228 



THE CANADIAN HOKTICULTURIST. 



beneficial and injurious. Many species 

 are both beneficial and injurious, and it 

 is impossible to assign them to either 

 category until the percentages of their 

 food- elements have been positively de- 

 termined and the sum of the good bal- 

 anced against the sum of the evil. 



In a very large proportion of our 

 small birds the food varies considerably 

 with the season, sometimes changing 

 from vegetable to animal, or from in- 

 jurious to beneficial. Furthermore, 

 many birds feed their young upon sub- 

 stances which the adults rarely or never 

 eat ; and the young on leaving the nest 

 sometimes greedily devour things which 

 are discarded as they grow older. Hence 

 it becomes necessary to ascertain the 

 food of each species at diflferent times of 

 the year and at different ages. 



Information is desired on all ques- 

 tions relating to this inquiry, and 

 special attention is invited to the fol- 

 lowing : — 



1. Has the common crow been observed 

 to catch young chickens or to steal eggs ? 



2. Has it been observed to eat corn or 

 other cereals in the field ? If so, how 

 long after planting, and how extensive 

 was the injury done 1 



3. Has the crow been observed to feed 

 upon injurious insects ? If so, what kinds 

 of insects were thus destroyed, and to what 

 extent ? 



4. Has the crow blackbird or grakle 

 been observed to carry off" the young of 

 the robin or of other small birds, or to 

 destroy their eggs ? 



5. When breeding near the house, has 

 it been observed to drive off small birds 

 (such as robins, bluebirds, &c.) which had 

 previously made their abode on the 

 premises? 



6. Has it been observed to eat corn or 

 other cereals in the field? If so, how long 

 after planting, and how extensive was the 

 injury done? 



7. Has the crow blackbird been observed 

 to feed upon in j urioiis insects ? If so, what 

 kinds of insects were thus destroyed, and 

 to what extent? 



8. What birds have been observed to 



feed upon or otherwise injure buds or 

 foliage, and what plants or trees have been 

 so injured ? 



9. What birds have been observed to 

 feed extensively upon fruit ? What kind 

 or kinds of fruit have been most injured 

 by each species, and how extensive have 

 been the losses thus sustained ? 



10. The bobolink (rice-bird or May-bird 

 of the Southern States) congregates in 

 vast flocks during its migrations and com- 

 mits extensive depredations in certain 

 parts of the South. The division will be 

 glad to receive detailed accounts of these 

 depredations from persons living in the 

 affected districts, to whom a special cir- 

 cular will be sent on application. 



11. What birds are considered to be in- 

 jurious to grain crops, and what kinds are 

 regarded as beneficial ? On what facts are 

 these opinions based ? 



12 . What birds have been observed to 

 feed upon injurious insects, and upon 

 what kind or kinds does each bird feed ? 



13. Do blackbirds (other than the crow 

 blackbirds already mentioned) commit 

 serious depredations in your vicinity? If 

 so, which of the several species of black- 

 birds are concerned, and what crops are 

 affected? 



14. Has any kind of bird been observed 

 to feed upon the honey-bee? If so, what 

 species, and how extensive has been the 

 injury done ? 



When possible, the exact date should 

 be given of all occurrences reported. 



Persons willing to aid in the collec- 

 tion of birds' stomachs will be fur- 

 nished with the necessary blanks and 

 instructions. 



Special circulars on the English spar- 

 row, and on the economic relations of 

 mammals, will be furnished on applica- 

 tion. — C. Hart Merriam, in Country 

 Gentleman. 



A NEW ORNAMENTAL TREE. 

 The Japan Lilac, Syringa Japonica, 

 has been raised from seed at the Har- 

 vard Arboretum, at Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts. The seeds were planted in 

 the spring of 1877, and some of the 

 trees raised from them bloomed for the 



