The Economic Importance of Birds. 13 



upon insects, worms, and slugs. Indeed, from the nature of the 

 structure of the stomach of a newly-hatched bird it may be gener- 

 ally concluded that most birds (excluding aquatic and raptorial 

 species) feed their young on soft food, which largely consists of 

 insects, slugs, spiders, and worms. 



As has been pointed out by Judd (73, p. 435) practically all 

 birds, excepting doves and pigeons, feed their young upon an 

 animal diet, whatever may be the character of the food of the 

 adult. Only continued observation will ultimately place us in 

 possession of the nature and amount of food eaten by nestlings, 

 and such information must ultimately prove of great value to all 

 concerned with the raising of crops, whether fruit, general farm, 

 or horticultural. 



In conclusion, "it should be remembered that the nestling 

 season is also that when the destruction of injurious insects is most 

 needed, that is, at the period of greatest agricultural activity and 

 before the parasitic insects can be depended on to reduce the 

 pests." A knowledge, therefore, of the nature of the food, the 

 amount consumed, and the relation this bears, from an economic 

 standpoint, to the harm done by some species when adult, is no 

 longer a question of interesting curiosity on the part of the bird- 

 lover, but one that has a definite bearing on the success or failure 

 of the produce of the land. 



