says : "In two or three specimens ex- 

 amined, animal food, practically all in- 

 sects, constituted seventy-three per cent 

 and vegetable, twenty-seven per cent. 

 The insects were ground species, such as 

 beetles, bugs, grass-hoppers and cater- 

 pillars, some flies, wasps and spiders. 

 They eat great numbers of crickets, 

 grass-hoppers, and many beetles. They 

 may become very valuable in combating 

 new enemies such as the clover root borer 

 and clover leaf weevil. The vegetable 

 food is grain, weed, and other seeds. 

 Most of the grain is waste grain." In 

 conclusion it says : "It will thus be seen 

 that the meadowlark is almost entirely 

 beneficial. Care should be taken to pro- 

 tect it from the gunner who wants some- 

 thing to practice on and also* from de- 

 struction in any form. The mower in 

 particular, in fields of red clover when 

 first cut, destroys many nests, eggs and 

 young." 



Another very important early arrival 

 is the crow blackbird and a little later, 

 the redwing. You know Lowell says : 



Fust come the black-birds clatterin' in all trees, 

 And settlin' things in windy congresses; 

 Queer politicians though, for I'll be skinned, 

 If all of 'em don't head against the wind. 



But whether he be a queer politician or 

 not, he is a good friend and one that I 

 always rejoice to see. He is so vigor- 

 ous, so full of life. And the sun makes 

 some gorgeous coloring when it strikes 

 his feathers on a bright sunny morning. 

 His cousin, the redwing, is not so bril- 

 liant in coloring but wears red epaulets 

 and his wife, salmon, on her wings. His 

 sweet "oak-a-lee, oak-a-lee" is as the 

 music wafted from the meadows when 

 the buttercups and marsh marigolds are 

 in bloom. Though the crow blackbird 

 lias been accused of stealing some grain 

 and the redwing a little, yet on the whole 

 they are beneficial. The keel-tails de- 

 stroy great numbers of worms and bugs 

 in the spring when oats and corn are put 

 out. For that matter, the cowbird does 

 also. Though the latter is the black 

 sheep of the family, I would feel lone- 

 some if he and his brown mates were not 

 tramping about the fields where I plough 

 in the spring. They follow cattle and 

 sheep, picking up insects that they may 

 disturb. I have heard some slurs cast 



on the conduct of the crow blackbird but 

 I have never seen him do anything out of 

 the way. The characteristics of the cow- 

 bird are too well known to discuss here. 

 On the whole, these birds are beneficial, 

 a great help in destroying noxious in- 

 sects and in keeping the "balance of life." 



No better friends of mine can be found 

 than the orioles. They may be easily rec- 

 ognized by the brilliant coloring. Black 

 and orange mark the Baltimore male, his 

 mate having the black obscured by olive. 

 The orchard oriole is chestnut and black, 

 his mate being olive green and yellow. 

 These two* birds are very conspicuous by 

 their brilliant colorings and loud clear 

 voices. They linger in the south until 

 the air is warm and spring is here in 

 earnest. Then they come with all their 

 bright regalia and merry song. Both 

 birds frequent the yard and orchard, 

 especially the orchard oriole. Few birds 

 are as beneficial. Their food consists of 

 insects and worms that are a pest to' the 

 farmer and especially valuable is the 

 orchard oriole for he spends his whole 

 life where the name would indicate. They 

 destroy cankerworms, green worms, 

 hairless caterpillars, beetles, flies, cab- 

 bage-worms and plant-lice. They are 

 very destructive to insects that feed on 

 foliage of trees, berries, bushes and 

 grape-vines. Among the latter, they use 

 their sharp bills to destroy the cocoons 

 wrapped within the leaves. They de- 

 serve the most careful attention of 

 farmers. 



Our cuckoos bear a bad reputation 

 from the notorious habits of the English 

 cuckoo. It is seldom that our native 

 cuckoos are guilty of such practices, yet 

 they do construct a slovenly nest that a 

 person would think might let the eggs 

 or young birds tumble out. Every one 

 knows the "raincrow" by voice if not by 

 sight. They frequent thick woods or the 

 shrubbery about the house. Last sum- 

 mer there were two nests in our yard. 

 It is somewhat difficult to distinguish the 

 black from the yellow-billed. The latter 

 has white spots on the quill feathers, 

 thumb marks they are sometimes called, 

 while the former has red rings about the 

 eyes. Probably no bird is more beneficial 

 than the cuckoo. They are particularly 

 fond of canker-worms and those hairy 

 caterpillars that other birds do not eat. 



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