ON THE PRESERVATION OF WILD BIRDS. 5 I 



The Skylark. Except where present in large numbers, or 

 during severe weather, I have never heard of this bird doing any 

 serious damage. 



The Yellow Bunting. Where allowed to increase unduly, it 

 undoubtedly does a certain amount of harm, but the cases where it 

 really can be regarded as injurious are few. 



Food contents of stomach : Insect larvae, beetles, various 

 seeds; in the autumn, grain. 



The Chaffinch. In my opinion, the Chaffinch for at least two 

 months in the year does considerably more harm than good. The 

 depredations a flock will commit on newly-sown seeds are astonish- 



FIG XXXI. THE GREEN PLOVER OR PEEWIT. 



ing, and, whilst not favouring any ruthless destruction, it should 

 not be protected at all. 



Food contents of stomach : Mostly seeds, occasionally a few 

 insects. 



The Greenfinch. The remarks on the Chaffinch apply with 

 equal force to this species also; if anything, it is the more 

 destructive, and for a longer period. 



The Bullfinch. In spite of all that has been said and written 

 to the contrary, this species during the earlier .part of the year does 

 serious damage to plum, damson, gooseberry, and other fruit trees. 



The Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Thursh, and Rook. Dis- 

 tinctly the farmer's friends, but when allowed to unduly increase, 

 particularly so in the case of the Starling and Rook, they become 

 equally injurious. 



