Animal Helpers 



graze it without being caught fast. But above 

 all they must have tireless and swift wings, 

 that will not be wearied by the desperate rush 

 of a prey at full speed, or outwitted by the 

 crooked flight of a moth at its last gasp. A 

 very widely opened beak and highly deve- 

 loped wings must mark the bird addicted to 

 the great hunt in the air. These conditions 

 are shown in the highest degree by the swallow 

 and the swift. Both of these hunt the flying 

 insects, coming and going endlessly ; crossing 

 and recrossing a thousand times, swallowing 

 the insect in their wide throats and passing on 

 without stopping for a second. 



The grain-eating, or granivorous, bird has a 

 large conical beak, wide at the base and 

 strong, because it is intended for opening 

 hard seeds. Such are the chaffinch, the 

 greenfinch, the linnet, the goldfinch and the 

 sparrow. The insect-eating, or insectivorous, 

 bird has a slight, thin delicate beak, weaker 

 because destined to catch the soft vermin. 

 Among these are the nightingale, the warbler, 

 the wagtail, the wheatear and the stonechat. 

 Agriculture has no better defenders against 

 the destruction caused by vermin than these 

 small birds with their fine beaks ; for they are 

 eager devourers of larvae and insects. They 



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