The Birds Our Friends and Companions 197 



killed and scared away all the birds they could, but they 

 also cut down the trees so that the birds would have no 

 places to nest. 



Thus the people freed themselves from the birds, but 

 what was the harvest that they reaped? When the trees 

 were gone they had no fuel, the soil dried out more quickly, 

 and the insects increased until they destroyed far more of 

 the grain and fruit than the birds could possibly have done. 

 The people are now very poor and just manage to live from 

 one harvest to another. 



Now let us learn a Uttle about our own birds and what 

 they are doing for us. We ought to know the habits of all 

 the common birds that frequent our gardens and be able 

 to tell each by its note. This would add greatly to our 

 pleasure when out of doors and make us appreciate the 

 services they are rendering. 



Go where you will through the open fields or among the 

 trees and bushes, you will find different kinds of birds and 

 all of them busily engaged. They are searching over every 

 bit of ground as well as oyer the trunks, branches, and 

 leaves of the trees. Some are after the seeds of different 

 kinds of weeds. Others are getting the worms and insects 

 that infest the trees. Watch a flock of the little titmice 

 going carefully over all the leaves and branches of an oak 

 tree. When they have finished, there are few insects or 

 their eggs left upon it. 



How anxious are some of our farmers as well as the sports- 

 men to have the meadow lark classed as a pest or as a game 

 bird. Would that the farmers knew how much good this 

 bird does them ! The stomachs of many of these larks 

 have been carefully examined in order to find out what 



