144 GAME AND ITS PROTECTION, 



gave evidence of hardiness and promise of long 

 utility to man, pauses in its growth, becomes deli- 

 cate, fades, and finally dies. 



The destruction of these vermicular pests is a 

 question of life or death to the farmer. He may 

 attempt it either with his own labor, by tarring his 

 trees, fastening obstructions on the trunks, or by 

 killing individuals ; or he may have it done for him, 

 free of expense, by innumerable flocks of the deni- 

 zens of the air. The increase of worms must be 

 stopped ; the means of doing so is a question of 

 serious public concern, and none have yet been in- 

 vented so effectual as the natural course — the res- 

 toration of the equipoise of nature. It is true that 

 the robin, as we call him, now and then steals a 

 cherry, and has been blamed as though he were 

 nothing more than a cherry-thief; but surely we 

 can spare him a little fruit for his dessert, when we 

 remember that his meal has been composed mainly 

 of the deadly enemies of that very fruit ! Swallows 

 are accused of breeding lice, which, if true, would 

 not be a serious charge, considering that their nests 

 are generally in the loftiest and least accessible cor- 

 ner they can find ; but when we consider how many 

 millions of noxious flies and poisonous mosquitoes 

 they destroy, how they hover over the swamps and 

 meadows for this especial purpose, and how much 

 annoyance their labors save to hmnan kind, we owe 

 them gratitude instead of abuee. 



Every tribe of birds has its allotted part to play ; 

 and if destroyed, not only will its 2>leasant songs and 



