BIRDS 219 



only, but with whole birds, copying the fashion oT tlio 

 painted savage whom they scorn. Many thousands too 

 die each year by the hands of so-called sportsmen; not 

 game birds merely — such as turkeys, geese, duck, and 

 ]>;irt ridges — but robins, larks, doves, nighthawks (bull- 

 bats), martins, and many other useful birds. To the 

 srerage man with ■ gun everything with feathers is a 

 ^aiiic bird, ;iih1 be slaughters without mercy. To the 

 small boy the destruction of bird- and their nest- is i 

 never-failing source of delight, and the murder of many 

 hehpleat birds a thing to boast of. He kills merely for 

 the love of killing, gratifying bis brute instincts by 

 putting to death creatures too weak to defend them- 

 selves against attack. Men. women, and children arc 

 united with animals in a war on birds. Animals kill 

 for food; men and children mainly for the love of kill- 

 \mg] m ones to satisfy their vanity. It would seem that 

 in this ease the beasts arc endowed with higher motives 

 than men ami women. 



211. Value of Birds.— Hut you say, birds steal fruit, 

 they injure grain crops, some o! them kill chickens, 

 and what ii.hmiv they anyway? Did you ever see a tree 

 stripped of its leaves by caterpillars or other insects? 

 Did you ever see a fine fruit orchard dead or dying as 

 though swept by a fire? Did yon erer see a field of 

 grain or grass eaten by an army of worms? Did you 

 ee a garden destroyed by worms or insects? Such 

 things happen srery year, and are becoming more and 

 more common. Qreal srmiss oJ insects are busv 

 year destroying. crops, trees, grass, and .very green 

 thing. The birds are busy destroying these insects, and 



