270 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



bee in search of food, and one wbieh is returning full laden 

 to its fragrant home, and whose honey-bag sweetens the 

 delicious tit-bit, as the crushed unfortunate, all ready sugared, 

 glides daintily down his voracious maw I Still, I have nev- 

 er yet been willing to destroy a bird, because of its fondness 

 for bees ;. and I advise all lovers of bees to have nothing to 

 do with such foolish practices. Unless we can check among 

 our, people, the stupid, as well as inhuman custom of de- 

 stroying so wantonly, on any pretence, and often on none 

 at all, the insectivorous birds, we shall soon, not only be 

 deprived of their aerial melody, among the leafy branches, 

 but shall lament over the ever increasing horde of destruc- 

 tive insects,, which ravage our fields and desolate our or- 

 chards, and from whose successful inroads, nothing but the 

 birds can ever protect us. Think of it, ye who can en- 

 joy no music made by these winged choristers of the skies, 

 except that of their agonizing screams, as they fall before 

 your well-aimed weapons, and flutter out their innocent lives 

 before your heartless gaze ! Drive away as fast and as far 

 as you please, from your cruel premises, all the little birds 

 that you cannot destroy, and then fjnd, if you can, those 

 who will sympathize with you, when the caterpillars weave 

 their destroying webs over your leafless trees, and insects 

 of all kinds riot in glee, upon your blasted harvests ! I hope 

 that such a healthy public opinon will soon prevail, that the 

 man or boy who is armed with a gun to shoot the little birds, 

 will be scouted from all humane and civilized society, and if 

 he should be caught about such contemptible business, will 

 be too much ashamed even to look an honest man in the 

 face. I shall close what I have to say about the birds, with 

 the following beautiful translation of an old Greek poet's 

 address to the swallow. 



" Attic maiden, honey fed, 



Chirping warbler, bear'st away. 



