SECRETARY'S REPORT. Ill 



" It is a fact worthy of notice that the Baltimore Oriole, or 

 Golden Rohin, which has the reputation of performing more 

 service than the common robin, may, when confmcd in a cage, 

 be fed almost entirely on farinaceous food, without injury to his 

 health. This fact is good evidence that the common robin is 

 more entirely insectivorous than the other. The contrary is 

 generally believed. The fondness of the robin and others for 

 fruit is not peculiar to his species ; it is equally remarkable in 

 almost all other insectivorous birds. 



" The birds that do not cat these small fruits are generally of 

 those species which are the least valuable to agriculture, such 

 as the graminivorous birds, including most of the finches. 



" The truth is, that nature does not afford us a benefit without 

 exacting pay for it. Hence, if a bird is particularly useful to 

 our fields, he is sure to devour some portion of their produce. 

 We must be content to pay them for their services, as we pay a 

 hired man for cleaning our trees of borers and caterpillars. If 

 it were possible to obtain an exact estimate of the services per- 

 formed by the robin, we would be willing to pay him more than 

 the full value of what he steals, rather than dispense with his 

 services. At present, however, it must be confessed that the 

 robin tax falls chiefly upon those who raise cherries and other 

 small summer fruits. This is an evil which must be patiently 

 endured for the common good. There are only two -remedies 

 of the evils to those who happen to be the unfortunate owners 

 of cherry-trees ; the first is, to cut down all the trees on one's 

 ground, the second, to induce others to plant cherry-trees in as 

 great numbers as possible. 



" The extermination of the robins is out of the question, as it 

 would hardly be advisable to sacrifice the interests of the staple 

 products of agriculture to preserve a few bushels of cherries." 



Passing rapidly by the warblers, which, as I before observed, 

 subsist upon insects which they capture in and among the foliage 

 of trees and shrubs, the swallows, which seize those flying 

 insects that escape from the other birds nearer the earth, the 

 cedar-bird, that, equally with the robin, is a friend to the farmer, 

 the vireos and wrens, whose services are generally well appreci- 

 ated and admitted, we come to those well-known little birds, the 

 Creepers and Titmice. Of these latter, the little Black-cap Tit- 

 mouse, or chickadee, is probably the best known ; but few, how- 



