178 AGRICULTURE. 



insects. Birds of prey, such as the hawks and owls, destroy 

 large numbers of field mice and other vermin that are very 

 injurious to growing crops and stored grain. 



PROTECTION OF BIRDS. There are some birds that appear 

 to be very destructive. Some hawks are much dreaded because 

 they kill young chickens ; the crow, blackbirds, or bronze grakles, 

 are the bitter enemies of many of our common birds, and crows 

 have few friends because they pull up the sprouting corn. 

 They take the corn at that time because it is softened in the 

 soil and can then be eaten by them. Even crows, however, 

 feed largely on insects when insects are to be got. The Eng- 

 lish sparrows, also, have made themselves very much of a 

 nuisance because they nest about the houses and barns and 

 steal oats from the field. Even these three kinds of birds 

 make up for some of their badness by destroying insects. One 

 of the most objectionable birds is the cow bird or cow black- 

 bird, which is a parasite, that is it lays its eggs in the nests of 

 birds smaller than itself. The true owners of the nest 

 are pushed out by the intruder when hatched. What 

 we need to learn, however, is that we should protect most 

 of the birds rather than destroy them. Some try to en- 

 courage the birds to nest by setting up small houses, placing 

 empty boxes and cans in the trees, hanging pieces of twine and 

 hair upon the fences and limbs The general rule that we 

 should follow is leave the birds alone, do not molest or dis- 

 turb them, keep away from their nests. They will soon learn 

 that they can come and go in safety and build their nests and 

 rear their young broods without fear, and year by year they 

 will return to their old nesting-places and will repay us for 

 their assurance of safety. The birds are the farmers' friends, 

 but they must be treated as friends. 



How many birds can you name and describe? 



What birds frequent the fields, and what birds are found along the 

 streams and small lakes ? 



