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' • * rooz> arfsrawxr IB: Mi I? ntu: S* > » > » • ' • * *% U * FAMOUS "COM MEN" PASSING T&wxr-PZQH& CP&GOO By W. L. McATEE, Assistant Biologist In Economio Ornithology, Bureau of Biological 8urvey.« IRDS bunting insects and worms In an orchard may not buz* to much as the proverbial bee, but. Just the same they are mighty busy. One who has seen them at It during the season when they are rearing their young can have no doubt about their being a great help to the orchardlst. They are active everywhere: flickers, blackbirds, robins,^and thrashers seek their insect prey on or near the ground; woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, ftad chickadees closely search the trunks and limbs of trees; .vireos and warblers scan the leaves and probe the flowers; and flycatchers and swallowa (weep their prey from the air itself. Every few minutes all day long the hungry young must be fed; and that they are well fed their rapid growth attests. The quantity of insects they and their parents consume is enormous. Not only orchards benefit by the good work of birds, but gardens, berry patches, and plowed and newly sown fields •a well. While fields actually grown to tall crops we less freely visited, all props are helped to some extent, and practically every farm pest has lta bird enemies. i To learn exactly how and to what extent bWi are aids to agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, the biological survey has been making a scientific study of their food habits ever since Its establishment In 1885. Its investigations are carried on In ' both the field and laboratory. All that can be learned out of doors by direct observation and by •tudy of thp available food supply Is valuable, but there Is a surer way of finding out what a bird oats, namely, to look Into Its stomach. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the nature of the food and feeding habits of birds is such that It is Impossible to arrive at definite results by direct observation. On the other hand, the examination In the laboratory of the contents of the stemj suth gives information that is definite, exact, and - indisputable. < From the percentages and the economic value I Of the food items, the utility of a bird can be Closely estimated. The biological survey Is then itble to recommend how it should be treated. In the United States are found more than 800 distinct kinds of birds of 60 families, of which 20 x families are classed as waterfowl, 7 aa shoreblrds, 4 as upland game birds, 5 as birds of prey, and 88 4|S land birds. I The upland game birds comprise such familiar groups as the quail, grouse, ptarmigan, wild Uir- - keys, wild pigeons, and doves. The last two, while asually harmless, sometimes damage crops to an extent which requires that they be controlled, and economically they deserve less consideration than the turkey, quail, and grouse. These three kinds of birds have feeding habits which are helpful to . agriculture. They may be hunted, but their numbers should not be reduced below the normal pop- Station for each type of country. ff Hawks f and owls, though not closely related, *ay be considered together on account of the slm- " llarlty of their feeding habits. Feeding chiefly upliving animals smaller than themselves, naturally they sometimes prey upon some of the domesticated kinds, particularly poultry. This has given them a bad reputation with farmers, so long established as to amount to traditional prejudice. Sd- %itific investigation of their habits shows that only * few species of hawks and only one owl feed chief- 4 or even largely, upon birds, and therefore to «iny great extent upon poultry. The birds of prey fegarded as chiefly Injurious include the sharptfilnned, Cooper, and duck hawks, the goshawk, and the great horned owl. The great horned owl, which. . like most of Its relatives, feeds at night, gets only * soultry that Is improperly exposed, and when presented from doing this, Its habits are largely benei fecial. ' The remaining species of hawks and owls, more gjh&n 500 In all, have useful habits. They feed on 4 great variety of rodents and have a tremendous effect in controlling the numbers of these pests. • Their staple food consists for the most part of 5^, gneadow mice, but It Includes also many other de- /jgtructive rodents, such as rabbits, ground squir- ^ " lels, prairie dogs, pocket gophers, and house rats ? *nd mice. 1*", xhe barn owl is one of the most useful of the IV birds of this group. Its food Is easily studied by ^ Examination of the pellets, made of the hair and bones of its victims, which accumulate about its In 675 barn-owl pellets collected in Wash- D. c„ were found the remains of 1.11® ~ ihUHflm^ ttWce, tes fetWSft tttR, Jfifl 154 house rats, together with a sufficient number of other small mammals make an average of almost thrfee tft the pellet, and probably to the meal. In 692 pellets collected In California there were found skulls and other traces of 261 pocket gophers, 74 field mice, 184 pocket mice, 144 deer mice, 50 harvest mice, 230 kangaroo rats, and 215 house mice. These items make it clear that the barn owl is constantly doing work of great value to agriculture. Its services are typical of those of hawks and owls In general. Owls as a group have long been persecuted by man, but never has persecution been more unjust. The hawks and owls are not the only suffeN ers, however, for when their numbers are greatly reduced In any community, farmers will be forcibly reminded of the fact by a great Increase In the number of destructive rodents;- Among the most praiseworthy birds are the cuckoos. The most widely distributed species, the yellow-billed and black-billed cuckoos, usually keep out of sight, but are well known by their strange notes, which have earned them the name "rain crow." The cuckoos feed very largely on caterpillars, and subsist to a larger extent than most of our birds on the hairy and spiny kinds. One stomach contained 250 tent caterpillars and another 217 fall web-worms. The cuckoos are fond alsf of grasshoppers, sawfly larvae, plant bugs, and other Injurious Insects. The large and important woodpecker family Includes 24 species in the United States, most of them highly beneficial. They are the chief defenders of trees against insect attack, most of them being specialized to feed upon wood-boring larvae, pests preyed upon by few other birds. From 10 to 80 per cent of the annual diet of variofla species Is made up of ants, which are almost uniformly Injurious. The flickers, or "yellow-hammers," especially are assiduous destroyers of ant% one of these birds being known to have taken more than 5,000 at a single meal. A group of birds, which, though diverse In ap* pearauce, are related in essential characters, tap* etudes the chuck-wlll's-wldows, whip-poor-wllla, poor-wills, nighthawks, swifts and humming birdSL All are almost strictly insect eaters and consequently beneficial. The larger ones feed extensively upon leaf-chafers, the larvae of which, including the well-known white grubs, are very destructive. The nighthawks take considerable of the same sort of food, but. In common with the swifts, capture a great variety of small insects, more than 50 different kinds having been found in single stomachs, represented in some cases by thousands of Individ- One of oar families ef- birds gets Its popular name "flycatcher" from th'e lnsect-eatlng natttfe of its species, 31 of which live In the United States, including such birds as the spectacular scissor-tall, the bold, dashing kingbird, and the more quiet and domestic phoebe. On the average. 95 per cent of the food of these birds has been found to consist, of insects. The rose-chafer, a species not only destructive to vegetation,%ut known to be poisonous to chickens and pheasants, is freely eaten by the kingbird. Several flycatchers have the reputation of eating hive bees to an Injurious extent, but It baa been shown that they take mostly drones, and furthermore, that they eat enough enemies of bees, as robberflles, to pay for all the domestic beesthsy take. The Jays, crows and ravens have always been severely criticised, and It must be admitted that on the whole the criticism is Justified. About the best that can be said for birds of this family Is that on the average they do about as much good as harm. It would seem a good policy to accord them the same treatment long given the common crow--the crow Is not especially persecuted, neither is it protected. Thus while the birds avs allowed to exist in reasonable numbers for the sake of the good they do, the way is left open for aggressive measures against them when necessary. In the case of this family, as of all destructive . birds, damage is the result of overabundance. The damage done by the blackbirds Is conspM* nously the result of over-population. The damape sometimes Is serious, and protection of these species Is not recommended. In the same family with the blackbirds, however, are such birds as oriotaa and meadowlarka, and these do much more gooa than harm. - The great sparrow family, comprising almost a 05^ ~~ hundred species In the United States, as a whole shows a good economic record. The sparrows, of finches, are essentially .seed eaters, but they consume also a fair proportion of insects, and in general must be regarded as beneficial. The tanagers and shallows are almost exclusively beneficial, the latter especially being tireless destroyers of a great variety of insects. , If soft plumage and harmonious colors were the criteria of bird worth, the cedar waxwlng would stand near the top. Economically, however. It is lu the doubtful, even the very doubtful, class. It 1s too fond of flowers, buds, and fruits, especially cherries, and It consorts in such large flocks while gratifying these tastes that the Interests of mankind suffer considerably. The butcher birds, or shrikes, which have the curious habit of hanging part of their prey upon thorns. In-crotches, or in other suitable places, destroy some birds, but on the whole are beneficial. About 10 kinds of smooth green-coated vireos and 55 kinds of warblers of varied and brilliant but neat plumages constitute the especial guardians of the foliage of our trees. There are millions j>f warblers and vireos In North America, and the aggregate destruction of insects by them Is beyond conception. Allied in service to the warblers are the barkcllmblng creepers, the Industrious and Inquisitive nuthatches, the restless and active chickadees and titmice, and the tree-scanning kinglets and gnatcatchers, of which groups there are in the United States more than 25 species. Mockingbirds, catbirds and thrashers are distinguished by unusual ability as songsters. Economically considered, all. are rather too fond ot cultivated fruits, but as a rule they do more good than harm. Closely related to the mockers and thrashers are - the wrens, of which we have 11 species. These little birds are Incessantly active, tireless, and good singers, almost wholly Insectivorous, and consequently beneficial to a high degree. Only one family of small land birds remains to be mentioned, namely, that Including the thrushes, robins and bluebirds. The thrushes are characteristic woodland species, and while not of great economic Importance are for the most part commendable in their relation to man. Robins and bluebirds are the most familiar species about our homes, and so beloved are they that they are almost Immune from persecution. The bluebirds 'strictly deserve this high consideration, but the - robins take a large toll from cultivated fruits, and probably are too numerous in many localities. To understand the economic value of birds, not only must the feeding habits of species and families be known, but also the collective effect of birds upon pests and crops. Most of their damage results from local over-abundance either of one species or of a number of species of similar feeding habits, and It Is Inflicted chiefly upon fruit and grain crops. If birds by their united effort are potent to accomplish great barm, they are for the same reason able to do great good in the destruction of insect pests. Fortunately, many more species are helpful than harmful. Unusual outbreaks of pests upon which birds can feed are always attended by gatherings of the bird clans. The American Ornithologists' union model law for the protection of birds has been adopted by 40 of the 48 States of the Union. The migratory-bird treaty act. putting Into forcc a treaty with Great Britain for the protection of migratory birds, supplements and re-enforces the state legislation. It remains only for public opinion to back the law at every point, and for citizens^) put Into effect every practicable measure for the Increase and conservation of bird life. The essentials of bird attraction are the suppression of enemies and the provision of water, food and nesting sites. Material increase in the numbers of birds admittedly is a two-sided problem: Some birds of negative value should not be Increased, while others, not now noticeably destructive, may become so when they are more abundant. On the other hand, there is no doubt that the majority of birds are - more beneficial than injurious and that by increasing their numbers we shall do ourselves and our country a valuable service. - : Meet of the King Pins ef Crookedness Are Dead, and Others Living in Poverty. "Hungry Joe" was a famous confidence man 25 years ago. I saw him In Broadway the other afternoon, broken and bent, but with the same shrewd look in his cold, steely eyes. He is now engaged at selling barbers' tools. Looking at Joe's white hairs, it was hard to realize that he was the same B$rson who, with the notorious Tom O'Brien, stole a $1,000 bill from Oscar Wilde, who, In America on a visit, was at the zenith of his fame as a writer. In the old days "Hungry Joe" was known for his alnglng voice, his rendition of the ballad, "Sally in Our Alley," being an impromptu afternoon treat of the Empire garden. "Red" Austin, who came from a western city, the son of a shoemaker, was one who trained with "Hungry Joe." He used to act the part of "the dying engineer" or "the sick Indian," who would tell where the "mine" was located.' Then the victim would put up the money supposedly needed to ievelop the property. He has passed >n; likewise have "Doc" Truman, the Imposing looking card sharp, who Lu appearance resembled a famous attorney of that time named De Los Mc- Gurdy; Larry O'Brien, known as the anan who broke the bank of Monte Oarlo and who was the inspiration for Uie popular song, "As He Walks Along the Hols de Bologne With an independent Air," and Spanish Pete, Parmelee Jones, Bill Hawley, Frank Tarbeau and others famous on both sides of the Atlantic. The Gllsey house, In Broadway, was the center of high-grade crook activity from Bill Tracey's place across Broadway or "Buck" Taylor's place close at hand. Only a few days ago there died at one of the leading hotels In New York a man who was known as the best "ready-up-guy" In the profession. He was a Swell dresser and came from Canada. His scheme wan to approach a man of known means and say, "I am going to play a hors4 for you." A few hours later he would appear and toss $400 or $500 In thy man's hands, remarking, "Your winnings." That would establish the friendly relationship, after which he would trim the» victim for thousands. He was given a fine funeral and hot a half-dozen who attended It knew his astounding past history.--From a New York Letter 111 the Philadelphia Public Ledger. v'C# • Milady's Embellishment Provides Excellent Means of Rejuvenating Mgt Year's Garments ^ gfriile shares wtfti ftc* fit^cve the distinction of being the only strikingly new feature of this winter's clothes. Honors are about evenly divided between the two, according to a Paris fashion correspondent. Perhaps the sleeve has been more talked of than the girdle because the majority of the new girdles are so elaborate and so costly that the woman who is avefrse to plunging Into heavy expenditure on clothing feels that she can exist without one of these girdles, whereas sleeves she must have. But, as the season Is still young. It Is likely that less expensive copies of these costly affairs will be made and that these will be seen on the less exclusive frocks. At present all of the firms showing exclusive models are putting great stress on girdles. These are; without doubt, a v^ry Important part of the costume, and, although elaborate, they suggest many simpler ways of girdling dresses. The addition of a new girdle is an excellent means ef rejuvenating i last year's frock. It may safely be said that girdles never have been more Important than they are In the present fashions. Paris Woman Police a Success. "The work ot women police Is no longer an experiment," Lord Astor asserted at the conference called by the Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, writes a London correspondent of the New York World, "but Is a proved success. The home office committee was unanimous In Its report as to the value of women police j&nd the need for them." He was replying to Dame Helen Gwynne Vaughan, who urged the importance of making women police a success, adding that the first thing to do Is to create public sentiment in their favor. D. M. Cowan, member of parliament for Scottish university, said that only harm could result from the appointment of any but the very best class of women to this service. He raised a point, which was much discussed later, when he said that women selected should be highly educated women with many qualities of sympathy and understanding. This ldVa was embodied in the second resolution, which stated that it was of the utmost importance that women of ability, experience and education should be encouraged to enter the police service, and after some discussion it was decided to delete the words "and education." The general feeling seemed to be that some eminently suitable women might, not come up to a high educational standard. 1 Jst Girdle Mads ot Scales of Metal Combined With Large Jet Cabochona. Drydoeking Ships by Telephone. An ocean liner must be held precisely over the center line of the dry dock until the supporting blocks are put In place under the keel. Guiding the ship into position is the duty of the dockmaster, who stands at one end with a sighting vane which he alines on the ship's masts. With large ships and modern docks, however, he Is too far away from the men who carry out his orders to reach them by shouting, even through a megaphone. A portable telephone Is used by which the dockmaster communicates with the power house operating the "dock pumps, and from that point his instructions are relayed to the proper gangs, who may be eight hundred feet or more away from the dockmaster.-- Popular Science Monthly. EFFECT op SUN on CLOIMING -• •" ;v- fr^jfcoms Fabrics Less Affected Than Others, but All 8uffer--Should Be 0arm • ATt* Clothes wear out tlu y.Lv':|>osure to sunlight, air, rain, me- ?Vlf fchanlcal strain and> bacterial action. v '-fcays "Textile Chemist" in the London ^ i pally Mall. Of these, sunlight is by 3 r the most harmful. Hence, clothes not In use should be stored in the dark. But light Is selective in Its action. A dark fabric is less affected than one which is brightly colored. So that a Briton's love for drab-colored clothing cannot entirely be condemned. Not all fabrics are affected alike, for while wool and silk rapidly deteriorate in strong sunlight, cotton and lineu are much more resistant. Tn spite of this, however. It would I often slightly ^rticularly destructive to wool. Some fabrics are most susceptible to certain kinds of microbes, and these flourish best under warm and moist conditions. Clothes wear better when frequently brushed free from dust. Cotton and woolen fibers are very elastic and strong. They can withstand a great deal of rubbing. So that generally It Is not until clothes have suffered from exposure to sunlight they fail to resist the strains caused bf ordinary wear. not be economical to use all cotton clothing, since colors fade more rapidly on cotton than on wool. When a dyed woolen fabric is exposed to sunlight, the fabric is attacked firet and the dye Is thereby partly protected. In the cotton fabric the dye protects the cotton. A coarse dress material is more resistant to sunlight than a fine one. Clothes are not much affected by pure rain and air. In manufacturing towns, however, the atmosphere is u -V ,v;. •- His Little Pils. ffi» Bust, the owner of the sawmill, had his eye on every stick of timber In the country, and the owner of every poor little clump and grove had his eye on Mr. Rust and the rising prices of lumber. Bill Moore cut his thin squad of pines, trimmed the logs, and piled them in his front lot by the road. Then he waited for the time when he should accidentally be visible on the place and Mr. Rust should drive by. The encounter took place in due time. Mr. Rust rattled past In his car, took a sidelong look at the pile of logs, and called, "Say, Bill, don't you know it ain't polite to throw your toothpicks round the front yard 7 Pittsburgh Dispatch. • -Vy-' Nothing In It Cortlandt Bleecker, at a Newport garden party, nodded rather derisively towards a young girl in a crinoline frock trimmed with white monkey fur. Yet the frock was very quaint with its tight-fitting bodice and billowing, exaggerated hips. «I don't like this crinoline fashion," said Mr. Bleecker. «I think it's charming," said a yoong matron. "Why don't you like ltr •"Because," he answered, "it*a a W low mockery." dressmaksnr have nailed w title feature. Every dress and every suit carries some sort of girdle ornament or trimming or. Is worn with a belt, nearly every one of which la placed at a low waistline. Models of Ancient Inspiration. As the new dresses are Renaissance In style, so also are the girdles. Many of them are developed In perforated metal, and the Paris dressmaker gets qp less than $50 for one of these nickel or steel girdles. The former are sometimes silver washed, all beautifully worked In perforated designs after the style of metal workers of that period. • One will recall that starting In about the Seventh century the goldsmiths' trade began to develop In Interesting way and their work play# an Important part In the art history of both France and Italy, culminating^ as It were, In. the elaborate brotiM decorations of tlie Empire period. A remarkable thing about the pe^ forated metal girdles Is that they are used on even the most dressy costumes. Lanvln uses them on white satin dresses, on dresses of colored velvet and on tailored suits. In the latter instance they are straight around the figure and of even width. Those for evening dresses have the ornaments across the front shaped like breastplates. In fact, many of the ideas are taken from the armor of the Renaissance period. One might wonder in looking at them if they have been brought out to take the place of the corset. On Day and Evening Dnesss, yff] It will also be recalled that In * first corsets were worn on the out* side of the dress and not underneath. These perforated girdles with broad ornaments at the front take care of the natural fullness of the figure just over the stomach. Martial et Armand make a great feature of perforated metal girdles, using them on both day and evening dresses. Another novelty belt at this house is the wide Egyptian girdle, . hand embroidered, the width of the girdle being from 12 to 15 Inches. From It hang long fancy Oriental tassels. Such girdles are sold separately If ' a customer so desires. As the dresses are so simple and the girdles so elaborate, an order is often given for a girdle alone, the intention being te use It on frocks which the purchaser already has. Another Idea borrowed from the Renaissance period is the padded girdle of embroidered silk. These are often in materials matching the dress or of a handsome brocade. The padded : part Is placed across the tront and naturally enlarges the waistline. A padded belt Is astonishing, especially with the thickest part across ; the stomach. It is, indeed, the hour ; of the curveleds figure. In some of the Lanvln models one sees a double girdle in this padded style through which the fullness of the skirt drapery is sometimes drawn In puff style a la Juliette. Lanvln has many beautiful girdle i effects, most of them taken fr tn the Polish Renaissance styles. Some ars padded, and novel In both their composition and adjustment. On both day and evening dresses Lanvln makes use of the apron effect and the j most Interesting of her new girdles are worked out In connection with the adjustment of the apron drapery. In addition to pierced metal girdles many belts are made of scales or ribs of metal set together ingeniously to make the belt flexible. These are In steel, old silver and dull gold finish. Sometimes steel scalc* are combined with large ca bochons of Jet. Every Imaginable design Is used for heavy beaded girdles both In color and In Jet. These often finish with long fringelike ornaments and tassels of beads and silk, the tassel ornaments often recalling Chinese effects. Tin and Steel Adorn New Clothes. Leather ornaments with steel nailheads appear on the new girdles. Lanvln uses colored leathers studded with jet and steel nallheads on very dressy frocks, the girdles sometimes culminating in an ornament, Another very interesting girdle effect introduced by Lanvln is obtained by the use of a thick girdle of fur which passes through a puff of silk and holds the apraa drapery et *p« afternoon dress. • -/• r.; Resemble Old-Fashioned Stomachers Many Strang? things have been done iy related to the oid-faslitoned stook- In the name of fashion, and almost I achers. They give the appearance of every material Incorporated In dress at one time or another. There have been clothes of paper and clothes of wood, but it remained for the designer of the present day to make wearing, apparel from tin and steel. Tin Is In high favor and has met with a ready acceptance, Judging by the amount of It worn. It was the Paris creators who first thought of using this metal. Many of tills winter's French hats show a tin trimming In the form of large leaves with the metal slashed to represent veinlng. Sometimes a single leaf of this sort Is used on a simple black plush hat. Maria Guy is one maker who favors such trimming. Steel fringes are used profusely In the new girdles. Strings of glistening steel beads are formed into fringes. Fringes of jet beads are also plentifully used. Then there is the cable girdle made of steel beads, the beads being sown to canvas to give the effect of a heavy chain. Some of these girdles are very closecovered metal frames ornamented with all sorts of unusual embroidered or chocheted motifs, interesting tubings and cordings. Jets and metals, strings of pearls and various beads. Lanvin uses little shells massed on frames to make girdles which are wide at the front and taper at either site. The shell Idea is one she has aleo carried out In dress trimmings and it, therefore, may be said to be distinctly a Lanvln feature. Gone are the days when one petd any consideration to the size of one's waistline. It is a far cry from the days of the hourglass figure, snugly belted so as to appear as small as possible, to the present day corsetless figure wearing k girdle of fur or one consisting of great puffy silk roses that are stuffed to make then nnnnar even larger. ^ v ™ • Cleaning a Teaatau ; A small soft paint brush Is jnst the thing for cleaning an electric toaster. BAGATELLE SATIN IN LIMELIGHT New Fabrie Haa Lacquered Surface but Is Much Heavier Ttaa Well-Known Cire. The newest and smartest effect In the cired materials is bagatelle satin, the bulletin of the Retail Millinery Association of America says. Just at present it Is said to be very hard to keep In stock in the black and negre brown shades. The bulletin continues: •This new satin has a lacquered aurface, but it is very much heavier .than the well-known cire satin. Its surface also carries a much higher sheen than the latter. Mirror-like In effect, the new satin is still sufficiently pliable to allow charmingly soft treatment, though it does not take kindly to creasing. "The colorings are another source of its charm. There Is the shade the French call 'caramel,' which is a light yellowish tan. Golden brown is charming--a rich bronxy tint--and Marne blue. is generally conceded to be a splendid trimming color. The fuchsia tones In light and dark shades have a distinct appeal, but black and brown are considered the best sellers.**' T Lacea From Franea. "French made filet and Chantllty laces are being purchased In large quantities by American buyers. France Is also sending us a wonderful sty«# of hand made drawn work for winter resort blouses and frocks. • ^ Mandarin Effscts In Coata*-. '< *' There will be mandarin effects la w evening coats, having loose, flowing sleeves and collars spring^ (nan ; ^ deeply cut houBH w win up absst the ears. ••• CM' :-v -i," ; •" '"'W-Z %• v,.: Pastry. If your pastry is not aa flaky up * Should he, perhaps you do not your oven hot enough wheu you paft of the royal family, 1 the pastry in. It should b« boC r * - • ^ '1 !?