October 
nature they are an indispensable factor for the 
welfare of vegetation, and scavengers of the 
most unique and picturesque sort. Not only 
have the song-birds thus risen above the plane 
of mere ornament and entertainment, but even 
the hawks, which as a class have hitherto been 
regarded as having perhaps the most unjustifiable 
existence of all the feathered race, have recently, 
by a systematic and thorough process of investi- 
gation, been shown to be the victims of an ill- 
founded prejudice. And in the end, upon the 
theory which is every year receiving fresh con- 
firmation, that everything in nature has its use, 
it will doubtless be found that crows, black- 
birds, cedar-birds, and the like, which at cer- 
tain seasons of the year are so annoying to the 
farmer and the fruit-grower, are yet affording 
ample atonement in some as yet undiscovered 
way. The place occupied by the birds in nat- 
ure’s organism is thus of much greater dignity 
and importance than was formerly supposed, 
and it is pertinent to remind the bird-student of 
these facts, which cannot fail to enhance his 
previous admiration of the creatures. 
The variety of service rendered to nature and 
to man by some of the most familiar of the 
bird-families, is well expressed by Mr. Samuels 
283 
