BIRDS OF NEW YORK 37 



among wild creatures, and thus the deadly effects of the spraying upon 

 bird life are rarely observed. There can be no doubt that many birds 

 such as cuckoos and orioles feeding continuously on poisoned caterpillars 

 finally succtmib to the cumulative effect of the arsenical poisons which 

 are most commonly employed. There is some remedy in the fact that 

 birds will rarely touch larvae that show evidence of sickness, and probably 

 never touch them after they are dead. The author, however, has examined 

 two cuckoos which evidently died from arsenical poisoning, and other 

 instances have been reported by Brewster, Ridgway and Forbush, and by 

 many inhabitants of New York State. We beUeve that the decrease of 

 both species of cuckoos in the apple districts of western New York is 

 partly due to their gluttonous desire for caterpillar diet. 



Plowing and cultivating. The author sees no satisfactory means of 

 overcoming the disastrous effects of late plowing which are so destructive 

 to bird communities of the open field. The Meadowlark, Vesper sparrow, 

 Bobolink and Bartram sandpiper have all suffered tremendously from this 

 cause during the last fifty years. The Prairie homed lark escapes the 

 effects to a slight extent by nesting early in the season, but a part of their 

 broods are destroyed by the early plowing. Much good may be done, 

 however, by the plowman if he is on the watch for nests, and plows around 

 them. The slight loss of time and of crop space which results from such 

 measures, will undoubtedly be repaid tenfold by the larks, sparrows, kill- 

 deers and sandpipers that are thus preserved. They feed on the weed 

 seeds and insects which injure the crops, and the presence of their nests 

 in the field should be hailed with delight by the agriculturist. 



Mowing. In late years the practice of mowing earlier in the season 

 than was the custom in former years, and completing all the mowing very 

 quickly by the aid of improved machinery, whereas in former days the 

 hand mowing prolonged the operation through several weeks, has nearly 

 completed the destruction of the Bobolink in many locaKties where it 

 was formerly one of our most familiar birds. All the meadowland species 

 suffer from mowing operations and there is little hope of overcoming the 



