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ical raids of insect pests? And yet, strange as it may seem, the 

 most distinctly visible and noticeable of all the influences provided 

 by nature to prevent or control this insect surplus is almost 

 wholly ignored or unappreciated by the people whom it seems 

 especially designed to beuefit. The land birds that are, by their 

 structure, by their habits and preferences, especially adapted and 

 designed to consume great quantities of insects, are not encouraged, 

 fostered or protected, but are pursued and slaughtered without 

 mercy. Many of them are regarded as nuisances and pests and 

 their services to agriculture are either entirely ignored or strenu- 

 ously denied. 



Now let us look at this question of the utility of insect-feeding 

 birds in the light of reason. There are absolutely no other crea- 

 tures upon this earth that are as well fitted for searching out and 

 destroying most kinds of insects in all places and at all seasons, 

 over wide areas, as are the land birds, and especially the smaller 

 species. Wherever they are sufficiently numerous they will exert 

 a strong influence for the suppression of any undue multiplication 

 of insects. The very minute insects are all that are likely to 

 escape them. 



A few of the reasons why birds are useful in checking insect 

 invasions are obvious. 



1. Birds by their powers of flight and telescopic vision are 

 admirably adapted to search for and find food over large areas, 

 and for a sudden and swift pursuit of it and an unerring descent 

 upon it when found. 



2. The young of most land birds require a great quantity of in- 

 sect food for their perfect development and are, therefore, raised at 

 a season when insects are most abundant. 



3. During this season the parent birds go to those points where 

 insects are numerous that they may easily secure a sufficient supply 

 for their young. 



Hence birds gather in numbers wherever great insect outbreaks 

 occur, and not only destroy many insects themselves but feed still 

 more to their young. This gathering continues from season to 

 season until the noxious insect is so reduced in numbers that it is 

 lost to common observation. 



4. The full-fledged birds are to a certain extent omnivorous and 

 are thus able to subsist when insect food is difficult to obtain. In 

 winter certain birds are quick to find those localities where the eggs 

 of insects are plentiful. 



It is at once seen how well certain families of birds are fitted 

 for the pursuit and capture of certain families of insects. The 

 thrushes dragging unwilling cut worms and grubs from the ground ; 



