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substance ; and nothing, indeed, but the little bug so famous 

 for destroying young turnips and tobacco plants. These little 

 hopping beetles are a great nuisance in the land, and seem to 

 be rapidly increasing. The Kildeers are their natural enemies, 

 and fox'merly collected in large numbers to fulfil the purposes 

 of their mission. I seldom, now-a-days, hear the Kildeer's 

 voice. Let no man, henceforth, kill one, except to convince 

 himself and others that they eat no young tui-nips. The sacri- 

 fice of one producing such conviction may save hundreds of his 

 brethren." 



The testimony of practical gardeners in favor of birds de- 

 serves special consideration, because their prejudices incline 

 them to seek theii* destruction. Mr. Musgrave, a practical 

 gardener, who has written a treatise on the means of destroy- 

 ing injurious insects, remarks : " It is a too common practice 

 among gardeners, to destroy, indiscriminately, the birds that 

 frequent their grounds. This, in my opinion, is bad policy. 

 Although some birds are great enemies to certain crops, it must 

 be a trifling crop indeed that will not bear the expense of a 

 person 'to watch it, or a net to protect it until it is out of 

 danger ; for the birds perform a double office — eating up the 

 vermin from the trees, and the seeds of weeds and the eggs of 

 insects from the ground. I have often stood and observed the 

 male bird, while the female was sitting on the nest, fly to the 

 spot with his bill full of caterpillars to feed liis mate or young; 

 and when the young ones became so strong as to accompany 

 their parents in quest of food, the number of caterpillars they 

 destroy is astonishing. I can say from my own observation, 

 that were it not for the labors of birds in this direction, our 

 trees would exhibit nothing but bare stumps." Mr. Musgrave 

 one day followed a nest of young birds that had just flown, for 

 the purpose of observing the actions of the old birds. He saw 

 them fly from branch to branch, and peck the caterpillars fi-om 

 the curled leaves, carrying them immediately to their young 

 It is his opinion, therefore, that the gardener should protect 

 the biids as useful allies, and avail himself of their services, by 



