NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



established by the Great Designer and Maker of 

 the Universe. 



" The last season I have had further confirmation of 

 the great value of birds, as within fifty yards of my 

 sparrow colony my apple orchard has been the wonder 

 of the neighbourhood, and numerous visitors have come 

 from adjacent towns to see the sight, all declaring 

 they never saw the like before." 



" Think every morning when the sun peeps through 



The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove, 

 How jubilant the happy birds renew 



Their old, melodious madrigals of love ! 

 And when you think of this, remember, too, 



'Tis always morning somewhere, and above 

 The awakening continents, from shore to shore, 



Somewhere the birds are singing evermore." 



Longfellow. 



BIRDS AND THE GARDEN 



The garden and cultivated farm are ideal places for 

 insects to breed and multiply in. Moths, butterflies, 

 and certain kinds of beetles always deposit their eggs 

 in the most favourable spot for the development of 

 their grub and caterpillar children. Therefore it is 

 only natural that by day and by night these winged 

 pests should flock in from mountain, forest, veld, and 

 valley to deposit their eggs amongst the succulent 



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