Page:Condor18(6).djvu/29

 Nov., 1916 EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 235 When the United States Department of Agriculture began investigations into the food habits of California birds, Profes- sor Beal was sent to this State and placed in charge of the work. His studies were planned with a view to obtaining an accurate determination of the economic status of every species of California bird that inhabits orchards, in order that it might be possible for the fruit grower to discriminate between friends and foes, with suggestions as to remedial meas- ures for saving fruit from destructive spe- cies. Professor Beal spent within the State the fruit seasons of 1901, 1903 and 1906, in all a period of about nineteen months, col- lecting stomachs of the various birds and and conditions in California appear in the introductory paragraphs. In the treatment of each species evidence of two kinds is given, statements of ranchers, and results of stomach examinations. In the conclu- sions reached, stress is laid upon the nature of the yearly and seasonal food, summaries of which are given for each speciea The second part. issued in 1910, treats of thirty- three additional s)ecies. Only four Califor- nia birds are finally blacklisted on economic grounds, these four being the two bluejays, the Linnet and the Red-breasted Sapsucker. "How birds affect the orchard" (1900) and "The relation of birds to fruit growing in California" (1904) were two Year-book pub- lications also resulting directly from work Fig. 57. PROFESSOR F. E. L. BEAL ON ONE OF HIS VISITS TO CALI- FORNIA. AT LI'NClt IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, SEPTEMBER 4, 1901. PHOTO TAIEN BY W. OTTO EMERSON. investigating conditions in fruit-growing sec- tions. The larger part of the time was spent at Hayward, Alameda County, in the Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz County, and at Pasadena, Los Angeles County. The co-operation of scientific collectors was also enlisted, with the result that many additional bird's stom- achs were sent to Washington. As a result of this work, there were pub- lished under Professor Beal's authorship, two bdlletins entitled "Birds of California in relation to the fruit industry" (U.S. Dept. Agric., Biol. Surv., Bull. 30; bid., Bull. 34). The first, published in 1902, treats of the Linnet. and thirty-seven other species of birds. Some general statements regarding the depredations of birds in fruit orchards, in this State. Guarded statements like the following are characteristic of Mr. Beal's work: "The value of their [the birds'] work in dollars and cents is difficult of de- termination, but careful study has brought out much of practical importance in ascer- taining approximately to what degree each species is harmful or helpful in its relation to the orchard." The fair treatment he ac- corded both sides in the controversy regard- ing the economic value of birds, won-sup- port for his standpoint and developed inter- est in his work. In succeeding bulletins such as "Food of the woodpeckers of the United States", "Food of our more important flycatchers", and several briefer reports, additional infor-