List of Birds Examined. 



5 1 



INJURIES. 

 Wheat 

 Oats ., 

 Nuts . 



NEUTRAL. 

 Aoorns 



Beech-nuts 



Grass and miscellaneous vegetable 

 matter . 



Field Observations. 



The only injury I have personally seen this bird commit was to 

 apples, many of which had a piece bitten out. 



Conclusion. 



I regard the Jay as an almost neutral factor. In some districts 

 where more plentiful than elsewhere, it undoubtedly damages fruit, 

 on the other hand it destroys blackbirds and mice, and consumes a 

 large quantity of insect larvae and slugs. 



MAGPIE. 



Pica rustica (Scopoli). 



To fix the economic status of this bird is a problem of some 

 difficulty, for, whilst beneficial to a great extent to the fruit-grower 

 and agriculturist, it is very destructive to game. The opinions 

 given below and the schedule of the stomach contents of twenty- 

 four birds, will in some measure, help to overcome this difficulty 

 I hope. 



Archibald (6) states: "It destroys quantities of eggs and 

 young birds of all kinds, and, like the rest of its family, will eat 

 almost anything. To the farmer and fruit-grower it renders con- 

 siderable service by destroying insects, rats, mice, and the eggs of 

 wood-pigeons and many fruit-eating birds." 



Hooper (68) remarks that it eats cherries, but is valuable in 

 destroying the wood-pigeon. 



Theobald (109) refers to this bird as affording "a most 

 difficult problem." " It is an arrant thief," he states, " it will take 

 young chicks and eggs, it strips rows of peas, and will even attack 

 young and sickly stock." 



