1883.] UTILITY OF BIRDS IN AGRICULTURE. 83 



for the sake of their honey, was voted a terror to all bee-keepers, 

 and a nuisance to the agriculturist generally. But, strange to say, 

 it was found that the immense numbers of other insects that it 

 destroyed more than counterbalanced the evil it did when attack- 

 ing the honey-bee; but this is not all. For a long time it was 

 found impossible to prevent the ravages of various species of 

 birds upon fruit and fruit trees during that portion of the summer 

 when the delicious article most abounded. By a strange coinci- 

 dence I made a practical test of a most important point on this 

 subject some years ago. It was and is well known that the king- 

 bird, the most fearless fighter of the feathered tribe, attacking 

 with violence crows, hawks, and, in fact, any bird that interferes 

 or intrudes in the domestic arrangements of its helpmate, was par- 

 ticularly active in preservation of self and family during the season 

 of nidification and incubation. Several years ago I found that 

 one of these birds built its nest and raised its family in the corner 

 of an eave-spout at the front end of our house. Kot five rods 

 from this place stood a cherry tree, of the variety I believe you 

 call the ox-hearts. Here for years we had struggled to see who 

 would get a mess of this most delicious-tasting fruit. For an 

 equal amount of time it had been "nip and tuck," so to speak, 

 between the birds and ourselves. "We had tried red flags in the 

 tree, and the birds minded them not a straw; we had put scare- 

 crows and old hats in among the branches, and the birds lighted 

 upon them and mocked at our efforts; we had tried shooting, and 

 though a few birds were killed ten came to the funeral of each, 

 and many of the fine limbs of the tree were so riddled with shot 

 that they died during the following autumn and spring. What to 

 do we did not know. 



In our dilemma we suddenly, one season, found the tree clear 

 of robbers, and in surprise and delighted wonderment we feasted 

 off the delicious fruit for the whole of that season. The next 

 season was the same. No apparent cause could be ascertained for 

 this reign of quiet for a considerable while. It was at last dis- 

 covered that while our friend the king-bird continued its nest in 

 the eave-spout no other bird was allowed nearer than a radius of 

 some twenty or more rods of the tree. This took in another 

 similar tree upon the opposite side of the walk. Thus had been 

 raised to us a natural protector to our fruit. We cultivated the 

 acquaintance of our favorite, threw cotton and pieces of string 



