STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I3I 



But these far away and isolated cases teach us very little in regard to 

 the birds of our own State; as our Fauna and Flora differ as much as 

 do our methods of agriculture from those of the New England States. 



Until this work is done, and upon the same plan follow ed by Mr. S., 

 it will be impossible to distinguish friend from foe. 



Illinois, extending through more degrees of latitude than any other 

 State east of the Mississippi River, has therefore a greater diversity in 

 her climate, soil, birds, animals, reptiles, and plants, than any of the 

 other States. While the southern portion is peculiarly atlapted to fruit- 

 growing, the people of the northern portion of the State confine them- 

 selves principally to the cultivation of the cereals. Therefore, a bird 

 which may be injurious to the fruit-grower of the south may be of much 

 value to the grain-grower of the north ; and this leads us to the consider- 

 ation of localitv of the species, and the importance of regulating their 

 distribution. This, at first, may seem impossible, yet give us the knowl- 

 edge we want with regard to. the food and habits of the birds, then let 

 our legislatures give us laws based upon such information, and the most 

 difficult part of the work is done; for boys are fond of robbing birds' 

 nests, and we only need to teach them which to protect and which to 

 destroy. 



Then let us first learn to distinguish friend from foe and we shall soon be re- 

 lieved from this bird-evil. Many species of birds we know to have changed 

 their habits and localities almost entirely by circumstances that are within 

 the control of man. As an example, Audubon relates that upon White 

 Head Island, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, he found the Heron 

 or Silvery Gull, nesting upon the trees to escape the persecution of egg- 

 ers and vermin; Avhereas, their usual habit is to nest upon the ground. 



The Red-head Wood-pecker [Picus erythrocephalus^ Wilson), once 

 quite common in New York, is now seldom seen there, and your own 

 Prairie Hen {Cupidonio cupido) is fast disappearing, as the prairies are 

 settled up, and will, unless most stringent laws are properly enforced, 

 become a bird of the past in this, the Garden State of the World. 



As evidence of what can be done in the opposite direction, I will 

 relate some of my own experience with the birds upon a small city lot, 

 45 bv 150 feet. Previous to my obtaining possession of it in 1862, it is 

 doubtful if a bird had nested on it for years. In 1S65, by care and pro- 

 tection, there were five species nesting there; and of one of these species 

 five families; this last was the Purple Martin {^Progne purpurea). The 

 other species were the Blue Bird {Sialia sialis)^ White-bellied Swallow 

 [Hirundo bicolor)., House Wren {Troi^lodytes acdon)^ Chirping Sparrow 

 [Spizclla sojrialis). and in the spring of 1867 a robin and mate added their 

 company. And although so many diflbrent species were nesting and rearing 

 their young on so limited a space, all lived harmoniously together, except 

 the wrens, who were always quarrelsome, giving the others much trouble. 

 In the same year (1867) I removed to New York, and now (1870) there 

 is but a single feeble colony of Martins remaining. 



Thus we can, by kindness and protection, attract the birds about us, 

 to beautify our homes, or charm us with their melody; or by using the 



