1883.] UTILITY OP BIRDS IN AGRICULTURE. 97 



As regards the crow, to which reference has been made, 

 while I agree with the Professor that the crow is a destructive 

 animal, I claim that it is, at the same time, a useful animal. 

 1 believe it is a bird that does a great deal of good, as well 

 as some harm. As was remarked by Mr. Hubbard, there are 

 two periods in the year when the crow does some mischief to 

 the corn-field ; one is in the spring (and you have been told 

 how you may prevent that) ; the other is in the fall, when 

 they take a little from the cob in the field, when the corn is 

 ripening. Sometimes they begin a little earlier than that. I 

 think the destruction of the corn can easily be forgiven by 

 the farmer in view of the great utility of the crow as a grub 

 eater. I have always been a friend of the crow for that 

 reason. 



One of the speakers has referred to the fact that a field of 

 corn, where the seed was tarred, was not troubled with the 

 cut-worm at all, while the neighboring fields were badly in- 

 jured by that worm. Crows are also greedy devourers of the 

 white worm, which sometimes destroys acres of grass. I 

 think the crow tends to check the destructive work of that 

 grub, and I think the habits of the crow make it the most 

 perfect scavenger of the bird family. Am I right. Professor ? 



Prof. Stearns. I think so. 



Mr. Wetherell. • As was said by Mr. Hubbard, it eats any- 

 thing and everything, whether it is sweet or carrion. It does 

 not make much difference whether it is good, sound yellow 

 corn, or whether it is the decaying remains of a dead cow. 

 The only quarrel I have with the crow is because, as Mr. 

 Sedgwick says, it destroys the eggs and young birds. I can- 

 not defend the crow from that charge, because I think it is 

 rightly and justly made ; but there are other birds that do the 

 same thing. 



I want to ask the Professor a question in regard to a bird 

 which has appeared here from across the Atlantic, and has 

 become in some localities very abundant. I refer to the Eng- 

 lish sparrow. There is no question about its being a grain- 

 eating bird. I would like to know what the Professor thinks 



