y 8 February 1749. 



fay, that they even eaC wheat, barley, and 

 rye, when prefled by hunger ; yet, from 

 the beft information I could obtain, they 

 have not been found to do any damage to 

 thefe fpecies of corn. In fpring, they fit in 

 numbers on the trees, near the farms ; and 

 their note is pretty agreeable. As they ard 

 fo deftrudtive to maize, the odium of the 

 inhabitants againft them is carried fo far, 

 that the laws of Penfyhania and New Jer- 

 fey have fettled a premium of three-pence a 

 dozen for dead maize-thieves. In New 

 England, the people are flill greater enemies 

 to them ; for Dr. Franklin told me, in the 

 fpring of the year 1750, that, by means of 

 the premiums which have been fettled for* 

 killing them in New England, they have 

 been fo extirpated, that they are very rarely 

 feen,,and in a few places only. But as, in 

 thg fummer of the year 1749? an immenfe 

 quantity of worms appeared on the mea^ 

 dows, which devoured the grafs, and did 

 great damage, the people have abated their 

 enmity againft the maize-thieves ; for they 

 thought they had obferved* that thole birds 

 lived chiefly on thefe worms before the 

 maize is ripe, and confequently extirpated 

 them, or at leaft prevented their fpreading 

 too much. They feem therefore to be en- 

 titled, as it were, to a reward for their trou- 



