138 LIFE ON THE FARM. 



other class of animals. Most creatures are dumb, 

 or they only occasionally utter a few unmusical 

 sounds. Birds, on the other hand, are the most 

 musical of all animate creation, with the possible 

 exception of man. There are but few species that 

 do not utter pleasing vocal sounds. Many of them 

 pour forth music of such volume and sweetness 

 that the appreciative ear could never tire of listen- 

 ing. 



The songs of birds are missed during the winter 

 months, but sound the sweeter when the wave of 

 migration comes pouring over the North in spring. 

 During the early summer months, (their mating 

 season,) their songs are especially joyful. The 

 songs of most birds are clearest in the early morn- 

 ing, but many kinds sing well all day long. A 

 rural scene without such sounds would be lonely 

 indeed. Fortunate are those people who are 

 privileged to enjoy such harmony. 



Our knowledge of the good or of the harm done 

 by birds does not rest upon general observation 

 alone. The United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture has carefully examined the stomachs of 

 several thousand individual birds. On an average, 

 about 75 per cent, of the contents was found to 

 consist of the bodies of insects, most of which are 

 destructive to cultivated plants. Some species 

 examined were found to subsist almost entirely 

 upon insects, while only a few ate more grain than 

 other kinds of food. 



