CHAP. VII. DESTBUCTIVENESS OF BIRDS. 225 



also, the grain they meet with in their track : this may, 

 at least in part, be true; but we have yet no absolute proof 

 of such being the case. Certain it is, that in particular 

 parts of America, where the crows were completely 

 eradicated, or driven away by incessant firing, the 

 numbers of noxious insects increased so prodigiously, 

 that the farmers, to their sorrow, found the remedy 

 worse than the disease ; the whole district agreeing to 

 suffer the persecuted crows to return, and occupy again 

 their old quarters. Sparrows, and other hard-billed 

 birds, do little injury to the farmer while the crops are 

 growing ; but no sooner is the corn nearly ripe, than 

 they come down upon it in flocks, and, if not scared away, 

 devour large quantities : they renew their depredations 

 when the corn is stacked ; and although the quantity 

 which each individual purloins in a day is comparatively 

 trifling, yet, when numbers assemble and continue their 

 thefts for weeks, which is often done, the loss to the 

 farmer becomes most serious. But, after all, it is the 

 gardener who suffers most at least, in this country 

 from the depredations of birds. And this gives us the 

 opportunity of correcting, through more actual experi- 

 ence and observation, much that we have written upon 

 this subject elsewhere.* Of all our birds, the most de- 

 termined foes of the gardener are the different species 

 of Parus, or tits, and the bullfinch. Against the former 

 race, indeed, a warfare of extermination should be car- 

 ried on, specially in winter, when they are easily seen 

 in the naked hedges, and more readily shot. The in- 

 jury done by these little pests to the hardy fruit trees 

 is beyond all calculation : by biting off the buds, parti- 

 cularly of the gooseberry bushes, they often reduce the 

 prospect of a crop to one fourth what it would other- 

 wise have been. There are two of as fine cherry trees 

 in our garden as were ever seen : but, from which the 

 bullfinches and tomtits so effectually pick all the embryo 

 buds, that we have never had more than a handful of 

 fruit from both during any one of twelve years. We were 



* Loudon's Encyclopedia of Gardening and of Agriculture. 



