1883.] UTILITY OF BIRDS IN AGRICULTURE. 109 



worm should not have had the same effect upon other varieties 

 of apples ? 



'Mr. Wetherell. I gave the fact, and that fact was given 

 to me by Gov. Boutwell, in the town of Groton, Mass. I 

 have no doubt the statement would be equally applicable to 

 any other variety, as well as to the Baldwin. In another 

 town, a hail-storm destroyed all the apples in a lady's orchard 

 one even year, and the trees have since produced good crops 

 on the odd years. The lady has made a pretty good fortune 

 from the effects of that hail-storm. 



Mr. Augur. I would like to inquire, in regard to the 

 quail, a bird that we all esteem very highly on account of its 

 beauty, if it is not, to a considerable extent, an insect-eating 

 bird ? 



Prof. Stearns. Yes, sir. The quail and the partridge 

 both are insect-eating birds. They are birds that run on the 

 ground, and eat insects. They eat insects more than they eat 

 your grain, or anything of that kind. 



Mr. Wetherell. Do they not also do great damage to 

 fruit trees by nipping off the buds ? 



Prof. Stearns. Yes, sir. In early spring the grouse perch 

 on the apple trees, just about dusk, about five or six o'clock, 

 and eat the buds. Whether they do in the morning, or not, 

 I don't know. 



Mr. Pratt. Don't you consider the red squirrel an enemy 

 to the farmers ? I have noticed that at times there will be 

 great commotion among the robins about the house, and I 

 have found that the red squirrels have been pilfering their 

 eggs. 



Prof. Stearns. Yes, sir. I have no doubt of it, because 

 the red squirrels do eat the bird's eggs. 



Mr. Day. This question seems to have been pretty thor- 

 oughly discussed, and I move that we adjourn. Carried. 



