Nov., 1916 
EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 
235 
When the United States Department of 
Agriculture began investigations into the 
food habits of California birds, Profes- 
sor Beal was sent to this State and 
placed in charge of the work. His 
studies were planned with a view to 
obtaining an accurate determination of 
the economic status of every species 
of California bird that inhabits orchards, in 
order that it might be possible for the fruit 
grower to discriminate between friends and 
foes, with suggestions as to remedial meas- 
ures for saving fruit from destructive spe- 
cies. Professor Beal spent within the State 
the fruit seasons of 1901, 1903 and 1906, in 
all a period of about nineteen months, col- 
lecting stomachs of the various birds and 
and conditions in California appear in the 
introductory paragraphs. In the treatment 
of each species evidence of two kinds is 
given, statements of ranchers, and results 
of stomach examinations. In the conclu- 
sions reached, stress is laid upon the nature 
of the yearly and seasonal food, summaries 
of which are given for each species. The 
second part, issued in 1910, treats of thirty- 
three additional species. Only four Califor- 
nia birds are finally blacklisted on economic 
grounds, these four being the two bluejays, 
the Linnet and the Red-breasted Sapsucker. 
“How birds affect the orchard” (1900) and 
“The relation of birds to fruit growing in 
California” (1904) were two Year-book pub- 
lications also resulting directly from work 
Fig. 57. Professor F. B. L. Beal on one of fiis visits to Cali- 
fornia. At lunch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, September 
4, 1901. Photo taken by W. Otto Emerson. 
investigating conditions in fruit-growing sec- 
tions. The larger part of the time was spent 
at Hayward, Alameda County, in the Pajaro 
Valley, Santa Cruz County, and at Pasadena, 
Los Angeles County. The co-operation of 
scientific collectors was also enlisted, with 
the result that many additional bird’s stom- 
achs were sent to Washington. 
As a result of this work, there were pub- 
lished under Professor Beal’s authorship, 
two bulletins entitled “Birds of California 
in relation to the fruit industry” (U. S. 
Dept. Agric., Biol. Surv., Bull. 30; ibid., Bull. 
34). The first, published in 1902, treats of 
the Linnet and thirty-seven other species of 
birds. Some general statements regarding 
the depredations of birds in fruit orchards, 
in this State. Guarded statements like the 
following are characteristic of Mr. Beal’s 
work: “The value of their [the birds’] 
work in dollars and cents is difficult of de- 
termination, but careful study has brought 
out much of practical importance in ascer- 
taining approximately to what degree each 
species is harmful or helpful in its relation 
to the orchard.” The fair treatment he ac- 
corded both sides in the controversy regard- 
ing the economic value of birds, won sup- 
port for his standpoint and developed inter- 
est in his work. 
In succeeding bulletins such as “Food of 
the woodpeckers of the United States”, 
“Food of our more important flycatchers”, 
and several briefer reports, additional infor- 
