JUNE MEETING, 1S77. 117 



of the catbird, orioles, tlinishes, etc., for they nro certainly fond of our early 

 cherries. The harm they do is very apparent, while the good tliey do is hid- 

 den from our eyes; as I Raid before in connection witli tlie forest birds, 

 ^re know not what insects they prevent from becoming too numerous to be man- 

 aged, by man. It is not safe to assume that wo can get along without them. 

 There is a fact iu connection witli this subject right here, and that is that I 

 have not found the record of a single voice lifted up against any of these 

 species in the transactions of any eastern society. It is from the newer por- 

 tions of our country that all complaint comes. Possibly, this is from a differ- 

 ence in the habits of the same bird; but it seems to me more probable that it 

 is from the scarcity of fruit at the west. I find the birds are highly valued for 

 their services in France, in England, iu Denmark, in Germany, and in Japan 

 they are protected with great care. 



Besides these birds, about which there is a difference of opinion, there are 

 many others, such as tlie bluebird, meadow lark, sparrows, and many more too 

 numerous to mention, that are considered by all to be the best of friends to the 

 farmer and fruit raiser. 



In addition to these insect-eating birds, the smaller owls and one or two 

 species of hawk are beneficial, as they destroy numbers of mice, rats, moles, 

 etc. The majority of the hawks are injurious on account of their destroying 

 other birds. The great horned owl proves sometimes a nuisance in the robbing 

 of hen-roosts. And I have seen a snowy owl take a quail from a flock upon my 

 farm for a number of days in succession. Whenever he could find them far 

 away from the barn or woods, he was sure to swoop down upon them and carry 

 one away for his dinner. 



I had almost forgotten to mention the butcher bird as being among our 

 friends. Besides destroying great numbers of insects, he is very fond of mice. 

 I saw one last autumn carry away four in succession that had escaped from 

 different shocks of corn-stalks that I was drawing at the time. It is some- 

 times said that birds will increase in any locality just in proportion to the early 

 small fruits grown there. This is not true, for they increase in proportion to 

 the facility with which they are enabled to rear their young, and the larv^ of 

 insects is their main dependence. In the summer of 1868, when the seventeen 

 year cicada was so numerous in Illinois, the small fruits were left untouched 

 by the birds, thus proving that when insects are to be obtained they are to be 

 preferred, 



I am aware that the present is an unfortunate time to advocate indiscriminate 

 friendship to birds here in a new country where many are trying to get a few 

 of their first crop of earl}' cherries, or some perfect specimen of a new straw- 

 berry, and are finding it very difficult ou account of some of these same greedy 

 friends. But I trust the good sense of the people will not permit them to act 

 iu a hasty manner in the destruction of their apparent enemies. The time 

 will certainly come, here as it has in older parts of our country, when the birds 

 will be cheerfully protected for the good work they do. Let me urge, then, a 

 compliance with the requirements of the bird laws, and I would, also, urge a 

 careful study and observance of the habits of all our common birds, for there 

 is much yet to learn in regard to their food, their migrations, their change of 

 habits, etc., all of which will well repay one for the time spent in their study, 

 and it is possible that some of the disputed points regarding their habits may 

 thus be settled. 



