252 FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY 



23 per cent (if the crow's yearh" diet, and the larger part 

 of them are noxious. The remanider of the crow's food 

 consists of w ild fruit, seeds, and \'arious animal substances 

 which ma\- on the whole be considered neutral. 



The slaughter of birds for milliner}- purposes has become 

 so fearful and apparent in recent years that a strong move- 

 ment for their protection has been inaugurated. Rapa- 

 cious egg-collecting, legislation against birds wrongly 

 thought to be harmful to grains and fruit, and the selfish 

 ^\■holesale killing of birds b}' professional and amateur 

 hunters, help in the work of destruction. Apart from the 

 brutality of such slaughter, and the extermination of the 

 most beautiful and enjoyable of our animal companions, 

 this destruction works strongh' against our material in- 

 terests. Birds are the natural enemies of insect pests, and 

 the destro\'ing of the birds means the rapid increase and 

 spread, and the enhanced destructive power of the pests. 

 It is asserted b)' investigators that during the past fifteen 

 years the number of our common song-birds has been 

 reduced to one-fourth. At the present rate, says one 

 author, extermination of man_\' species will occur during 

 the li\'es of most of us. Already the passenger-pigeon 

 and Carolina paroquet, only a few years ago abundant, 

 are practicall}' exterminated. Protect the birds! 



