6 
OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 250 
insects, and except for the birds, it may be doubted if there would 
be any forests. The benefit is mutual; the forest furnishes for the 
birds food, nesting- sites and shelter from the elements and gets its 
recompense through their destruction of noxious animals and insects. 
PLANTING SEEDS 
Birds play an important part in the distributing of plants. 
Water fowl, such as herons and shore birds, may carry small seeds 
for long distances embedded in mud whichr adheres to their feet. 
Barren islands which of necessity must remain such, without outside 
intervention, are, through the agency of birds, fertilized and planted. 
The fruit-eating birds are among the most valuable of the tree 
planters, distributing seeds far and wide. Crows, Jays, Wood¬ 
peckers, and other birds, as well as squirrels, lay up a store of nuts, 
acorns and tree seeds for use during winter, many of which are 
dropped, forgotten, or otherwise escape from their owners. These 
seeds germinate and if the conditions are favorable, will grow into 
sturdy seedlings. Wherever hardwood trees succeed pines, or vice 
i 
versa, the birds are very instrumental in bringing about the suc¬ 
cession or rotation. 
AS DESTROYERS OF RODENTS AND NOXIOUS ANIMALS 
CHARACTER OF BIRDLESS COUNTRIES 
Field mice, moles, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, marmots, and 
many other rodents add to the destruction caused by insects. They 
abound in forest, field, and orchard, and about the abodes of man, 
even seeking the shelter and protection of his roof and living upon 
the fruits of his labor. Probably through no means that 
human ingenuity is or will be able to devise can the scourge of 
noxious rodents be effectually checked. The Raptors—the Hawks 
and Owls, constitute a natural and probably the most important check 
on the abnormal increase of these devastating animals. Plagues of 
rodents have been recorded from ancient times to the present day. 
At whatever time or place these have occurred, investigation has 
disclosed that they followed a reduction in the numbers of the 
rapacious birds that normally ranged over the stricken areas. 
Nevada suffered such a plague during 1907-1908 which resulted in 
great loss to the ranchmen. Among the birds that flocked to the 
infested region to feed on the animals were Hawks, Owls, Gulls, 
Crows, Ravens, Herons, and Shrikes. Such food habits indicate not 
only an emergency value for these species, but with almost equal 
certainty prove their constant, though unrecognized worth. Thus, 
many of the hawks were shot by men who were trying to suppress 
the plague by means of poison.* 
*Farmers Bulletin U. S. D. A. No. 352. 
