^'^I'gos^ ] CaiMI'bell, Fruit-eating llirds. 71 



tance of which to a country's welfare cannot be overestimated. 

 Are we then, because of one chscernible bad point, to endeavour to 

 drive away or exteiTiiinate the whole tribe .-^ Far from it ! Many 

 of them are one month in the crop or the orchard against eleven 

 months of useful and sober living elsewhere. Let them have 

 their liberty, or it will be to our ultimate sorrow. 



To the accusation contained in the heading of "• birds antago- 

 nistic at certain seasons," we are obliged to add, " but which more 

 than compensate by keeping in check, over the greater part of 

 the year, insects — a greater evil.'' 



Second group — Birds with no good intentions and no very direct 

 compensations. 



Examples — Blue Mountain Loiikeet, the Musky Lorikeet, the 

 Rosella, and, perchance, other Parrakeets. 



The first two mentioned are birds which in flocks sweep down 

 with sometimes immense destruction upon the orchardist. They 

 are so persistent that they may even be knocked off the trees with 

 a stick. To shoot them until the flock is decimated or driven 

 away is often the only way to deal with such a visitation. They 

 come late in the season, however, but will soon destroy the hard 

 a})ples and pears which may not have reached maturity. 



The Rosella, in pairs more often than in small flocks, is also a 

 very exasperating fruit-destroyer, and is perhaps one of those few 

 species which could be shot indiscriminately. It has not such an 

 important function in the forest as the Lorikeets among the scale- 

 insects, and it would not be missed if partially exterminated. 



The large Lorikeets are troublesome alike to the agriculturist 

 who essays maize-growing, for in favoured spots they will play 

 havoc with the ripening corn. The 'Keets throughout are deserving 

 of less consideration than any other genus of birds, from a producer's 

 point of view. 



A third group needs a brief mention to complete the review of 

 the birds generally from an economic point of view — Birds serving 

 the public good and taking no compensation. 



This embraces all the useful birds of the first importance — no less 

 than the whole insectivorous section, excepting, however, those it 

 was found necessary to place in Group No. i. They are not by any 

 means fruit-eaters, and so are not deserving of anything but brief 

 mention now. Of most obvious use, however, among insectivorous 

 birds are the Magpie and Raven, which devour locusts, besides 

 chafer grubs and cutworms ; Kingfishers and Plovers, and many 

 wading birds, which eat worms, slugs, and snails ; and, above all, 

 birds like the Stone-Plover, Wild Turkey, and Ibis, which patrol 

 the Riverina plains, the nursery grounds of myriads of locusts, 

 from whence, once the insects reach the winged stage, they 

 might spread far and wide, carrying devastation not only to orchards, 

 but to every other kind of vegetation they came across. The Ibis is 

 without doubt the foremost locust-destroyer ; it goes in flocks, and 

 with its long bill has no difficulty in catching the young or grass- 

 hopper stage in myriads. One bird's stomach on examination 



