Three Feathered Mites 
preserve just as much as the little birds 
which in their turn live on insects and 
grubs or seeds. 
Perhaps that is why the smaller birds 
have such big families. For they all lay 
from six to ten eggs, and sometimes 
even more ; and the bigger birds, many 
of them, only lay two or three; but in 
spite of the larger number of eggs, the 
little birds don’t increase in number, but 
remain much about the same. Doesn't 
this make it seem probable that if they 
didn't have such large families they 
would not be able to keep up their 
numbers at all, but would gradually 
become fewer and fewer until there 
would be no more left? And if that 
happened, of course the hawks, cats, 
and weasels would have to die down 
too, for there wouldn't be enough food 
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