BIRDS 



81 



that for every quart of fruit he eats, he consumes, 

 by measure, a quart and a half of black olive scales, 

 a quart of flower beetles, and a large quantity of 

 codling moth babies and cankerworms. If this is 

 true, he certainly saves much more fruit than he 

 destroys. 



Policemen of the Air. Some one has called the 

 birds the little policemen of the air, because they 

 protect us from the robber bugs and caterpillars. 

 Insects make up nine-tenths of the animal life of the 

 world, and it has been estimated that a bird will 

 destroy thirty insects daily, so 

 he is a very valuable little 

 policeman. 



Eating Weed Seeds. Another 

 great foe of the farmer is weeds. 

 In one state alone the tree spar- 

 rows are reported to have eaten 

 eight hundred seventy-five tons 

 of weed seed in one season. 

 This included smartweed, rag- 

 weed, bindweed, crabgrass, and 

 many others. The bobolink and 

 meadow lark destroy many in- 

 sect enemies of the crops and 

 untold quantities of weed seed. 

 (Figs. 49 and 50.) 



Big Appetites. Birds need a 

 great deal of food, because they 



.. rni i n ii ^'^^' ^-- M akin ff friends 



are so active. They eat all the of the birds. 



