182 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



This Massachusetts Horticultural Society has enjoyed a long 

 and honorable record ; whatever it advises and endorses commands 

 the attention and respect of the whole country. What better 

 record could we make today, than to pass a resolution advocating 

 ;and approving of strong and effectual national laws for the preser- 

 vation and protection of all our insect-eating birds ; also asking 

 the cooperation of all kindred horticultural and agricultural 

 societies, to help on this good work. »Such an influence brought 

 to bear from all quarters upon our representatives in Congress, 

 .-might speedily bring about the desired result. 



Discussion. 



President Spooner in calling for remarks upon the subject of 

 'Mr. Thurlow's paper said it was one of the most important that 

 •<could engage the attention of liorticulturists, and he hoped there 

 "would be a free expression of thought upon it. 



Rev. Calvin Terry said he loved the birds, and had always 

 loved them from his childhood. When a small boy he knew all 

 the kinds in the region round, and knew their habits and their 

 nesting-places ; he could interpret their songs or notes, and imitate 

 them so that they would come at his call. But he grew up with 

 •prejudices, derived from older people, concerning many birds, and 

 •classed them as mischievous, — wrongfully as he had since learned, 

 for his observations had taught him to drop one species after 

 another from the black list, till now but very few remain on that 

 list. It is true, as the poet says in the old school books, that 

 •"kites, hawks, and owls deserve their fate," but not so with the 

 warblers around our homes. There is not much for us to do in 

 ■destroying the native birds in order to check their too great 

 increase ; Providence has taken care of that, for birds destroy other 

 birds, their eggs, and their j^oung ; and cats are worse than birds 

 as destroyers, so that their number is kept quite uniform. From 

 lack of close observation, people are often mistaken in their opin- 

 ion as to the mischief liirds are doing. The brown thrush, the 

 ■o row-blackbird, and others are charged with pulling up corn, when, 

 in fact, they are digging for grubs, cut-worms, etc., which are 

 "bred in the stable manure placed in the corn hills at planting time. 

 They may bite off or pull up a little corn, but the holes made in 

 the ground are oftener those made to get the worms. As to the 

 crows, bounties have been paid for their destruction because of 



