200 



RECREATION. 



Of the starling, introduced here a num- 

 ber of times from England, but not with 

 rapid success, Mr. Palmer says nothing 

 favorable. It changes its habits, as 

 many other birds do, on reaching a new 

 environment, and will not perform the 

 work it was imported to do. In New Zea- 

 land and Australia it was hoped it would 

 exterminate the hurtful insects. But it has 

 left these for fruit and many other things 

 that these countries do not wish exposed 

 to predatory assaults. The American Ac- 

 climatization Society has made the most 

 successful attempt to make the starling 

 live here. It let loose 60 birds of this 

 species in Central Park in 1890. Many 

 of their descendants are still to be seen, 

 and flocks of them have been noticed in 

 Brooklyn and Sing Sing. Some years ago 

 35 pairs of starlings were liberated in Port- 

 land, Oregon, and the species still exists 

 there. 



The mina, or myuah, is a bird native to 

 India that was brought to Honolulu in the 

 70's. Its looks and habits are somewhat 

 like those of our grackle, or crow black- 

 bird, but it has proved itself a pest. It 

 drives away pigeons and fowls, and its 

 voice is far from being musical. It also 

 destroys nests and eggs. 



The kohlmouse, or great titmouse, has 

 been praised as a killer of the moths that 

 are the enemies of fruit. In 1897, Dr. 

 Palmer says, an article appeared in a paper 

 in Idaho, advocating its importation. But 

 the case against it is that it is known to 

 destroy fruit much more than moths, and 

 it kills other birds. It does this by split- 

 ting open their skulls with its beak to get 

 at their brains, which is one of its articles 

 of diet. This bird was brought to Cincin- 

 nati, Ohio, in 1874, but its naturalization, 

 fortunately, failed. 



It is disappointing and not pleasant to 

 hear that the skylark and the Grecian lin- 

 net are depredators. So fdso is the black 

 thrush. All 3 are natives of Europe. 

 On the English skylark, particularly, much 

 sentiment and time have been expended to 

 secure for it naturalization here. All 3 

 of these birds have been introduced in 

 Oregon, and the skylark several times in 

 the State of New York. Nothing im- 

 portant has come from the skylark, though 



a few exist in our country as an effect of 

 these importations. I was told a year ago 

 that the skylark could be heard not far 

 from Flushing, Long Island, and it exists 

 near Portland, Oregon, and possibly in 

 New Jersey. In spite of the good singing 

 of the thrush, and his generally good char- 

 acter at home, it is said that here they 

 play the role of the prodigal son in part; 

 they appropriate articles of value to the 

 fruit grower and spend them in riotous 

 living. 



The gypsy moth was imported by a citi- 

 zen of Massachusets to forward a supposed 

 profitable silk-worm industry. The result 

 was not only a failure of purpose, but a 

 precipitation of disaster quite appalling. 

 The escape of the moth shows its marvel- 

 lous prolificacy and its pestiferous charac- 

 ter. It has cost the State where it was in- 

 troduced an enormous sum to hold it in 

 check, with faint hope of its ultimate extin- 

 guishment. 



The moral to be heeded in consideration 

 of all these facts is what New Zealand and 

 Australia are taking to heart, and what one 

 or 2 men who have investigated the subject 

 in this country do not hesitate to urge. 

 That is that some legislation should be 

 enacted by Congress to prevent anybody 

 and everybody from bringing into the coun- 

 try winged and four legged emigrants of 

 all sorts that seem good to them, without 

 any knowledge of what will happen from 

 this unimpeded privilege. Dr. Palmer 

 says there is no Federal statute whatever 

 on this subject, and only California has 

 given it attention. A former Chief of the 

 Biological Survey of the United States 

 thought the Secretary of Agriculture 

 should have power to grant or withhold 

 permits for bird and animal immigration; 

 giving, as a matter of course, to certain 

 song and cage birds and those to go in 

 menageries and museums the right of en- 

 trance.* 



But let us hope the skylark can be re- 

 formed so as to secure both entrance and 

 liberty, since it is turnip seed chiefly on 

 which he makes his unlawful assault. Sure- 

 ly one song of the skylark ought to be 

 worth an acre of turnips. 



*The Lacey bill, passed since the bulletin was printed 

 covers the ground completely. — Editor. 



"Can you spell your name, Tommy?" 

 "Yes'm. T, o, m, j, e — Tommy." 

 "What do you spell it that way for?" 

 " 'Cause I'm a Boer sympathizer." 

 — Chicago Tribune. 



