1S38. HOUSE— No. 72. 33 



ble, are busy throughout the summer torturing our beasts to madness, 

 and destrovins; the comfort of man. The birds are the instrumentst 

 commissioned to keep down their numbers, and if they are exter- 

 minated, how is this work to be done ? It may be said, that, if the 

 injurious birds are destroyed, harmless ones will still labor in that 

 vocation ; but the misfortune is that all together are not sufficient for 

 the purpose, and if any are exterminated, the evil will grow. 



It is well known, that the cultivation of fruit is regarded as hope- 

 less by many, and found discouraging by all who attempt it. And 

 the reason is, not that the birds plunder the trees, but that insects 

 destroy them. The insects then, and not the birds, are the proper 

 subjects of extermination. Means may be found to prevent the 

 birds from taking more than their portion of the fruit, but it is not 

 probable that human agency can contend with the millions of the 

 insect race. If so, we are taking the part of our enemies against 

 our friends ; and it may be our persecution of the birds, which has 

 caused the insects to increase in numbers to such an extent, that 

 many doubt, whether, under present circumstances, the more deli- 

 cate kinds of fruit are worth the trouble and expense of cultivation. 



Such are one or two of the practical objects of the survey, which 

 deserve and will receive attention. Many intelligent observers are 

 constantly engaged in this study, and every month adds something 

 to the amount of our information on the subject ; so that enough will 

 be gained in point of accuracy and completeness, to compensate for 

 any loss of time. 



