FINCHES. 23 



of the bird thinks " the thrush, like the blackbird, is doubt- 

 less extremely useful in moderation, when its numbers are 

 in proportion to the extent of farm or garden ground. When 

 they are very numerous, however, they are induced to feed 

 upon fruit ; but our experiences tend to show that they prefer 

 insects and mollusca to fruit. The same remarks which 

 apply to the thrush apply also to the blackbird." 



Everywhere but in the orchard the mavis is useful ; even 

 there a remembrance of the pecks of slugs he has gorman- 

 dized, the great earthworms he has drawn from the ground 

 and shaken to death by the hundred, like any terrier, and 

 those piles of snail shells round his favourite anvil stone, 

 should stay the destroyer's hand. 



Blackbirds are not quite so black as chance and fruit 

 growers have painted them. All I have said of the former 

 bird applies to this. In the kitchen garden they are in- 

 valuable, if fruit is netted from them a short time before it 

 is plucked. 



The ring ouzel is an inhabitant of the wilderness, where 

 it enjoys unlimited small snails and the insect life of the 

 uplands. 



Warblers. That subdivision, known scientifically as the 

 Sylvidcc, contains a numerous host of unimpeachable friends 

 of the agriculturist or gardener ; and friends, moreover, 

 which by a rough system of reasoning he values. The hedge 

 sparroiv feeds under the hedges all the year round on seeds 

 of weeds and small insects; robins take, perhaps, a small 

 quantum of currants to vary their animal dietary, but they 

 may safely be left in the protection of legend and favouritism. 



Whinchats, wheatears, and the like, if not amongst " the 

 unco' guid," are useful in their way, while ivJiitethroat and 

 wood wren destroy plenty of noxious insects. 



Titmice. Over these dainty little pinches of feathers the 

 battle of the birds has waged long and hotly. They have 

 been accused of stripping trees of buds (and especially fruit 

 buds) in a reckless and wanton manner. But in nearly every 



