PREFACE. 



The native birds are one of our nation's most val- 

 uable assets. Destroy them, and in a comparatively 

 few years the insects will have multiplied to such an 

 extent that trees will be denuded of their foliage, 

 plants will cease to thrive and crops cannot be 

 raised. This is not fancy but plain facts. Look at 

 the little Chickadee on the side of this page. She 

 was photographed while entering a bird box, with 

 about twenty-five plant lice to feed her seven young ; 

 about two hundred times a day, either she or her 

 mate, made trips with similar loads to feed the 

 growing youngsters. 



It has been found, by observation and dissection, 

 that a Cuckoo consumes daily from 50 to 400 cater- 

 pillars or their equivalent, while a Chickadee will 

 eat from 200 to 500 insects, or up to 4000 insect or 

 worm eggs. 100 insects a day is a conservative esti- 

 mate of the quantity consumed by each individual 



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