THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 269 
THE BIRDS AND THE CROPS. 
BY A. JOIGNEAUX, LYONS. 
seaaREDACHKOUS BIRDS which hunt by day are less 
) qj useful to agriculture than those which seek their food 
by night. Still, the majority deserve protection, as 
_ they live chiefly on the small rodents which make such 
oo havoc in our fields. In my opinion, the only diurnal 
birds of prey to be feared are the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, the 
sparrow-hawk, and the goshawk; but complaints have been made, 
too—and not altogether without foundation—of pies, jays, and 
crows. 
It is not surprising that birds considered useful in some 
localities should be esteemed mischievous in others. This depends 
greatly on the description of culture in vogue, and the remark 
applies with equal force to other creatures besides birds. But I 
am wandering from my subject. Fowls and ducks—especially 
fowls,—which do so much damage in the garden by picking and 
scratching the borders, are undoubtedly serviceable on newly-turned 
land, and in vineyards infested with the ewmolpus, a particularly 
troublesome insect, generally known in France under the name of 
“gribouri” or “ecrivain.” Of the employment of poultry, and 
locomotive poultry hutches, in the destruction of this insect, I shall 
speak hereafter. Meantime, a word must be said next of partridges 
and quails. There is but one opinion about these birds, that they 
rid us of an incredible number of insects, both in the perfect and 
the grub state. But, in thus doing them justice, the quality of 
their flesh is not forgotten; and it is not uncommon to meet with 
advocates of their wholesale destruction in the season. This is to 
be regretted. There is a consolation, however, in the thought that 
the bad shots far outnumber the good ones, and that the restrictions 
respecting the use of nets and other appliances for destroying game 
on any alarmingly large scale, are strictly enforced. 
The lark belongs to the same category, and should be protected. 
Although graminivorous, it does not disdain insect food, and dili- 
gently hunts out wheat-flies and wireworms, of which more here- 
after. Blackbirds and thrushes are commendable in all respects. 
Swallows and martins, which are stupidly hunted down in some 
parts of the south of France, are great insect-eaters. Like the 
flycatchers, they capture immense numbers of flies, and dipterous 
insects of all sorts, in the vicinity of their nests. 
Amongst the smaller birds, the warblers, beyond question, are 
the most useful and commendable. We find them everywhere— 
in the fields, in the woods, in the garden,—never absent and never 
idle. Most of them migrate in winter to seek their food further 
south ; but some of them, as the redbreasts, wrens, etc., remain with 
us all the year round, and labour indefatigably at their calling of 
caterpillar hunters. In this respect they are invaluable, as they 
destroy the caterpillars even in the egg. 
The tits, which also winter with us, hunt out eggs and grubs in 
September. 
