afford, and, last but not least, their great value to the farmer and
fruit grower, should arouse our earnest efforts in their behalf.
In our country alone an army of five million men and boys go out to hunt
wild creatures every year. The animals are so defenseless against man's
weapons that it is not a fair fight, in which the quicker or sharper
escape, but a slaughter.
If these hunters were savages armed only with bows and arrows, then the
wild creatures would have a chance for their lives. Besides, savages do
not kill for sport, nor do they purposely destroy Nature's most valuable
gifts to them.
The forest that has been cut down will grow again. The soil that has
been made poor will, if let alone, sometime become fertile again. But
those species of birds, animals, and fish which we have completely
destroyed will never be restored to us.
[Illustration: _Nat'l Ass'n Audubon Societies_
The sage grouse, which is in danger of extinction.]
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THE TRAGEDIES OF MILADY'S HAT AND CAPE
Our savage ancestors depended largely for food upon animals, birds, and
fish which they obtained. They used the skins and furs for clothing and
the plumes for decorating themselves. They allowed no part of the bodies
of the animals they killed to go to waste.
We do not now have to depend upon the wild creatures for food, because
our flocks and herds supply all that we require. But Dame Fashion has
decreed that furs and feathers are still the proper thing to wear. Thus
it has come about that those animals that have soft, furry coats and
those birds that have bright plumage are hunted more eagerly now than
they were long ago when food was the most important thing.
The demand for furs has always been great and the trapping industry has
employed thousands of men ever since our land was discovered, but in
recent years feathers have become almost as important. No region where
fur-bearing animals have their lairs, or birds of beautiful plumage have
their nests, is too far away or too difficult for the hunters and
trappers to go and hunt.
The business of killing wild creatures for money makes beasts out of men
and has led to most heartless cruelties. The savage, hunting for food,
kills his prey at once; but the fur trapper with a circuit which takes
sometimes a week to cover often has to leave his prey, tortured in the
traps, until it starves to death.
If the wearer of that handsome warm fur coat could know what was,
perhaps, the story of the wild creature to which it once belonged,
would she enjoy it so much? Could the wearer of that gay hat, for the
making of which not only a mother bird, but perhaps a whole family of
little ones, gave up their lives, take so much pleasure in it if she
knew the history of its plumes?
It is not the desire for warm furs about our necks or for beautiful
feathers in our hats that is wrong. It is the needless suffering that
those who hunt and trap cause the wild creatures that we should be
ashamed of and insist upon having stopped.
The work of the trapper and hunter is nearly done. These men have
despoiled for money the life of a whole continent in a few short years.
The fur-bearing animals, if hunted in moderation, would have continued
to people the wilds for all time to come. But neither the wearer of furs
nor the hunter has given one thought to their preservation.
In the getting of bird plumage for millinery purposes we find cruelties
practiced which are almost beyond our belief. The lowest savage that
ever lived on the earth could be no worse than many of our bird hunters.
Birds have habits which make them easier to kill than fur-bearing
animals. Although the modern fashion for feathers began less than fifty
years ago, the birds that afford bright and graceful plumage have
already been nearly exterminated. Now most of them are protected in our
country, and the sale of feathers from other countries is prohibited in
our markets. But there are some places where the law is not enforced, as
well as many other countries where there are no laws, and thoughtless
women still wear plumes. To supply the demands of fashion all the remote
lands as well as islands of the sea are being searched.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
Young great blue herons in their nest.]
The slaughter began with the bright-colored songbirds, terns, gulls,
herons, egrets, and flamingos. Then it extended to other sea birds,
including the albatross, to bright-colored tropical birds, and to the
wonderful birds of paradise. How true is the following statement made in
a millinery store:
"You had better take the feather for twelve dollars," said the clerk,
"for it is very cheap at that price. These feathers are becoming scarce
and very soon we shall not be able to secure them."
Here is milady's beautiful cape glistening with all the colors of the
rainbow. Of what is this gorgeous thing made? Would you believe it
possible that it is formed entirely of humming birds' skins, with the
heads and long, slender bills? Perhaps a thousand of the tiny birds were
sacrificed that some woman might have a beautiful cape. Does it seem
possible that any gentlewoman could wear this cape, who had any
realization of the tragedies that had to take place in humming-bird life
in order that it might be made? Could she wear this cape if she knew of
the forsaken nests and the hundreds of dying young ones waiting for the
mothers that never returned?
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
Forster's tern or sea swallow on its nest. The wings and tail of this
bird are used for millinery purposes.]
But more terrible, if anything, than the story of the humming-bird cape
is the story of the delicate egret plumes on yonder hat. They once
adorned the mother bird at nesting time in some far marsh. The feathers
are almost perfect at this time, and to get them the bird must be
killed. Each bunch of egret feathers represents a family tragedy,--a
nest of little birds left to die, because the mother has been sacrificed
to satisfy the demands of fashion.
The plume hunters invade the nesting places of the egrets, herons, and
flamingos, often leaving not a single bird in what were once happy
colonies, except the starving little ones. Millions of these plumes have
been obtained along our seacoasts and about the interior lakes and
marshes. Is it any wonder that the egrets are nearly extinct as a result
of this merciless slaughter?
Now, when it is almost too late, protection has been given these
beautiful birds. Bird refuges have been established at different
favorable points along the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in the
Klamath and Malheur Lake regions of Oregon. These refuges are watched
over by wardens, and we hope that the birds inhabiting them will thus be
enabled to increase and again fill the almost forsaken marshes.
In our plea for the protection of the birds of attractive plumage, we
must not forget those of the tropical jungles. Remote as many of these
jungles are, the plumage hunter is devastating them already. The bird of
paradise, found in the East India islands, will soon be extinct unless
protected.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THE COURT OF THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS
Once upon a time, not very long ago, the birds and animals were brought
into court to be tried on the charge of committing all sorts of
misdeeds. Some of their accusers wanted to shoot them for food. Others
said they did much harm and should be destroyed, while still others
envied their beautiful coats of fur or feathers. To settle the matter
fairly, the judge decided that each prisoner should be tried by itself.
The first case called was that of the English sparrow, who made such a
noisy disturbance that the bailiff had to call for silence. All
witnesses asserted that the bird was a foreigner and did not belong in
this country. They further testified that the sparrow was a meddlesome,
gossiping neighbor, always fighting the other birds and driving them
away. The sparrow looked around, but not a single friend could he find.
The court decided that he should be driven out and made the lawful prey
of every one. He cautioned all present, however, always to be very
careful to distinguish between the English sparrow and the other
sparrows. The latter birds must on no account be molested, for they were
without any exceptions most useful citizens.
In regard to the linnet the judge hardly knew what to say. The bird was
shown to be a sweet singer, but very destructive of fruit. It was
finally decided that a census of the linnets must be taken occasionally.
Whenever their number was found to be so great as to endanger the fruit
crop in any particular place, the farmers were to be allowed to dispose
of a certain number.
The bobolink had many friends as well as enemies present. Every one that
knew the bobolink in its summer home in the North insisted that this
beautiful singer must be protected. But the people from the South, where
it spends the winter, wished the privilege of shooting it. They said
that its flesh formed a delicious morsel and also that in the rice
fields, where it was known as the "rice bird," it did a great deal of
harm. The judge refused to listen to the plea of the hunters and said
that this attractive bird must be protected in both its winter and
summer homes.
The turn of the blue jay came next. Every one wondered what the charge
against this bird with the beautiful blue plumage could be. Some thought
that he was on trial for his discordant screeching, which alarmed all
the inhabitants of the woods. The charge against the jay was, however,
far more serious. He had been caught while making his breakfast of some
baby birds which a mother robin had just hatched. The quail and every
other small bird present called for vengeance on this ruthless destroyer
of their homes. The gardener also added that the bird ate his cherries
and apples.
The jay now presented a strong defense, saying that most of his food was
made up of harmful insects and worms. He proved that he did almost as
much good as harm. The judge, knowing what a wise bird the jay was, told
him to go but that he must thereafter look out for himself.
The family of hawks was next examined. There were many witnesses who
declared that they were the most destructive of neighbors and lived
entirely upon small birds and chickens. The songbirds all raised their
voices against hawks, saying that when they left their nests to hunt
for food for their children, they were never sure of finding them alive
upon their return. The judge inquired carefully as to the truth of these
complaints, but found that only a few of the hawks were guilty as
claimed. These included the peregrine falcon, sharp-shinned hawk, and
Cooper's hawk. The other hawks proved that they were the farmers' best
friends, for they waged endless war upon mice, rats, ground squirrels,
gophers, and rabbits, and only occasionally caught other birds. They had
evidence also that in those places where their numbers had been much
reduced by the hunters, the small rodents increased enormously.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
Full-grown young red-tailed hawks.]
The court had to be held at night to accommodate the owls and give them
justice. The judge decided from the evidence that, in this family as in
the last, there were good members as well as bad and he could not
condemn them all to death. The owls proved that they were of even more
benefit to the farmers than were the hawks, because of the large number
of rats which they ate. The great horned owl and the barred owl only
were singled out for punishment.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
The screech owl at home. This is a well-known bird, of great economic
value because it catches so many mice.]
The case of the meadow lark was called next. An old farmer complained
that this bird had destroyed his young grain. Then the hunters made the
plea that the meadow lark was really a game bird and that they ought to
be allowed to shoot it. In defense of these birds the stomachs of many
of them that had been killed were shown in court. It was proved that
two thirds of all their food was made up of harmful insects and that the
farmers ought to be glad to have them about. It was further shown that
if the insects killed by the meadow larks in one day in the San Joaquin
Valley, California, were loaded on the cars and hauled away, it would
take a train of twenty cars of ten tons each. The meadow lark, upon this
showing, was allowed to go unmolested and at once began a happy carol.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A coyote, one of the keenest-witted animals of the Western plains.]
The grizzly bear had been summoned, but could not be found, for all of
his species had been killed except a few in the Yellowstone Park. But
the black bear was brought in and accused of eating young calves and
colts. The stockmen asked that all the black bears be killed. The judge
decided, however, that as there are so few left, and they are so timid
and rarely do any harm, and are, besides, among the most interesting of
the citizens of the woods, they should go free and be protected from the
hunter.
The coyote was next dragged in and accused of all manner of evil deeds.
He pleaded in defense that he helped to keep down the numbers of the
rabbits and ground squirrels, and that if it were not for his tribe,
these little animals would eat up everything. The judge decided that the
coyote was on the whole a rather unpleasant neighbor and refused to
afford him any protection. Every one knew, however, that the coyote was
so sharp and keen that he was a match for most of the enemies about him
and would get along very well.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A weasel in its summer coat.]
Those sly little animals, the skunk, weasel, coon, and mink, destroyed a
great many birds, especially those that nested on or near the ground,
according to the report of most of those present in court. But the skunk
had some good friends who showed that his chief food was insects and
worms, and that he did more good than harm. It was further proved that
the fur of all these animals was so valuable that, while trapping them
would be permitted, they must not be exterminated. In regard to the
weasel, the testimony showed that he was a badly slandered animal. Most
of his food appeared to be rats and mice, and only rarely did he kill
chickens. The judge added that these poor animals had too often been
condemned offhand. Although they occasionally ate chickens, no one had
tried to find out the good which they did.
To hear the complaints against the great California sea lion, the court
adjourned to the seashore. The fishermen declared that the sea lion ate
the fish upon which their livelihood depended, and also broke their
nets. They demanded that all the sea lions be killed. Careful search in
the stomachs of some of them that had been taken for that purpose made
it very clear that the fishermen were wrong. The sea lions ate almost no
fish, but lived upon squid and other sea animals not valuable to the
fishermen. As a result, these interesting animals were given full
protection.
The oyster farmers complained most indignantly to the court about the
conduct of the wild ducks. They said that the ducks ate a large part of
the young oysters on their oyster farms. They wanted the ducks shot
without delay, for their business was almost ruined. This matter was
carefully looked into, and it was proved that the ducks really ate very
few oysters.
The judge remarked as he adjourned court that if all the accusations
were true, hardly a wild creature would be left. He said further that
each one was entitled to fair treatment at the hands of men unless it
was wholly bad.
CHAPTER THIRTY
THE BIRDS OUR GOOD FRIENDS AND PLEASANT COMPANIONS
As we lie partly awake on some bright spring morning, we hear through
the open window such a chorus of music that it seems almost as though we
must be in some enchanted land. This music, however, is the songs of the
birds that nest about our homes.
We can distinguish in the chorus the notes of many different birds. From
the treetop come the sweet songs of the oriole and robin. Upon a low
bush sits a black-headed grosbeak that never seems to weary of his
refrain. From various hidden places in the dense foliage come the notes
of the song sparrow and the lazuli bunting. From its perch upon some
fence post the meadow lark adds to the cheerfulness of the morning. If
your home is far enough south, you may hear the mocking bird pouring
forth its melody in endless variation.
Rising above all other sounds, as the morning advances, are the cheery
calls of the quail who seems to say: "Where are you? Where are you? Stay
right there; stay right there." Both in the morning and in the evening
the almost heavenly music of the thrush echoes through the deep woods.
In the quiet night the hoot of the owls is most entertaining.
Would you for anything have the birds leave us? Would you for anything
lose these airy creatures whose music, bright plumage, and graceful
movements not only add so much to the pleasure of our daily lives but
also serve us in so many ways? The woods, fields, and waters would be
lonely without them.
Did you ever think that it is possible, that it is indeed likely, that
many of these beautiful creatures will leave us for all time if we do
not treat them kindly and give them every protection in our power? Did
you ever think of all the enemies that are constantly on the watch for
the birds,--the thoughtless boy who robs their nests, the angry farmer
who mistakenly believes they injure him, the hunter who thinks only of
how good they taste, the sleek cat lying so innocently by your fireside,
which loves a bird above everything else, and last of all, the blue jay,
butcher bird, and some of the hawks and owls?
To realize how our home would seem without birds, let us take an
imaginary journey far across the water to "sunny Italy." Here you will
rarely hear bird music upon spring mornings, unless it be that of some
poor caged creature. If you will walk through the country, you will see
few birds where once they must have been abundant. But upon every
holiday you will see the fields filled with hunters, who with keen eyes
are watching for any stray birds that have happened to stop on their
journey across the country to rest and to hunt worms or taste a bit of
fruit. The Italian does not know the good the birds do his garden and
that it would be the part of wisdom for him to let them have a little of
his corn and fruit.
We will now journey to Spain and learn something about the treatment of
our bird friends there. This country was once rich and prosperous. From
it came many of the early explorers of our own land. The people of the
central highlands of Spain never loved to hear the birds sing, because
they were always thinking of the grain which the birds took. Thinking to
save their crops, they not only killed and scared away all the birds
they could, but they also cut down the trees so that the birds would
have no places to nest.
Thus the people freed themselves from the birds, but what was the
harvest that they reaped? When the trees were gone they had no fuel, the
soil dried out more quickly, and the insects increased until they
destroyed far more of the grain and fruit than the birds could possibly
have done. The people are now very poor and just manage to live from one
harvest to another.
Now let us learn a little about our own birds and what they are doing
for us. We ought to know the habits of all the common birds that
frequent our gardens and be able to tell each by its note. This would
add greatly to our pleasure when out of doors and make us appreciate the
services they are rendering.
Go where you will through the open fields or among the trees and bushes,
you will find different kinds of birds and all of them busily engaged.
They are searching over every bit of ground as well as over the trunks,
branches, and leaves of the trees. Some are after the seeds of different
kinds of weeds. Others are getting the worms and insects that infest the
trees. Watch a flock of the little titmice going carefully over all the
leaves and branches of an oak tree. When they have finished, there are
few insects or their eggs left upon it.
How anxious are some of our farmers as well as the sportsmen to have the
meadow lark classed as a pest or as a game bird. Would that the farmers
knew how much good this bird does them! The stomachs of many of these
larks have been carefully examined in order to find out what they
really do eat. The contents show that more than half of the food of the
meadow lark is made up of harmful insects, including beetles,
grasshoppers, crickets, Jerusalem crickets, cutworms, caterpillars,
wireworms, bugs, bees, ants, wasps, flies, spiders, and many others.
These birds also eat large quantities of the seeds of weeds and at times
damage the grain fields. The good that they do, however, far outweighs
the evil.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A young meadow lark.]
Woodpeckers belong to another class of birds that are very useful to us.
How often have we heard them hammering upon a dead tree as they drill
holes in search of the worms and beetles that are hidden under the bark
or in the heart of the wood. It has long been the habit of hunters to
shoot woodpeckers just for sport, although no one eats them nor are they
known to do any harm. With a decrease in their numbers there has been an
increase in insect pests which are now destroying so many trees in all
parts of our country. The woodpeckers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are
worth almost their weight in gold, for they destroy millions of beetles
that are killing the great sugar pines and yellow pines. Here and there
you will find a tree, attacked by the beetles, from which the
woodpeckers have almost stripped the bark in their search for these
insects.
The food of the martins and swallows is wholly made up of insects. We
have all seen them in their graceful flight and have noticed how they
seize their insect prey while on the wing. The martins are of little
value for food, and yet, in some parts of our country they have become
almost extinct because of the pursuit of them by pot hunters.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A barn swallow.]
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A least sandpiper or snipe, one of the shore birds.]
The shore birds form a group of very great value. They include those
long-legged birds with slender bills which are found, usually along the
shores of the ocean and of lakes and small bodies of water, but
sometimes in the interior away from the water. The food of these birds
is almost wholly insects, which are harmful in various ways. Among these
insects are grasshoppers, army worms, cutworms, cabbage worms, grubs,
horseflies, and mosquitoes.
So cruelly and relentlessly have the shore birds been pursued by men who
call themselves "sportsmen;" that many species are nearly extinct. We
hope that the Migratory Bird Law will be enforced and that with the
protection this gives them they will again increase and fill their old
haunts. But we must ever be on the watch, for there will still be greedy
hunters trying to evade the law until all our boys grow up with love and
appreciation for the birds. The killdeer, snipe, and other plovers,
whose habits make them the most interesting of the shore birds,
especially need our protection. We have all seen these birds in our
walks along the shore. Small and delicate their bodies are; each one
would make scarcely a mouthful, and yet the pot hunters have seemed
determined to kill them all.
How many people ever think of the quail in any other light than as a
delicious morsel to be served up on toast for dinner? The quail is not
only useful because of the insects which it destroys, but is a most
wonderfully interesting and attractive bird. If you have ever disturbed
a mountain quail with a brood of young, you will never forget what an
interesting sight the mother presented as she strutted back and forth on
a log, warning her little ones to keep out of sight.
[Illustration: _Finley & Bohlman_
A white heron.]
Quail eat over a hundred kinds of insects, and happy should be that
farmer who can get them to come about his home. Can you find it in your
heart to shoot the father bird, as, perched upon some sightly point, he
watches for danger while the mother just off the nest with her little
brood feeds trustfully under his care?