1883.] UTILITY OF BIRDS IN AGRICULTURE. 107 



Prof. Stearns. If we had every question settled indisputa- 

 bly, we would not have anything to talk about. But there is 

 one thing that this meeting has brought out, and that is, that 

 if we cannot settle anything positively, we can make some 

 approach to a settlement. I think one of the best things 

 about a meeting of this kind is, that it provokes controversy, 

 and brings out different opinions from different people. Of 

 course, we cannot say positively in regard to a good many of 

 tliese questions, "Yes," or "No;" we have got to have a 

 variety of opinions about them. What we want to do, is to 

 find out facts. I do not pretend to say that all of the things 

 I have mentioned are indisputable, because I would be wrong 

 in saying so. 



With regard to what the gentleman says respecting crows 

 eating insects, it is true that they do. I have seen them eat 

 insects on pear trees. I have had tame crows at home, and 

 I have seen them eat insects ; but, as far as my observation 

 goes, a crow will eat corn a great deal quicker than he will 

 eat insects. I do not doubt that there are persons who have 

 seen him eat insects rather than corn. 



I want to set myself right in regard to what I said about 

 the English sparrow. I feared that the question would come 

 up, and I knew I was not prepared to meet it. I knew well 

 enough that all my knowledge was from hearsay. L have seen 

 letters, and scraps taken from newspapers, which have borne 

 out that statement with regard to the English sparrow and 

 the trees on Boston Common. Now, the gentleman at my 

 right (Mr. Wetherell) says it is not so, and, of course, those 

 statements to which I refer must have been made by persons 

 who were not absolutely sure of what they said. I should 

 have said in the beginning, what I did not say, that that was 

 hearsay. I should not have put it as my own statement. 



Mr. Wetherell. I did not intend to contradict what the 

 gentleman said, but in crossmg the Common continually, that 

 was the observation that I made : that the trees were whitened 

 by the cocoons of the caterpillars, that had eaten off the leaves 

 of the trees, in spite of the sparrows, and in spite of the pro- 



