112 



The Food of Birds. 



valuable to exterminate, at least until we are sure we can 

 replace him by some cheaper assistant, yet he is not so 

 precious that we need hesitate to protect our fruits from 

 outrageous injury. Indeed, it seems likely that the ordi- 

 nary destruction of robins by gardeners does not more than 

 compensate for the destruction of birds of prey in the in- 

 terests of the poultry yard, — removing that excess of rob- 

 ins which, in the more natural order, would fall victims to 

 the hawks and owls. 



