21 



have a peculiar \\ Uy" .ju.iliiy ai.out th.'in. 'I'h. the h.-mluck are 



occasionally eaten by the Chickadee and lied breasted Nuthatch 



breasted Nuthatch is said to -oim-t iin.-s .-;tt liceclmiiU ;m<J hut I I 



never found any trace <>!' them Tin- Tree i '}>-. [ table Hubsta 



what f\ er 



This lit ilr group of l>irds is of tin- gn ilu.- to tin- fruit 



they feed principally m t In- iiiiniit i ud ili-ir eggs, which are indi\ idiiallv 



HIM 1 1 that they escape our observation until, having seen tli-- damage done hv 

 them, our attention is called to their existence, and then it is too late to en;< 



us to remedy the matter for the season. 



THRUSHES 



We have in Ontario seven species belonging to this family, all of th'-m 

 migratory, arriving here from the south in early spring and leaving us in tin- 

 autumn, as cold weather sets in. They are the Wood Thrush, Wilson's Thrush. 

 Grey cheeked Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Robin and Bluebird. 

 The Olive-backed Thrush, Hermit Thrush and Grey-cheeked Thrush pass on and 

 raise their young to the north of us ; the others remain throughout the summ- i 

 and breed here. 



The Wood Thrush and Wilson's Thrush, or Veery, as it is sometimes called, 

 are strictly birds of the woodlands, and seldom venture far from the edge of the 

 bush, though both species will at times select a garden where there are shrubs 

 for their summer residence, if they find themselves unmolested, particularly if 

 there are no domestic cats about the premises. The cats at all times prefer young 

 birds to mice or rats, and are as much to blame for the decrease of our native 

 birds as bird-nesting boys or anything eJse, perhaps, except the Cow bird. Wil- 

 son's Thrush is one of our most abundant species, but it has the faculty of 

 concealing itself to such perfection that it is often overlooked though there may 

 be many within a few yards of where a person is standing. The Wood Thrush 

 is very rare with us. which is to be regretted, as it is a beautiful songster. 



All these thrushes are very valuable birds to the agriculturist, their food 

 consisting for the most part of grubs that live under the surface of the ground, 

 and caterpillars. In the autumn they eat many wild berries, those of the 

 Elder and Viburnum being especial favorites, but they never help themselves to 

 the produce of the farm or garden. The best known and most familiar of the 

 thrush family is the Robin, and opinion is very strongly divided as to its utility. 

 Many fruit growers condemn this bird with great emphasis, stating that it is the 

 worst enemy they have ; others weigh its merits and demerits more carefully, 

 and are inclined to think that it at least pays for the fruit it eats by the destruc- 

 tion of insects. No doubt it does take a large number of cherries, strawberries 

 and raspberies, and some grapes, but it is open to question if it were not for the 

 birds whether there would be any cherries, strawberries or grapes, or, indeed, 

 whether any crop could be brought to maturity. The great merit of the Robin i* 

 that in the early part of the season it feeds itself and its young almost entirely 

 on cut worms and on the large white grub, the larva of the May beetle. Of all 

 our insect enemies the underground cut worm is about the m<>-t destructive, for 

 in feeding it just comes above the surface and cuts oft' the entire plant. >r if the 

 plants are very young and the stems small it cuts off' half a dozen or more at one 



