BIRDS 



183 



work during the colder months reducing next year's crop of worse 

 than useless plants. 



Robin. — An examination of 500 stomachs shows that over 

 42 per cent of its food is animal matter, principally insects, 

 while the remainder is made up largely of small fruits or 

 berries. Vegetable food forms nearly 58 per cent of the stom- 

 ach contents, over 47 per cent being wild fruits, and only a 

 little more than 4 per cent being possibly cultivated varieties. 

 Cultivated fruit amounting to about 25 per cent was found 

 in the stomachs in June and July, but only a trifle in August. 

 Wild fruit, on the contrary, is eaten in every 

 month, and constitutes during half the year a 

 staple food. 



Questions. — Which of these birds are com- 

 mon in your neighborhood? Which of them 

 according to the foregoing report are plainly inju- 

 rious? Clearly beneficial? Doubtful? Which 

 are great destroyers 

 of weed seeds? 

 Wood-borers? Ants? 

 Grain? Why is the 

 destruction of an ant 

 by a night hawk of 

 greater benefit than 

 the destruction of an 

 ant by a woodpecker? 

 Name the only wood- 

 pecker that injures 

 trees. If a bird eats 

 two ounces of grain 

 and one ounce of in- 

 sects, has it probably 

 done more good or 

 more evil? 



Fig. 332. — African Ostrich, x 



(Urder ?) 



