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THE BEGINNER'S GARDEN BOOK 



prey on plants. Most of them are, however, small and hard 

 to see. But the ladybug, or ladybird, is one that we should 

 learn to know at sight. She lives chiefly on 

 the aphis, which is always injurious. There- 

 fore the ladybug should never be killed by 

 any gardener. 



But the greatest friends of the gardener 

 are the birds. If they should suddenly dis- 

 appear from the earth, nothing could pre- 

 vent the insects from ruining not only our 

 gardens, but also our farm crops and our 

 trees. Occasionally some mistaken person 

 has persuaded people that certain birds 

 were harmful, so that these birds have been slaughtered ; but 



FIG. 164. THE 

 LADYBUG AND ITS 

 LARVA. 



Protect them 

 both. 



FIG. 165. In feeding their young, birds daily kill many plant 

 enemies. 



always the great increase in the numbers of insects has proved 

 that the birds were needed. The English sparrow, to be sure, 



