24 USEFUL BIRDS. 



products of forest, meadovy, sea, lake, or river. The only 

 creatures that he then could regard as injurious were those 

 that attacked his own person or the persons of his family. 



Any irruption of animals, such as vast herds of deer, bison, 

 or antelopes, hordes of monkeys or rats, flights of birds or 

 locusts, outbreaks of caterpillars or other creatures, was 

 about as likely to benefit as to injure him. For instance, 

 when locusts became so numerous as to destroy a part or all 

 of his vegetable food, he followed the example of other 

 creatures, and, by feeding for the time on the superabundant 

 locusts, exerted an influence toward restoring the balance 

 of nature. (There are still savage tribes in various parts 

 of the earth that eat monkeys, rats, locusts, grubs, or 

 caterpillars.) 



In times of plenty primitive man feasted, as did other 

 animals ; and in times of want, like them, he starved. But 

 usually he was indifferent to any ordinary injury done to the 

 animal or vegetable life around him, as he owned no prop- 

 erty, and could readily move his camp from a region of 

 want to one of plenty. 



CHANGED RELATIONS PRODUCED BY AGRICULTURE. 



With the beginning of agricultural practice, however, all 

 this was changed. "When man began to domesticate animals, 

 he faced immediately a host of enemies. Wild animals and 

 birds attacked his cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and hogs, or 

 devoured their young. Tormenting insects stampeded his 

 herds, or carried disease and death among them. His poul- 

 try were decimated by scores of rapacious animals. When 

 he began to plant seed and raise grain, both his growing 

 and his garnered crops were attacked by a host of ene- 

 mies ; for now he had begun to disturb nature's balance, 

 and nature asserted herself in the effort to resume her inter- 

 rupted sway. This was the beginning of a war with nature 

 which will never cease so long as man inhabits the earth ; 

 for the agriculturist does not work altogether with nature, 

 but largely against her. Most of the animal and vegetable 

 forms that he produces are at variance with those produced 

 by nature, and must be continually fostered and protected 



