Show rill FIREWORKS USED TO BREAK UP ROOSTS BOOSTS OF MARTINS MARTINS birds somewhat smaller than robins or starlings sometimes gather in rocks flocks by thousands just before migrating and establish roosts boosts within small areas where they become exceedingly obnoxious the noise and filth they make and the breaking of branches of trees where they roost are very objectionable tio in residential districts I 1 although the law forbids shoot shooting M martins I 1 I 1 it Is generally possible to break up their roosts boosts last year the townspeople town people ot of newport art ark found themselves suddenly beset by ten or fifteen thousand of these b birds and at first turned to the police for help in getting rid of them the police however were advised by the biological survey of the united states department of agriculture that it was illegal to shoot martins and suggestions were made for other methods of control the birds a finally scattered by turning the fir fire e hose on them by shooting roman candles through the trees after dark and by firing blank black powder shotgun shells the roman candles proved especially effective fec tive other places in arkansas troubled by objectionable bird roosts boosts were similarly treated |