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Show BIRDS M'EATINA ALFALFA WEEVIL Fred W. Chambers, state fish and game commissioner, has received the lollowing communication from the department de-partment of agriculture at Washington Washing-ton regarding tho protection of birds In Utah: Mr. Fred W. Chambers, State Gamo and Fish Warden, Suit Lake City, Utah: Dear Mr, Chambers Thinking that you would be Interested in a few remarks re-marks concerning what I learned In your state regarding the relation of the natlvo birds to the alfalfa woevil, I take occasion to address this to you. Since returning to Washington I have been engaged In tho examination or the material collected and many sur prising facts were disclosed. Twonty-one Twonty-one species were found to have included in-cluded the weevil in their diet and theso gave a total average of noarly 20 per cent as tho portion of their food composed of this injurious insect in-sect Tho young of the English sparrow gave a percentage of 22.1 as their share of tho good work. This is based on tho examination of ovor 200 stomachs, stom-achs, so it ought not to be far from right. Tho old birds aro but 11 per cent of the weevil. In view of the past criticism of" this speclea, these results aro rather remarkable aud ought to go a long way in redeeming it In your state. Blackbirds Aro 'Buoy. Tho Brewer's Blaclvbird ate VTeovlls to tho extent of nearly 20 per cent of its stomach contents. Tho Yollow-heads Yollow-heads fed their young about six per cent, while the adults themselves made away with over 20 per cent. The Redwings contained about 12 per cent, whilo the Bobolink and Cowbird wont as high as 53 per cent and 82 per cent, respocthely. Sereral of the small sparrows were eating the larvae extensively; tho llt-tlo llt-tlo Brewer's sparrow, or sagebrush chippy, as he is commonly called, ato fully 89 per cent The robin's record was about 20 per cent. Of the game birds but two species contained weevils, they being the klll-deer klll-deer and the valley quail. Although tho former vlsltejl tho alfalfa mainly when It was being irrigated, tho ro-bult ro-bult of tho examination of tho stomachs stom-achs collected at such times gave us a weevil percentage of over -18 per cont A single stomach of tho quail shot under similar conditions showed 35 per cent. Of the latter spocies wo need more material. 1 understand that the open season for quail in "Utali, over a large part of tho alfalfa district, is during the month of October. May I ask jou whether it would be possiblo for us to get In touch with hunters vho would be willing to save the stomachs of the quail or other game birds shot in the alfalfa raising districts? Perhaps Per-haps you mav know of persons who would be willing to sacrifice that morsel mor-sel of their game dinners for the sake of adding to the knowledge of tho food habits of this bird. Instructions and supplies will he gladly sent to such as may care to help us out. It I Is possible that confiscated game secured se-cured by you or your deputies may be put to a similar use. Weevil Is Hibernating Of course tho weevil has now gone into hibernation and the insects so-cured so-cured bv any birds would bo thos6 found about brush heaps, along ditch banks and other sheltered places. However, one wee 11 eaton out of the comparatively few which live through' the winter Is a greater servlco rendered ren-dered thai! the killing of a hundred In the following summer. Tho vigor with which tho natlvo birds have turned their attention to the reduction of this pest Btauips them as one of the most effective controls over insect life. They arc ready at any time to nttack an insect which appears in unduly largo numbers and consequontlv easy to secure. It is tho character or taste w'hich determines deter-mines whether or not It will be preyed upon by our birds. I would also be gToatly Interested in tho present conditions of the water fowl about Groat Salt Lalto and to learnthe outcomo of the "drying out" scheme. Thanking' you for any influence or asbistanco which you may lend me In my desire to secure the stomachs of game blrdB and thereby put to use valuable maloriul which othcrwfso would go to wasto, I am, very truly yours, E R KALMBACH, Expert. United States Department of AgTi-culturo, AgTi-culturo, Bureau of Biological Survey, Sur-vey, Washington, D. C. |