106 Wild Bird Guests 



frequently doing much mischief. (3) They are 

 very destructive to the eggs and young of 

 domesticated fowls. (4) They do incalculable 

 damage to the eggs and young of native birds. 

 (5) They do much harm by the distribution of the 

 seeds of poison-ivy, poison-sumach, and perhaps 

 other noxious plants. (6) They do much harm 

 by the destruction of beneficial insects. On the 

 other hand, (1) They do much good by the 

 destruction of injurious insects. (2) They are 

 largely beneficial through their destruction of 

 mice and other rodents. (3) They are valuable 

 occasionally as scavengers." In conclusion he 

 says: "It seems probable that in most places 

 the crow is neither so harmful nor so valuable 

 as to render special laws necessary for its destruc- 

 tion or protection." 



These last remarks probably apply equally 

 well to the blue jay, who though a notorious 

 robber of nests, is useful as a destroyer of the 

 larvae of brown-tail and gypsy moths, the eggs of 

 the tent-caterpillar moth, besides beetles and 

 grasshoppers. Neither crows nor blue jays 

 should be exterminated but they should be 

 watched, and where they become too numerous 

 or too bold, and seriously interfere with other 

 wild birds or with poultry, measures should be 

 taken to thin them out. 



