PREFACE. 



the grakles in favor as locust-killers, that physicians 

 were directed to proclaim that their flesh was un- 

 wholesome, to prevent the people from eating grakle- 

 pie, of which they were very fond. " But this extra- 

 ordinary care," says Carpenter, " was injurious. The 

 birds soon again cleared the island of locusts, and de- 

 stroyed the grubs which injure the coffee-plantations. 

 But when this supply failed them, they proceeded to 

 attack the corn-fields and orchards, and even killed 

 the young of pigeons and other domestic birds. In 

 order to restore the balance, a sort of Malthusian law 

 was enacted to prevent their numbers exceeding the 

 quantity of their legitimate food ; and when thus kept 

 in check, they continued to do good without any ad- 

 mixture of evil." 



Such facts as these indicate the wide benefits which 

 the science of agriculture may derive from accurate 

 observation of the habits and relations of animals. 

 The more minds there are brought to engage in such 

 observations, the more facts will be gathered into the 

 common stock of information. And as the accuracy 

 and extent of the observations depend on proper ed- 

 ucation in the observer, it is important that the ob- 

 serving powers be trained early; and we may say, 

 therefore, that the whole subject of the relation of 

 animal to vegetable life, so important to the farmer 

 find the gardener, will never be thoroughly understood 

 till the study of Nature be made prominent from the 

 very beginning of education. 



As animals furnish man, to a great extent, with food 

 and clothing, and a large variety of articles for use and 

 ornament, an increased observation would undoubt- 

 edly increase the amount of resources obtained from 



