NATURAL HISTORY. 



When a bird or a wild animal is killed, that's the end of it. If photographed, it may still live and its educational 



and scientific value is multiplied indefinitely. 



NO BIRDS, NO CROPS. 



HERBERT SHEARER. 



The influence of the native birds on ag- 

 riculture and horticulture is being care- 

 fully studied by both practical, matter-of- 

 fact farmers and their scientific assistants 

 in our colleges and experiment stations. 

 The value of birds to the farmer and the 

 horticulturist has only of recent years 

 been appreciated. Before the days of 

 scientific investigation birds were consid- 

 ered enemies, and many acts of legisla- 

 tion were aimed at their destruction, with 

 more or less effect. In 1820 Massachu- 

 setts instituted a raid on the birds of the 

 commonwealth, destroying the greater 

 part of them within a short time. Failure 

 of nearly all crops was noticeable almost 

 immediately. This resulted in a change 

 of the short sighted policy. In some of 

 the Southern States, especially Virginia 

 and the Carolinas, wars were waged 

 against the birds until it was found that 

 horticulture suffered severely . in conse- 

 quence. Even the forest trees were at- 

 tacked by insects which the small feath- 

 ered tribes had kept under subjection. 



In those davs the influence of printers' 

 ink was not felt to the extent that it is at 

 present, or those States would have bene- 

 fited by the knowledge gained of like 

 experience in older countries. At the 

 time of the French Revolution the scarcity 

 of food was a serious problem, and to pro- 

 vide for necessities the population killed 

 off the birds in great numbers. The ertect 

 on the orchards and farm crops, as well 

 as on vineyards, was so painfully notice- 

 able that laws were immediately enacted 

 for the protection of birds. 



Prussia at one time, with a view of 

 bennting agriculture, instructed that a tax 

 of 12 birds' heads should be paid annually 

 by each farmer; but it only required about 

 2 years to satisfy the Prussians that this 

 was a grievous ' mistake. Such a disas- 

 trous experiment in these days would be 

 noised about through the press of every 

 civilized country as a warning to deter 

 other nations from falling into such a 

 senseless error. 



farther in this direction 

 experience of the British 

 its off' hi in annihilate a 

 mice thai destroyed the 

 counties; 1 he reason being 



Looking still 

 we come to the 

 Government in 

 plague of field 

 crops in several 



finally traced i<i the scarcity of owls, 



hawks and similar birds ot prey. An in- 

 vestigating committee appointed by the 

 House of Commons recommended the 



protection of this class of birds; a rare 

 recognition of an ancient enemy as a 

 modern friend. 



Evey living thing is useful in some way, 

 and all things belong to a grand economi- 

 cal system pertaining to the whole uni- 

 verse. Each bird has its specific use. 

 Some protect the trees of the forest by 

 hunting through the rough bark for in- 

 sects that destroy the foliage, while other 

 birds dig into the trees and extract cut 

 worms that they hear or feel at work in 

 the tree. Other birds live among the cul- 

 tivated plants of the field where they de- 

 stroy innumerable insect enemies of the 

 agriculturist; and still others live among 

 our fruit trees, shrubs and garden bushes 

 with the same object in view. The value 

 of our feathered inhabitants has been 

 more generally recognized during the past 

 decade. The enormous value of birds to 

 man in preventing the increase of insects, 

 and in destroying small rodents, as well 

 as the seeds of harmful plants, is shown 

 by the fact that insects cause an annual 

 loss of at least $200,000,000 to the agricul- 

 tural interests of the United States, exclu- 

 sive of the damage done to ornamental 

 shrubbery, shade and forest trees. 



The protection of song Dirds in Euro- 

 pean countries has occupied the attention 

 of statesmen in the various governments 

 for many years, resulting in the adoption 

 of many laws of more or less value. In- 

 discriminate slaughter of birds for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining their plumage has led to 

 such diminution in their number as to 

 cause widespread uneasiness because of 

 increased insect pests and the consequent 

 destruction of food productions. In 

 Switzerland a law was passed in 1875 mak- 

 ing the trapping or killing of song birds, 

 or robbing or molesting their nests, a 

 criminal offense. Throughout the Alpine 

 Republic school children were taught the 

 value, beauty and utility not only of song- 

 birds, but of all ornithological species. 

 This educational custom, backed by the 

 authority of the government has had a 

 salutary effect and has probably proved a 

 necessary protection of the few feathered 

 songsters remaining after the slaughter 

 thai had been carried on for generations. 



The German speaking people of Swit- 

 zerland at the 1 present time are universal 

 in their appreciation, lavish with fostering 

 care, and vie with each other in their 

 efforts t'> protect and encourage bird life 

 throughoul the country. One annoying 

 difficulty has been met which apparently 



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