JANUARY. 19 



The creeper and the little spotted woodpecker are often 

 seen in their company, and the various notes uttered by these 

 different birds, when assembled in the same tree, apparently 

 in a contending mood, add greatly to the charm of the pleas- 

 ant days of winter. They commonly take but little notice 

 of oneanother, but pursue their separate labors in harmony. 

 Their usefulness is prolonged by their residence with us 

 throughout the year ; and in the winter as well as in the 

 summer they are equally active in fulfilling their destiny. 

 " The chickadees (says Wilson) traverse the woods in regular 

 progression, from tree to tree, tumbling, chattering, examin- 

 ing about the roots of the leaves, buds and crevices of the 

 bark, for insects and their larva3. They also frequently visit 

 the orchards, particularly in the fall of the year, the sides of 

 the barn and the barnyard in the same pursuit, the trees in 

 these situations being generally much infested with insects. 

 We therefore rank this little bird among the farmer's friends, 

 and trust our rural citizens will recognize him as such." 



The whole tribe of fly-catchers subsist entirely on insects, 

 taking them upon the wing, and pecking them from the leaves 

 and branches. To this tribe belong the large and small pe- 

 wee, the vireo, or warbling fly catcher, and the kingbird. 

 Every one is familiar with the notes of the warbling fly- 

 catchers, two species of which, having very different notes, 

 are heard all summer, not only in the woods, but also from 

 the elms and limes, in the very centre of our cities and vil- 

 lages. These birds are in the habit of singing their snatches 

 of melody, while employed in hunting for insects, and will 

 frequently pause in the midst of a strain, to seize a moth or a 

 caterpillar. 



Under the third head I shall treat of the checks to the 

 larger insects, such as butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, lo- 

 custs, and the larger beetles, for whose extermination the 

 smaller birds are but ill adapted. The natural subjugators of 

 these insects are the large fly-catchers, the thrushes, includ- 

 ing the common robins, the bluebirds, the jays, crows and 

 gallinaceous birds. Every one is famUiar with the common 

 beetle — an insect that emerges from the soil, in the early part 



