Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1911 — Bird Census. [ARTICLE]

Bird Census.

Did you ever hear of a bird census —a census of all the birds in the United States? One would think that the result would be about as uncertain as the count of chickens before they are hatched. Nevertheless, the department of agriculture is taking a census of the birds and their habits. It is estimated that there are 1,400,000,000 of them —not including several millions of human geese, and as many human parrots, who echo what others say. This estimate would give us only about 17 birds apiece, and one is almost inclined to think sometimes that there are more than a billion sparrows in the United States. But the department is studying the birds to find out how they held or hurt crops, with a view to diminishing those which Injure, and increasing those which help by destroying the insects which so seriously injure* grains and fruits. —Boy Life.