Birds. 7733 



our Museum of Natural History, it ranks as one of the best demon- 

 strated truths of Science. 



" With the assistance and facilities given him by the administrators 

 of the Crown lands and forests, and after a series of studies perse- 

 veringly followed for nearly forty years, this modest and learned 

 investigator has succeeded in ascertaining experimentally, week by 

 week, the alimentary system of the birds of our clime. By a careful 

 examination of the remnants of food found in their stomachs he has 

 been able to define, for each species, not only in what proportion they 

 feed upon insects, but what particular insects they seek out and 

 destroy, and consequently what vegetables they protect against their 

 enemies. 



" The stomachs thus examined are preserved in a triple form ; they 

 form the commencement of a new collection, which will rank among 

 the most interesting in the Museum. In addition, M. Prevost has 

 drawn up careful tables, which illustrate the results obtained. 



" Many of these studies, not yet made public, have more than once 

 been brought forward by M. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, and have received 

 the most honourable recognition from the Academy of Sciences and from 

 other learned societies.* With a readiness, for which we are happy 

 to have an opportunity of thanking M. Florent Prevost publicly, he 

 has placed at the disposal of your reporter all his collections and 

 drawings, and, what is more, that inexhaustible complacency of which 

 our experiment stands so much in need. 



" We cannot think of submitting these interesting documents to the 

 Assembly, but, should any of our colleagues express a wish to see 

 them, we could add, in the printed Report, two or three of those 

 drawings which would give an idea of the degree of certainty at which 

 the skilful naturalist has arrived respecting facts which it seemed 

 scarcely possible to ascertain.' 



" From these remarkable researches it results that, in the point of 

 view of the services rendered to Agriculture, the three hundred species 

 of birds that lay eggs in our country may be divided into three 

 principal classes : — 



" Class 1. In the first class we shall place the birds which are 

 decidedly noxious, at least indirectly, as they destroy a number 

 of insect-eating birds. They are, in the order of the birds of 



"* M. GeofiFioy Saint-Hilaire, ' Acclimatation des Animaux Utiles,' pp. 122 and 

 following, and especially p. 125, note 2. 



