204 



THE USEFUL BIRDS 



States, I find they are highly insectivorous, and make excellent 

 scavengers. It is just a little unfortunate that they are not 

 as virtuous as they are wise, that vice, cruelty, being rather 

 strongly developed. 



Young of Red-capped Dottrel. 



The genera Halcyon and Podargus. acting partly under this 

 head, have been specially referred to in the first part. 

 Herons, Egrets, Spoonbills, Ibises, Plovers, Bitterns, Dottrels, 

 and Rails, besides being destroyers of crustaceans, grass- 

 hoppers, moist-land insects, and other vermin, are harmless 

 from the point of view of the agriculturist. These several 

 birds may safely be considered in this section. 



