Nightingales 85 



finches have robbed them of their gooseberries ; the 

 titmice have spoilt their pears, &c., &c. 



But how about the thousands of destructive insects 

 that all these birds eat ? Neither titmice, or black- 

 birds, or thrushes feed their young on strawberries and 

 pears, &c., but on insects of all sorts, hundreds of 

 which are taken from the midst of the fruit garden 

 all through the spring and summer days. 



Personally I willingly surrender to these birds 

 their share of fruit ; nor do I blame them or feel 

 vindictive towards them for the tithe they exact in 

 return for their sweet songs, their interesting habits, 

 and the unseen and unknown benefits that they, in 

 the economy of nature, shower upon us. 



Shoot down the birds and wait for the result ! 

 There will be an enormous increase of insects and 

 noxious grubs ; devouring the roots, the leaves, and 

 the fruit of our plants, our vegetables, and our trees. 

 The work of the birds, as a rule, resembles that of 

 everything else : the best is that which is unseen and 

 often unknown. 



To sparrows I do not refer. Black sheep they 

 probably are ; but every family has a member of that 

 colour, so they say ! 



Putting all that aside, the mere capture of our wild 

 birds, in the breeding season especially, has reduced 

 their numbers considerably, and those rascals who, 

 armed with a gun, in the hopes of being mistaken 

 for " sportsmen," cruelly and wantonly shoot down 

 the sea-birds as soon as ever the law of the land per- 

 mits them to do so, ought to be shot themselves. 



