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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



eluded), are most useful in regard to 

 insects and tlieir larvae, and we can 

 well afford the very little fruit some of 

 them take. At least three pairs of 

 "Robins" bred near my house, and I 

 hardly missed the cherries taken ; but 

 the Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melan- 

 erpe.i crythrocephalus), did take a con- 

 siderable number of cherries, and when 

 cherries were over they scooped out 

 many an apple, especially col verts. 



A selection of our useful insect de- 

 stroying birds, such as common and 

 tree sparrows {Passer Diontanus) Chaf- 

 finch (Fringilla coelebs), Brown Ijinnet 

 (Li/iota cannahina\ and the Buntings, 

 Emheriza citrinella, E. iniJiaria, E. 

 schceniclas, E. cirlus and E. hortulana, 

 would be of great service to the country. 

 Apart from their useful work, the songs 

 of some wo\ild render the country doubly 

 delightful. The Skylark [A lamia arven- 

 sis), ought also to be introduced as a 

 great devourer of field insects ; and 

 would not its song be an acquisition to 

 Canada. I believe one or two attempts 

 were made to introduce the skylark in 

 the States ; but English birds, instead 

 of Norwegian or Swedish, were tried. 

 In the north of Europe the skylark is 

 migt atory, so is the song thrush (Turdus 

 musicus). North European examples 

 would have gone south on the approach 

 of severe weather, but English larks 

 would not know what to do, and I aia 

 afraid they all perished in the States 

 with cold. 



Of the European insectivorous birds, 

 the true Silviadise, we have not any in 

 Canada. They would be very difficult 

 to import, but the Finches, Thrushes 

 and Larks might be naturalized in 

 Canada. This is the work that ought 

 to be done, instead of exterminating 

 the poor useful sparrow. 



I remain, yours faithfully, 



W. E. Bkooks. 

 Milton, 1st Feb., 1883. 



DO BEES INJURE GRAPES? 



To THE Editor of the Canadian Horticulturist. 



Sir, — -A letter in last issue of the 

 HortlcultuH^, from the j>en of D. Y. 

 Beacock, reminds one that this vexed 

 question is not yet settled to the satis- 

 faction of everybody. The testimony 

 of the Hon. J. C* Rykert and Mr. 

 Taylor has been given against the bees; 

 whilst the testimony of many others, 

 both here and elsewhere, has been 

 adduced as evidence of their guilt. At 

 a meeting of the Canadian Horticult- 

 ural Society, recently held at Owen 

 Sound, this question was brought up 

 and discussed. The .poor bee, having 

 no friends in court, was found guilty, 

 and convicted of the crime charged 

 against it. Absence from home on that 

 occasion prevented my being present 

 and testifying in behalf of the innocent 

 insect. 



That bees work upon injured grapes 

 there can be no question. That they 

 work upon injured apples, rotten pears, 

 bruised peaches, and damaged plums, 

 is equally true; but my own observation 

 satisfies me that they never puncture or 

 in any way injure a perfectly sound 

 giape, or any other sound fruit. I 

 have grown grapes and kept bees for 

 some years. I have closely watched 

 the operations of my bees upon my own 

 grapes. I have repeatedly tempted 

 them to commit the depredations 

 charged against them by hanging 

 bundles of sound grapes upon and in 

 close proximity to their hives, and I 

 have never yet known them to attack 

 or injure a perfect berry. I have 

 afterwards gone round and bruised some 

 of the grapes by pressing them between 

 my fingers, and immediately those 

 bruised grapes would be covered by 

 bees, utilizing what would otherwise 

 bo lost ; but the unbruised grapes were 

 invariably left untouched and uninjured. 



I have frequently extracted honey 

 in my glass grapery when the fruit was 



