70 OUR NATIVE BIRDS 



tain a public library, new popular scientific books 

 might also be referred to from time to time. We must 

 bring the results of scientific investigators home to the 

 people, and here is a field white to harvest and more 

 workers are needed. Boys and girls will be found 

 enthusiastic in this kind of work, if teachers give them 

 the necessary amount of encouragement and assistance. 

 To act as mediators between the people and the univer- 

 sities is one of the noble missions of the teachers in 

 common and secondary schools. " For life, not simply 

 for the school," is our motto. 



Do not overlook the county newspapers. Their 

 editors are generally intelligent men that are glad 

 to publish communications on the topics just dis- 

 cussed. 



In conclusion, I would therefore say : Do not shoot 

 owls, hawks, and eagles. There may be sweetness in 

 the twitter of the warbler, but there is grandeur in the 

 soaring of the kite and majesty in the flight of the 

 eagle. 



About crows and jays, it may be said that they un- 

 doubtedly are guilty of some mischief among smaller 

 birds. The crow must, however, be classed as gen- 

 erally beneficial, and the jay will certainly be forgiven 

 many sins by those who live where birds are plentiful 

 in summer but scarce in winter. During the very cold 

 weather of January and February, 1899, the blue jays 

 were the only native birds that called merrily from 

 trees and chimney tops in the city of St. Paul. Almost 

 daily, their sky-blue plumage was displayed amongst 



