| Show Protection of Birds Necessary to Cope With Insects That Destroy Food Timber Has the economic value of insectivorous birds been over-estimated over One eminent entomologist has stated that a single pair of Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado beetles our common potato bug i if allowed to breed unmolested for one season would at the end of that period be responsible for a family running well over writes Albert Stoll Jr In the DetroIt Detroit De De- troit News The tussock and gypsy moth If unchecked would produce sufficient progeny within ten years to destroy the foliage of every tree in America Over species of insects have been described and Identified The number remaining unidentified is perhaps as great The voracity of these Insect pests is s beyond imagination Edward Howe Forbush state entomologist of Massachusetts has stated that certain of ot the insects will devour inthe inthe In Inthe the course of ot a day times their original weight in food tood This would be equivalent to the normal human being consuming pounds of beef or other meat meat in 24 21 hours Caterpillars and other leaf-eating leaf insects have been lm known wn to consume as much as times their weight in food each day The only life beyond complete control of ot man is that of insects How destructive their reign could be i if it were not for the insect- insect eating birds no one could hazard an answer Civilization through ignorance or viciousness has made tremendous inroads upon our bird life lite so much so that certain destructive Insect agents of nature have played havoc with our food tood and timber supply I If we had held bird life llIe a bit more sacred In the Ule past the control of Insects would not have been as great greata a pr problem blem as it is with us today The fecundity and voracity of insects In Insects Insects in- in sects II It uncontrolled by man and his feathered allies would within a short period spell ruin devastation and misery to the human race You cannot overestimate the economic economIc economic eco eco- value of our insectivorous birds |
