No. 144.] 243 



Among other errors and prejudices I pointed out the fact, 

 which is a prevailing one, that a farmer considered it almost a 

 religious duty to destroy the king birds, because, fursooth, their 

 grandfathers had done so, to prevent them from eating the honey 

 bees. This I pronounced as a vulgar error, and a detrimental 

 prejudice, which ought to be banished from all intelligent society, 

 as it was in opposition to all known facts in natural history, and 

 contrary to all known laws of philosophy. I carefully put this 

 proposition forth in a suggestive form, and in so mild a manner 

 that I (lid not conceive the possibility of offence to the most scru- 

 pulous stickler for antiquated notions. But every newspaper has 

 had its exasperated correspondent, denouncing my presumption 

 and ignorance. 



One of the writers denounced this Society as mere book far- 

 mers ; but one of your members has given him a quietus. The 

 same writer stigmatizes me as an ignoramus, in my knowledge of 

 the king bird in particular, and as a knoiv nothing in general. 

 Another belligerent writer states that not only does the king bird 

 eat bees, but that he dissected one he had shot, and the bte actu- 

 ally Jlew from his crop. But I have made earnest inquiry among 

 various keepers of bees and practical farmers, upon whose intelli- 

 gence I can rely, and upon putting the question unprepared to 

 them, "do king birds eat the honeybee?" one and all, without 

 exception, pronounced "yes." "Are you sure*?" "Yes, I have 

 seen them do it, and always shoot them therefore." "Are you 

 sure it was the honey bee, and not the drone only ?" " You stag- 

 ger me; I cannot tell, I did not think of that." In three in- 

 stances they resolved to watch the bird take several bees, then 

 shoot him and send the bees to me. But, to their delight, in no 

 case was a bee found, and nothing but coleopterous insects, and 

 they have resolved never again to suffer a king bird to be de- 

 stroyed with their coi:sent. Instead of regretting the discusjion 

 which has taken place on this subject, ungenerous as it has been 

 on my o])ponents' side, I rejoice that it will advance the truth of 

 science, exalt humanity, and vindicate the works of God, who 

 formed the king bird, and invested its nature to subsist wholly 

 on insects, and to take those on the wing; and in making such 



