GARDEN BIRDS 123 



for Pipit's Nest Slaughter of Larks ' Hedge Potterers ' 

 Woodlark and Skylark Larks and Pipits Varieties 

 of Pipits The Tree-pipit The Meadow-pipit French 

 Lines on the Lark, and Translation Reference to other 

 Varieties of British Birds The Buntings The Girl 

 Bunting and the Yellow-hammer The Corn Bunting 

 Songs of Buntings The Reed and Black-headed Bunt- 

 ing The Snow Bunting Peculiarity in Change of Plumage 

 of Bunting. 



As I previously remarked, a certain number of 

 birds are essential to the well-being of a garden, 

 inasmuch as the good they do in the way of 

 destroying slugs, caterpillars, and such-like enemies 

 to vegetation, is incalculable, whereas any mal- 

 practices which may be laid to their charge in 

 the matter of fruit-stealing, etc., are infinitely 

 more than compensated for by the former. But 

 besides all this, a garden would be but dreary 

 and pleasureless if denuded of its bird-life. Such 

 a state of affairs would be most depressing. 

 What should we do without our blackbirds and 

 thrushes ? I would far sooner keep a garden 

 stocked for the sole purpose of attracting birds, 

 than be forced to kill the latter in order that I 

 might the better enjoy the products of the garden. 

 But it is a difficult matter to induce a gardener 

 to believe such a statement. An old man who 

 used to do work for me at times could not under- 

 stand why I was so persistent in my prohibiting 

 the destruction of birds, and never failed to tell 

 me of his discovery of some new nest, requesting 

 permission to destroy it, adding, that the damage 



