Page 244 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

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222 OUR VANISHING WILD LIFE
destruction that God ever put together of flesh and blood. He was good, beautiful and true; and his small life was blameless. And here he lies, dead; snatched away from his field of labor, and destroyed, in order that I may be tempted to dine three minutes longer, after I have already eaten to satiety."
Then go on, and finish Bob White.
The Case of the Robin.—For a long time this bird has been slaugh- tered in the South for food, regardless of the agricultural interests of the North. NoSoutherngentlemanevershootsrobins,orsongbirdsofany kind, but the negroes and poor whites do it. The worst case of recent occurrence was the slaughter in the town of Pittsboro, North^Carolina.
ItwasinJanuary,1912. TheMayoro'thetown,Hon.BonnetNooe, was away from home; and during a heavy fall of snow "the robins came into the town in great numbers to feed upon the berries of the cedar trees. In order that the birds might be killed without restriction, the Board of Aldermen suspended the ordinance against the firing of guns in the town, and permitted the inhabitants to kill the robins.
A disgraceful carnival of slaughter immediately followed in which "about all the male population " participated. Regarding this. Mayor Nooe later on wrote to the editor of Bird Lore as follows
"Hearing of this, on my return, I went to the Aldermen, all of whom were guilty, and told them that they and all others who were guilty would have to be fined. Three out of the five submitted and paid up, but they insisted that the ordinance be changed to read exactly as it is written here, with the exception that all could shoot robins in the town until the first of March; whereupon I resigned, as was stated." [Bird Lore, XIV, 2. p 140.)
The Mayor was quite right. The robin butchers of Pittsboro were not worthy to be governed by him.
The Meadow Lark is one of the most valuable birds that frequent farming regions. Throughout the year insects make up 73 per cent of its food, weed-seeds 12 per cent, and grain only 5 per cent. During the insect season, insects constitute 90 per cent of its food.
The Baltimore Oriole is as valuable to man as it is beautiful. Its nest is the most wonderful example of bird architecture in our land. InMayinsectsconstitute90percentofthisbird'sfood. Fortheentire year, insects and other animal food make 83.4 per cent and vegetable matter 16.6 per cent.
The Crow Blackbird feeds as follows, throughout the whole year: insects, 26.9 per cent; other animal food 3.4; corn 37.2; oats, 2.9; wheat, 4.8; other grain, 1.6; fruits, 5; weed seeds and mast 18.2! This report was based on the examination (by the Biological Survey) of 2,346 stomachs, and "the charge that the blackbird is an habitual robber of birds' nests was disproved by the examinations." (F. E. L. Beal.)
Flycatchers.—The high-water mark in insect-destruction by our
birds is reached bv the flvcatchers,
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dull-colored, modest-mannered
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