THE INVITATION. 287 



writing, and scattering the pens and paper. 

 Eighteen species were found, twelve of them 

 peculiar to the island. 



Thoreau relates that in the woods of 

 Maine the Canada jay will sometimes make 

 its meal with the lumbermen, taking the food 

 out of their hands. 



Yet, notwithstanding the birds have come 

 to look upon man as their natural enemy, 

 there can be little doubt that civilization is, 

 on the whole, favorable to their increase and 

 perpetuity, especially to the smaller species. 

 With man come flies and moths, and insects 

 of all kinds in greater abundance ; new 

 plants and weeds are introduced, and with 

 the clearing up of the country are sowed 

 broadcast over the land. 



The larks and snow-buntings that come to 

 us from the North subsist almost entirely 

 upon the seeds of grasses and plants ; and 

 how many of our more common and abun- 

 dant species are field-birds, and entire stran- 

 gers to deep forests ? 



In Europe some birds have become almost 

 domesticated, like the house-sparrow ; and iu 

 our own country the cliff swallow seems to 

 have entirely abandoned ledges and shelving 

 rocks, as a place to nest, for the eaves and 



