108 PRESERVATION OF ANIMALS. 
quotes the saying asa profound one, “ that the bird can live with- 
out man, but man cannot live without the bird.” Among the 
many very useful birds may be named the common and rough 
legged buzzards, which are said to each consume 6,000 mice per 
annum. It could be wished that the report from which the above 
is extracted were more generally known in this country, especially 
by those farmers who patronize the poisoned wheat now so ex- 
tensively advertised. 
The authorities of Lyons have issued a decree against boys 
being permitted to meddle with birds’ nests in that department, 
and parents as well as schoolmasters are rendered responsible for 
any such delinquency of these juveniles.” 
A move in the right direction has been taken in the State of 
New York, North America, where a society has been formed for 
the preservation of the wild animals with which the rivers, lakes, 
fields, and forests are stocked, and for the prosecution of offenders 
against the law for the protection of fish, deer, and various birds 
during the breeding season, which the club was influential in 
passing through the State Legislature. 
At a late agricultural meeting at St. Gallen, in Switzerland, 
Baron von Tschudi, the celebrated Swiss naturalist, dwelt on the 
important services of birds in the destruction of insects. Without 
birds, said he, no agriculture and vegetation are possible. They 
accomplish in a few months the profitable work of destruction 
which millions of human hands could not do half so well in as 
many years; and the Baron therefore blamed in very severe terms 
the foolish practice of shooting and destroying birds, which pre- 
vails more especially in Italy, recommending, on the contrary, 
the process of alluring birds into gardens and cornfields; and 
among the most deserving birds he counts swallows, finches, 
titmice, redtails, &c. For the protection of orchards and woods, 
titmice are of invaluable service. They consume, in particular, 
the eggs of the dangerous pine-spiders. M.Tschudiconsiders spar- 
rows to be very useful birds, as one single pair usually carry to their 
nest every day about 300 caterpillars, an advantage that amply com- 
pensates for the cherries the birds steal in the garden. Owls 
also consume, morning and evening, vast quantities of woodinsects. 
