MISCHIEF DONE BY BIRDS. Ill 



crops injured or destroyed, by swarms of minute 

 creatures, which these birds prevent from increas- 

 ing too fast. The stork and the crane keep down 

 frogs, snakes, and lizards ; ducks clear the gardens 

 and fields of slugs ; and the martin and swallow 

 devour myriads of caterpillars, insects, and grubs. 



Many birds destroy weeds, and others promote 

 the extension of useful animals and vegetables in 

 a wonderful manner. Trees that are often found 

 growing upon high walls, or rocks, have in gene- 

 ral been planted there by birds, which deposited 

 the seed on places out of common reach. Wild 

 geese, in their journeys, convey fish-spawn to dis- 

 tant ponds and lakes ; send sea fowls, which gather 

 in thousands, deposit their offal on bare rocks, and 

 cjiffs on the sea coast, from which, in the course of 

 time, a soil is formed, and thus they become covered 

 with vegetation. 



The mischief done by birds is very trifling, 

 when compared with the services w r hich they ren- 

 der us. Birds of prey, as the condor, the great 

 eagle, and the vulture of the Alps, now and then 

 kill colts, calves, goats, and sheep. The hawk 

 picks up occasionally a stray chicken, or pigeon ; 

 and the falcon, the sparrow-hawk, and the butcher- 

 bird sometimes do the like. The heron, the 

 osprey, and other water fowl, are destructive to 

 fish, and fish-spawn. Storks, which are supposed, 

 by superstitious people, to bring prosperity along 

 with them, and are carefully protected in some 

 countries, though highly useful, are yet mischiev- 



