DANGER OF AN EARLY EXTINCTION OF SONG BIRDS. 177 



busy early and late, faithful laborers in lawns and fields, 

 protecting them against their two worst enemies, grubs 

 and earth-worms. The number of these destroyed by 

 one robin in a season is enormous. A pair have been 

 known to bring to one brood of young more than 3,000 

 earth-worms, and that, too, when the birds were sur- 

 rounded by ripe fruit which was left unmolested. 



The destruction alone of the cut-worms, saves annual- 

 ly to the farmers millions of dollars, more, in fact, than 

 enough to pay the injury done by all the birds in 

 America. These worms, so destructive to many kinds 

 of roots and cereals, come out of the earth at night to 

 feed. Before they get back the robins breakfast on 

 them. All the thrushes are early risers, and from this 

 well-known trait comes the truism, "The early bird 

 catches the worm." 



The swallows are on the wing most of the day clear- 

 ing the air of gnats, small flies and mosquitoes. The 

 number of insects destroyed by these aerial birds is 

 enormous. No one can charge the swallows with 

 injuring anything that belongs to man, or of eating any 

 mite which by any means could be converted by him 

 into food or raiment. All the fly-catchers are co-work- 

 ers with the swallows, taking their food on the wing. 

 They are entirely insectivorous, and each one literally 

 "worth its weight in gold." 



The climbers seem to have been especially created 

 for the protection of the trees, and well do they fulfill 

 their mission. They are provided with strong claws 

 and stiff acuminate tail quills to assist in climbing. 



