CHAPTER XI 



STRIKING THE BALANCE 



HAVING taken up in turn the good done by the 

 birds and the harm done, the question naturally 

 arises as to how these two compare. The following 

 standard has been given by Dr. Judd for de- 

 termining the economic status of a bird : 



For a rough general estimate it is safe to assume that 

 a bird that feeds on insects, seeds, and fruit, and is abun- 

 dant on a farm, will do more good than harm, and usu- 

 ally be worthy of protection, when the neutral part of 

 its food forms less than half of its entire food and its 

 beneficial food amounts to several times its injurious 

 food. 



Applying this standard to our common birds, 

 they may be divided into three groups: injurious, 

 neutral, and beneficial. 



To the injurious group belong four common birds : 

 the English sparrow, the sapsucker, Cooper's hawk, 

 and the sharp-shinned hawk. 



In the neutral group may be placed those birds in 

 which the beneficial and harmful qualities about bal- 

 ance. This includes five birds : the catbird, the cedar- 

 bird, the crow, the crow blackbird, and the blue jay. 



The remainder of our common birds belong to the 

 beneficial group. This group may be further sub- 



