xvm. 



Three great categories of birds Injurious birds Birds of mixed qualities 

 Useful birds Certain birds not to be proscribed at first glance Some 

 conclusive facts Frederick the Great and his cherries Curious obser- 

 vation made in Paris Those that eat insects Some figures An unjust 

 and odious persecution The worst enemy of rats, field-mice, and other 

 rodents Birds as protectors of sailors An English law Cormorant- 

 fishing in China A possible cure for the Phylloxera A proposal from 

 Franceschini. 



" THREE classes may be distinguished amongst birds : 

 injurious birds, birds of mixed qualities who do both 

 good and harm, and useful birds. 



" Some birds are injurious by destroying game and 

 useful animals. As instances, the eagles and falcons, 

 and also the jays and magpies, who are constantly on 

 the look-out for the eggs and young of other birds. 

 Others, like the kingfisher, affect the fish and fry of 

 our rivers. To the injurious class also belong certain 

 birds that eat the fruit or other parts of plants 

 the grosbeaks, the bullfinches, the thrushes, and even, 

 though we say it with regret, the pigeons. These do 

 harm by their depredations on our fruit-trees and in 

 our gardens. 



" Thus it is fair that these destroyers should be 

 themselves destroyed, though it will be well under- 



