No. 4.] NATURE'S FORESTERS. 293 



other species of insects, if unrestricted, could cause similar 

 devastation. When such insects have spread over the con- 

 tinent, such an increase and such a devastation can only he 

 prevented hy the natural enemies of those insects ; and here 

 comes a practical lesson. Man should not disturb the bal- 

 ance of nature. But what does man do to preserve this 

 balance of nature? Generally, nothing. What does he not 

 do to disturb it? Man enters a new country, destroys the 

 forest (and with it the forest animals), plants new crops, 

 thus inviting new insect pests, and at the same time ex- 

 terminates the birds and animals which feed upon those 

 pests. He destroys the blackbirds of the west, because they 

 feed upon the corn ; the grouse, plover and quail he sends to 

 market for profit, doing his best to exterminate them all. 

 Soon the chinch-bug runs riot, cut worms destroy his corn, 

 migrating locusts sweep away his crops and gaunt famine 

 stalks in their path. 



The Siberians kill the birds for the milliners. Soon cut 

 worms, locusts and other noxious insects destroy the crops 

 and nearly starve the inhabitants. Thus both bird and 

 peasant suffer on the altar of fashion. Even the Siberians 

 can learn by experience, and laws with heavy penalties are 

 passed and enforced to protect the birds. 



Man attempts to improve upon nature. He introduces 

 new forces for a purpose. A water plant is imported into 

 the southern States from South America. It chokes up the 

 rivers, and navigation is suspended. A snake-eating mammal 

 is introduced from India to an island in the Caribbean. Its 

 predaceous habits become the indirect cause of such an in- 

 crease of insects as to render the island almost uninhabitable. 

 The farmers of Australia first destroy the game and then 

 introduce the English rabbit. Great stretches of country 

 are soon a barren waste, given up to the rabbits. Australia 

 also imports a sparrow r , which soon destroys the grain 

 crops. Unheeding this sad experience, we introduce into 

 the United States the same sparrow to feed upon the span 

 worms in our parks. It destroys the span worm, but drives 

 away our native birds, and our parks are soon infested 

 with a host of caterpillars. It also destroys our grain and 

 fruit. 



