19UB-1HU9.] i 7 i 



As for Pigeons and Rooks, so for Starlings. I here give a 

 calendar to show broadly the monthly operations of these birds: — 





a 



ft 

 < 



>> 



3 



p 

 Ha 



3 



to 

 p 

 < 



3§ 



6 



> 

 o 



u 



o 



3 



1 



JO 



1 



o 

 H 



Grubs 



... 2 







6 



8 







1 



1 



i 







6 



3 



2 



30 



Insects 



. 25 



25 



10 



14 



1 



2 



8 



3 



20 



6 



14 



24 



152 



Grains and husk 







10 







1 







1 



3 



1 



19 



1 



11 



11 



58 



Miscellaneous ... 



... 4 



1 



























1 







10 



5 



21 

 261 



I have condensed the 92 pages as much as possible, but the 

 whole report is worth careful study. It is the only piece of work 

 of the kind that I am at this moment aware of as having been 

 carried out in Great Britain. If, however, there is little real know- 

 ledge, there is plenty of bias, and many beautiful and useful birds 

 are sacrificed because the wildest notions prevail as to the nature 

 of their food. Notable among the exterminators are gamekeepers, 

 who ruthlessly kill many of the most interesting and useful species, 

 and gardeners, who destroy many useful birds. It is curious that 

 both gamekeepers and gardeners, though they have such excellent 

 opportunities of studying the ways of birds, seldom take the 

 trouble to watch them closely, or even to open the bodies of their 

 victims for confirmation of their surmises as to the nature of their 

 food. Amongst both classes of men there are, of course, many 

 honourable exceptions, but the rule holds good, and the majority 

 are content to adopt the almost superstitious beliefs of their 

 forefathers. 



Of all our other land birds (about 50 species), we have to 

 confess that we really know little or nothing as to their usefulness 

 to us, with three exceptions — viz., Hawks, Owls, and House- 

 Sparrows. It is a very curious thought that of these we know two 

 to be extremely useful to us — Kestrels and Owls — therefore we 

 shoot them down on every possible occasion ; the other, we know 

 to be the most injurious, therefore, we do not shoot it, but allow 

 it to increase as much as it likes. 



