No. 4.] F. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 193 



in part, and under each kind of bird give a concise summary 

 of its food-habits at different times of 3'ear ; so that, in the 

 case of species which are injurious at one season and ])ene- 

 ficial in another, the relative vahies of the harmful and 

 beneficial qualities are pointed out. In some instances the 

 injurious habits of a bird are confined to a particular crop 

 or a particular season, and may be in large part prevented ; 

 while the habits of the bird during the remainder of the 

 year arc of so much benefit to the farmer that the species 

 should be encouraged rather than destroyed. 



A recent publication of interest to all farmers in the 

 eastern United States is a bulletin entitled " The birds of a 

 Maryland farm," 



Some of the general conclusions resulting from these 

 investigations are : — 



1. That birds in general devour an enormous number of 

 insects. 



2. That the greater part of these insects are injurious to 

 the farmers' crops. 



3. That most of the insects that cause serious harm, such 

 as grasshoppers, cut worms and tree caterpillars, are freely 

 eaten by many kinds of birds. 



4. That certain other pests, as the Colorado potato 

 beetle, the chinch bug and the striped squash beetle, while 

 not universalh^ eaten, are still preyed upon by many birds, 

 and the number of these birds is increasing every year. 



5. That birds are one of the great natural forces operating 

 to check the inordinate increase of insects. 



6. That when serious damage is done by birds, it is 

 usually due to a superabundance of one species, or of a few 

 closely allied species, gathered in a limited area. 



7. That many birds, particularly the native sparrows, 

 devour enormous quantities of seeds of weeds, thus saving 

 the farmer much annoyance and labor. 



8. That many birds Avhose habits in some localities are 

 harmful in other localities are almost wholly beneficial. 



9. That the harm done by certain birds may be to a great 

 extent averted (as by tarring seed corn, to prevent its 

 destruction by crows) . ^ , 



