PROCEKDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 159 



the visit of Victor de Motslmssky to the Caucasus, in pursuit of 

 his favorite study of natural science. His investigations have 

 developed several insects new to science. 



The Secretary also read an account of Russian agricultural 

 implements, which shows how much ahead this country is of that 

 in improvements for the farmer. 



THE LOCUST. 



Dr. Trimble of New Jersey gave another lecture upon the 

 locust, showing how the insect deposits its eggs in the limbs of 

 almost every variety of trees. A great number of these twigs 

 were distributed among the company to show the curious man- 

 ner in which the female deposits its eggs. He also gave an 

 account of a maple tree in Newark, which appears to have a sort 

 of Bohonupas effect upon flies ; they lay dead by thousands under 

 this tree. 



THE CURCULIO. 



Dr. Trimble showed also a variety of specimens of fruit punc- 

 tured by the curculio, and other specimens in contrast, that had 

 been destroyed. He thinks the curculio as abundant as ever, but 

 in consequence of the abundance of the crop the insect is not 

 able to destroy all, and consequently we shall have a great crop 

 of fruit. 



BIRDS. 



Mr. W. S. Carpenter called attention to the late act of the 

 Legislature for the protection of birds, and remarked : judg- 

 ing from the constant cracking of fire-arms aimed at small birds 

 in the country, by straggling loafers and boys, leads us to con- 

 clude that the act passed by our Legislature last winter for the 

 protection of small birds is almost entirely disregarded, one sec- 

 tion of which forbids the killing at any time of the nightingale, 

 night-hawk, blue bird, yellow bird, Baltimore oriole, finch, thrush, 

 lark, sparrow, martin, swallow, &c., and the killing of the robin ' 

 or bobolink between the first day of February and the first day 

 of September, under a penalty of fifty cents for each bird killed. 

 The reason for the passage of this law is to secure the agency of 

 these birds in preventing the increase of noxious insects. 



It has been urged that the robin was so destructive to cher- 

 ries and strawberries as to justify its destruction. This opinion 

 J. W. P. Jenks of Middleboro, Mass., has successfully refuted. 

 The plan adopted by him was to obtain birds at daybreak, mid- 



