72 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



breaks up, and even before tbe tbaw has actually commenced, 

 we see a large portion of these passengers returning to their 

 worm and insect food in the meadows, attended probably by 

 many that did not take flight with them." 



The services of the common robin, as the guardian of our 

 fields and agricultural crops, are of such an indispensable 

 character, and so far exceeding those of any other bird, that I 

 feel constrained to devote a considerable portion of this essay 

 to his defence. A few years ago, the horticulturists in the 

 •vicinity of Boston, annoyed by the depredations of the robin 

 upon their early fruits, petitioned the legislature to strike out 

 the name of this bird from the list of those which are protected 

 by statute. The subject was referred to a committee, who were 

 ordered to make inquiries and report upon it. Professor J. W. 

 P. Jenks, chairman of this committee, has published in his 

 report some new and important facts, that clearly establish the 

 character of the robin as one of the farmer's friends. 



The course he pursued was to kill one robin daily, and 

 carefully examine the undigested food which it had eaten. 

 From these daily examinations, not a particle of vegetable food 

 was found among the alimentary contents of this bird, from the 

 early part of March to the first of May. Insects of many 

 species, in all stages of growth and development, were its sole 

 food. Nine-tenths of the aliment collected during this period 

 consisted of one kind of larva — tliat of the Bibio Albipennis of 

 Say. Of this larva, from one to two hundred, in a fresh 

 condition, were frequently taken from a single bird. 



This fly, according to Dr. Fitch, comes abroad about the 20th 

 of May, and continues a little more than two weeks. It is 

 very common in fields of growing wheat, and probably lives 

 at the expense of this crop. It is found, however, abundantly 

 upon other vegetation, resting upon the leaves and flowers of 

 the garden, and in mowing lands and pastures. It may be 

 recognized by its frequency, its white transparent wings, and 

 its black body, clothed with soft white hairs. The larva of 

 this insect is very pernicious, by feeding upon the roots of 

 plants and causing them to perish, and doing great mischief to 

 strawberry plats, vine-borders and other places where the 

 ground is not disturbed in spring and autumn. An English 

 writer states that the ranunculus beds in his garden were 



