244 TWO YOUNG NATURALISTS. 



wren, in the course of a year causes three millions of 

 eggs of butterflies and other insects to disappear ; the 

 blue tit about six millions and a half. As each pair 

 of tits produces about six young ones, we may consider 

 that each family of this little bird destroys at least 

 twenty -four millions of insects. " * 



" Poor little birds, so frequently and ruthlessly mas- 

 sacred, when they are actually occupied in working 

 for us ! " 



" The screech-owl, and other owls in fact, all the 

 nocturnal raptatores should be protected, for a single 

 one exterminates more little rodents than a whole 

 regiment of cats would. 



" The cat, supposed to be a great ' ridder,' is a con- 

 summate sycophant, and knows that he can always 

 depend on the larder in case of necessity. He hunts, 

 in fact, in amateur fashion. Hunting is in reality for 

 him a pastime and amusement, a healthful sport, that 

 gives him a good appetite after the long hours passed 

 lazily in the sun or on the hearthrug. But as for the 

 owl, it hunts to live, and to procure food for a whole 

 brood of hungry beaks, who cry famine if they have 

 to pass only a short time without being gorged with 

 nutriment. A large quantity of bodies of rats and 

 voles are required for the support of such a family. 



" The sea-birds, guillemots and others, that nest in 



* See on this subject an excellent work, "Useful and Injurious Birds," 

 by H. de la Blanchere. 



