, based on over 

 Four Thousand Stomach Examinations, by 

 B. H. Warren: Harrisburg, E. K. Meyers, 



710 



