THE UTILITY OF BIRDS. 223 



bank, and keep away from beer-shops and ale- 

 houses. 



Since writing the above, I may mention that 

 the French have been in the habit of killing 

 and eating every bird they are able to destroy, 

 from a goose to a magpie ; even swallows and 

 redbreasts do not come amiss to them. They 

 have at last found out their mistake, from the 

 great injury done to their crops by various 

 insects and caterpillars, which birds would have 

 kept down, had they not been destroyed ; and 

 means are now being adopted to encourage the 

 breed of small birds in that country. 



