HOW HE WORKS FOR US 129 
ing in them seeds, such as raspberries, blackber- 
ries, and all kinds of wild fruit. These birds do 
not crack the seeds ; and, as they are hard, they 
do not digest in the stomach, but are dropped 
whole, and are ready to grow wherever they 
fall. 
Thus, while seed-eating birds destroy the weeds 
which are hurtful, the fruit-eaters plant the seeds 
of berries and fruit which we like. That is why 
we find wild berry bushes all over the country. 
We have to thank the birds for it. 
A great deal more could be said about the 
birds’ work for us. Not only the robins and 
those I have spoken of, but cedar-birds, who 
are shot because they take part of our cherries, 
blackbirds, because they eat some grain, ori- 
oles, because they occasionally take green peas, 
and kingbirds, because they have the name of 
eating bees, though it has been proved that they 
eat only drones, which have no sting and make 
no honey. ; 
Let me impress upon you two facts. First, 
that the harm said to be done by birds is often 
mere guesswork, from careless observation. For 
instance, a man seeing a bird going over his 
blossoming fruit-trees, at once concludes he 1s 
destroying the fruit, probably shoots him, and 
then writes to his favorite paper that a certain 
