SUNG BIRDS OF ORCUHARD AND WOUDLAND. 105 
CHAPTER V. 
SONG BIRDS OF ORCHARD AND WOODLAND. 
The common birds that live and feed in woodland or 
orchard are usually of the greatest service there. Those few 
that nest in orchard or woodland, but seek most of their food 
elsewhere, while occasionally of much service in protecting the 
trees, are ordinarily of more value in the field or garden, and 
will be considered later among the birds of those localities. 
Those common species that may be found in Massachusetts 
throughout the year, and therefore are known as residents, 
are most useful to man; but those that remain here only in 
summer or winter have considerable economic value. Such 
familiar birds will be briefly described and also figured in 
this chapter and those following. Those species that merely 
pass through the State in migration will receive but brief 
mention, or none, except such as are known to be conspicu- 
ously useful while here. The Shrikes, Hawks, Owls, Crows, 
and Jays will be treated separately among the enemies of birds. 
WOODLAND THRUSHES. 
The Thrush family is considered the highest group among 
birds, and is ranked accordingly, although the Crows, Jays, 
and Titmice exhibit in certain ways a higher degree of 
intelligence. 
The Thrushes of the genus Hylocichla are mainly wood- 
land birds, although some members of the family are com- 
monly seen feeding in gardens and fields. 
Professor Forbes’s studies of the food of the American 
genera of this family in Ilinois (including also the Catbird 
and Brown Thrasher) show that sixty-one per cent. of their 
food consists of insects, one per cent. of myriapods (com- 
monly called thousand legs), and thirty-two per cent. of 
fruit. Thirty parts of the food consist of injurious insects, 
and only seven of beneficial species. His examinations were 
