PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 87 



will get up picnic parties in the grain season to the farms 

 and come back at night, like other picnickers, very weary but 

 very well satisfied. 



I have just tried to give you some thoughts to set you 

 thinking. I should have liked to have gone further into the 

 subject and give something that would have been of value. 

 We have a great number of lovely birds in the country but 

 there is no doubt we have very much to do in the way of pro- 

 tecting and looking after our birds. There is just one aspect 

 which we have not considered and that is that the presence 

 of birds in our gardens makes them much more homelike and 

 pleasant. It is a dreary place where you have no birds. I 

 do not live in a very nice part of the city. Some of you are 

 more fortunate and I would advise that you have them come 

 about because of the education we get in watching their 

 movements and especially where there are children every 

 effort should be made to induce them to come about. 



We come once again back to the matter of gardens. Let 

 us remember that the birds are given to us to help us in this 

 matter both by their labors and song, so let us pay every 

 respect to these little inhabitants. I am sorry I have not 

 been able to make my remarks in a clearer manner but I hope 

 they will set some of us thinking. 



DISCUSSION. 



MR. BEDFORD. What does the King- Bird feed on ? 



MR. BURMAN. I think he feeds on everything. So far as I know 

 a great many feed on grasshoppers. From all I have seen of his 

 habits he seems to do so. Of course a good deal depends upon the 

 locality. 



MR. BEDFORD. The reason I ask this is that they are somewhat 

 troublesome to the bees. 



MR. BURMAN. I believe that they do feed on the bees, but you 

 will notice that they take care that it is the drones they get at. 



Swallows do not need much encouragement to come around. We 

 have three kinds of swallows. The chimney swallow is seldom found 

 in hollow trees. They build in chimneys, and I cannot say that I 

 appreciate their attentions in that respect. They have a way of mov- 

 ing around at night which is unpleasantly suggestive of ghosts. 



