BIRDS IN THE GARDEN 261 



most of them existed as caterpillars, and would be the 

 parents of large families of caterpillars, and it is in the 

 caterpillar stage that all insects are most destructive in 

 the garden, and everything which can reduce the 

 caterpillar in our gardens should be welcomed. My 

 chief objection to the sparrows is the way in which 

 they drive away other birds by taking possession of 

 their nests. Swallows and martins are driven away by 

 them in this way, and so far they must be condemned ; 

 but I will not say more about them, for I must go to 

 other birds. 



There may be some doubt about the usefulness of 

 the sparrow in the garden; there can be very little 

 about the thrush. I suppose our greatest enemies in 

 the garden are slugs and snails, and the destruction 

 which the thrush works among the snails at all times 

 of the year is very great. How he finds them in their 

 hiding-places is something of a mystery, but he makes 

 no mystery of his method of destroying them ; indeed, 

 as he takes them to some well-seen stone, and there 

 gives notice of what he is doing by his breaking the 

 snails against it, he almost invites you to witness his 

 work, and he seems so proud of it, and so conscious 

 that he is doing good service, that for the time he lays 

 aside his shyness and will let the gardener come very- 

 near looking watchfully at him, but not stopping in 



