BIRDS. 145 



The luimljer of species that may be set down as injurious 

 is not very large but some of them are very numerous in 

 individuals and as they assemljle in large flocks they may 

 do considerable damage. There are connnon in Vermont 

 four difl'erent species of Blacklnrds. Some of these do 

 very little damage to the crops and do nuich good by de- 

 stroying insects. So much evil do they prevent that in 

 some cases where they have l)een placed under the l)an 

 and indiscriminately slaughtered there have followed ex- 

 tensive and destructive depredations from grul)S and 

 worms. But the most common of all the Black l)irds is 

 that called Crow Blackbii'd. These birds descend upon 

 the cornticlds in large flocks pulling up and swallowing 

 the grain with great gusto and again when it is in the milk 

 they tear open the husks and prevent man}' an ear from 

 ever comino- to maturitv. And yet with all their faults 

 thev destrov a great many insects. 



As to the Crow there is considerable discussion. Dr. 

 Brewer contends, in an article in the Atlantic ^lonthly, 

 that the crow is, on the whole, a useful bird, l)ut other 

 naturalists doubt the correctness of this conclusion, and 

 it seems reasonable to believe that the CroAv does far 

 more harm than good. In the winter and early spring- 

 Crows live almost wholly upon insects and of course 

 during this time they are Ijeneticial, In May or early 

 June they busy themselves in pulling up the corn, some- 

 times making it necessary to replant large tracts. Cer- 

 tainly they are none other than thieves during this time. 

 Al)out this same time too thev are watchino; the smaller 

 ])irds in their domestic operations, and when the eggs are 

 laid and the young hatched they make many a meal from 

 them. If Avhat has been said in regard to these smaller 

 ])irds be true, it is easy to see that in destroying their 

 eggs and young the Crow is preventing the destruction of 

 myriads of injurious insects and so is a most harmful 

 bird as long as he continues in this predatory work. Mr. 

 Samuels thinks that a crow takes about eight ounces of 



