224 HABITS AND INSTINCTS OF ANIMALS. CHAP. VII. 



experienced immediately in our persons, are sensibly, 

 although indirectly, felt in the various descriptions 

 of our property ; and this to such an extent, that 

 we shall be surprised to find in how many ways they 

 can thus affect our comfort and deteriorate our posses- 

 sions. Snails and slugs peaceable and inoffensive as 

 they appear do no inconsiderable mischief to our 

 gardens and orchards, frequently almost destroying, 

 in the course of a few nights, whole crops of esculent 

 vegetables, just after the young plants appear above the 

 ground. This is generally done by gnawing off the 

 stem, particularly that of young cabbages, &c., close to 

 the ground : we have seen, in our own garden, repeated 

 instances of this, and have generally found the delin- 

 quent concealed just below the surrounding clods. The 

 young shoots of the iris family, no less t'han the leaves 

 when more advanced, are likewise subject to the same 

 injury ; - a fact which every gardener, unfortunately, 

 knows too well. 



(237.) BIRDS, although indirectly beneficial in keep- 

 ing the insect world within due limits, and destroying 

 great numbers of those which feed upon vegetables, 

 must yet be ranked among the foremost of those ene- 

 mies which injure or destroy cultivated produce, whe- 

 ther of grain, vegetables, or fruits. In this and other 

 densely-peopled countries, the injuries occasioned by 

 birds is comparatively trifling to what is suffered from 

 them in tropical and newly-settled regions. And yet, 

 in England, we are obliged to maintain a perpetual war- 

 fare against certain species. The crow is considered 

 by most farmers as an undoubted enemy ; but this 

 may be fairly questioned : there can be no doubt that 

 these birds destroy an amazing number of grubs and 

 injurious insects, which, to all appearance, have no 

 other enemies : every one who has watched their sin- 

 gular mode of following the course of the plough, both 

 in winter and spring, can have no doubts upon this fact. 

 It is said, however, that when they pursue the same 

 search after insects in newly-sown fields, they devour, 



