B I RDS 



AN ESSAY READ BEFORE THE MICHIGAN STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCI- 

 ETY AT SOUTH HAVEN, SEPT. 4, 1873, BY MASTER L. H. 

 BAILEY, A LAD OF FIFTEEN YEARS. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, — "When the rigors of winter are 

 over, and the pleasant days of spring return, what is more charming and 

 delightful than the presence of birds ? What is more useful in destroying the 

 myriads of insects which infest our vegetation ? Each one, from the different 

 kind of insects it destroys, is almost indispensable to every farmer and fruit 

 grower. As to food, our common birds may be divided into three classes ; first, 

 insectivorous, or insect eaters, which include the blue bird, wren, swallows, 

 nut-hatch, kingbird, and woodpecker. 



The bluebird, which is one of the earliest comers and most beneficial of all 

 our singing birds, feeds principally on cut-worms, grasshoppers, and beetles. 

 Like the wren, he will build in most any little box put up for the purpose. 



Next in order is that familiar little bird the ivren. It subsists mostly on 

 millers and larvae ; on account of its small size it destroys a good many insects 

 which other birds do not. 



The numerous swallow family feed upon beetles, mosquitoes, and other 

 winged insects. 



The nut-hatch, though not so well known as the preceding species, is one of 

 our most useful orchard birds. You may see him creeping about the trees 

 with head downwards, destroying every insect that comes in his way. He sus- 

 pends his nest underneath a limb, and it is composed of fine twigs and the 

 inside layer of bark. 



The kingbird, or tyrant fly-catcher, subsists mostly on beetles, flies, and all 

 sorts of winged insects. Observe him perched upon some old mullen stalk, 

 capturing every insect that comes in sight, and see if he does not fully repay 

 for the few bees he destroys. 



The woodpechers feed upon beetles and larvoe. They also destroy the apple 

 tree borer. 



Class second is called granivorous, or grain-eating birds, which include the 

 thistle, or yellow bird, cedar bird, chipping sparrow, and ground bird. 



The yellow bird, though not insectivorous, may be regarded as our friend. 

 His food consists chiefly of the seeds of thistles and other weeds, thus destroy- 

 ing a great many noxious plants. 



The cedar bird, or cherry bird as he is commonly called, feeds almost 

 entirely upon fruit, although in the spring he destroys the canker worm. Nut- 



