176 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



are to be coustautly vemiuded of the stars and stripes to teach 

 them patriotism and the love of countrj^, — that the love and care 

 of our country's native birds, should fill the young mind not only 

 with a love of country, l)ut also with a desire to be kind and 

 loving and good. 



In the second place, the usefulness of birds, in destroying 

 insects, is established beyond a doubt. Experiments to prove this 

 have been made over and over again, and no intelligent, observing 

 person can deny that our common birds devour myriads of insects, 

 which if left unmolested would increase, as the season advances, to 

 an alarming extent. Many of our liirds, during the spring mouths, 

 live entirely on insects. Some of these insects, such as moths and 

 millers, are captured on the wing ; others in the larva or chrysalid 

 state, and still others as they appear in early morning as worms, 

 grubs, borers, etc. Those birds especially, classed as Insessores 

 or perchers, and Scansores or climbers, are all insect-eating birds ; 

 but may later in the season take a little fruit or grain as a dessert. 

 Those classed as Raptores or robbers (including owls and hawks) 

 subsist partly on insects and reptiles, but the damage done in 

 killing other useful birds, is probably greater than all the good 

 they do. Other native birds, such as the waders, swimmers, and 

 scratchers, are commonly classed as game birds, and although it is 

 positively stated by ornithologists that many of these birds subsist 

 largely on insects, still the laws are against them, aud they are 

 protected for certain months, in order that sportsmen may have 

 the pleasure of killing them during the remainder of the year. Sup- 

 posing they do live wholly on grain and seeds, as some obstinately 

 assert when asked not to destroy them, then the farmer has the 

 honor of fattening them in his grain fields, in order that the "city 

 chap" with dogs and gun, may have the "sport" of tramping 

 through his fields and pastures to shoot them. 



For several seasons, a flock of quails has visited our home, 

 and during the summer have become so tame that we could 

 whistle them to within a few rods of the buildings. Every one on 

 the place treated them as they would a flock of tame chickens, and 

 they were permitted to run through the garden and nursery unmo- 

 lested ; but they are spotted and after a certain day in October, 

 are killed by the sportsmen.. We try to protect them, but "rainy 

 days and Sundays" are generally taken by those who destroy 

 them. Within my remembrance, the marsh birds have been quite 



