Vol. V, 

 1905 



■] Campukll, Ffuil-canng Birds. 69 



thieves, leaving nothing but the core and stem of the hardest 

 apples and pears. 



But we might stop to point out their respective usefulness, and 

 to see therefrom that even the most unmitigated fruit destroyers 

 have more points in their favour than against them. Goldfinches 

 are very partial to seeds of thistle and other introduced weeds, and 

 the Sparrows to the aphides or plant lice frequently so common in 

 our gardens. Thrushes and Blackbirds keep down snails, slugs, and 

 many soft-bodied insects, while the latter have a special hking for 

 the green caterpillars of the vine. The Minah in the streets and 

 in the field is an excellent scavenger and insect-eater. In the 

 Starling it has a hardier and more ravenous companion, which 

 has spread already far out into the country, where in flocks it is 

 found devouring grasshoppers and caterpillars when these insect 

 hordes are at their worst, threatening the produce of the land. 



But the real difficulty with these and with most native fruit- 

 eating birds lies here. The benefit is not direct to the person 

 robbed. Some birds steal from the farmer to pay back to the 

 pastoralist ; some rob the fruit-grower and benefit the farmer or 

 the forester. Looking, however, at the subject from the broadest 

 and perhaps the proper point of view, the country is much the 

 better for the presence of the birds, even if they do take a heavy 

 toll for their services. Any difficulty in reaching this conclusion 

 lies in the man, and not in the bird. If we were truly a socialistic 

 community, with every man drawing the value of his energies from 

 a common fund, we should have a more open mind to consider 

 the birds in their proper place, and to allow them full liberty to per- 

 form the work for which alone they are fitted, and to allow a fair 

 wage for their services in keeping the hordes of the insect world 

 in check. At present the man who pays all the bill is not com- 

 pensated by his country. 



A list of native birds will, according to their economic value, 

 show at least three groups, and in the analysis of these will be 

 found much of interest and more for further study. 



Firstly — Birds antagonistic to man at certain seasons. 



This needs further subdivision. 



1. To the orchardist. 



2. To the farmer. 



3. To the pastoralist. To others in special branches, like 



the poultry farmer, beekeeper, &c. 



I. The orchardist admits that his crops of fruit are an immense 

 temptation to l)irds, but the question of how to keep them most 

 effectually from taking more than a fair share of his profits, and 

 that without lessening their serviceableness (if any) elsewhere, 

 is the question that should most occupy his mind. The ex])eriences 

 of thoughtful orchardists would be welcome. 



However, generally speaking, in districts away from the intro- 

 duced birds of the cities, it is found that previous to Christmas 

 time birds do not come about the orchards in any numbers. They 

 have, in truth, the important duties of nesting and rearing 



