144 BIRDS. 



h tlu'iv is a raco of Ix'inas on earth that is protected 

 from destriutioii by its rehitions to the jieneral eeonomy 

 of nature that race is that of the birds. Ven<;eance swift 

 and terrible descends upon those who will not learn that 

 they ai-e important, nay even necessary to the success of 

 all airricnltural pursuits. While we may be nntch aided 

 1)\- those insects that destroy others of their kind, we 

 must rely chietly on the birds and in so doiiiii" we shall 

 lean upon no broken reed. While man stands a<ihast at 

 the prospects before him, as he (■ontenn)lates his insect 

 foes, the birds are ready and eai>er and able to help him 

 if only he will allow them to do so. lva[)id as is the in- 

 crease of insects the birds, if unmolested, ^\ ill generally 

 keep them in check. Dr. Brewer iifives an instance or 

 two to show the ethciency of the aid l>irds can aive that 1 

 cannot resist the desire to (piote. In the fall of 18(58 

 there was a ureat cry from the Southern seaboard states 

 that the cotton "worm was ruininu" the crops. The worms 

 had ap})eared over so lar<ii' an extent of country that it 

 seemed hopeless to attem})t to exterminate them, but Just 

 at this time the Bobolinks passed along the region on 

 their Southward Journey and, instead of as usual visiting 

 the rice tields, they went at the cotton tields and in a few 

 hours the evil that had seemed irremediable, was re- 

 moved and the crops saved. .Vgain in the Spring of 18(57 

 the Grasshoppers were hatching in such nund)ers in a 

 part of Kansas that the crops seemed doomed to speedy 

 ruin but just at this time large flocks of the Yellow-head- 

 ed Black Bird passed through the region and entirely de- 

 stroj^ed the insects. Many such instances might ))e given 

 all showing the great l)enetits the birds are all the while 

 conferring u})on the agriculturists. 



I should not treat this subject fairly if I passed over 

 some birds of a different disposition from those heretofore 

 mentioned. It mu.st be admitted I thiidv by most observ- 

 ers that there are injurious birds. And yet among these 

 there are some, if not all, that have valliant defenders. 



