MARTIN AND HIS BIRD FRIENDS 51 



keeping the faith, and the great necessity that each 

 bird family should perform its work well. 



"Now the birds were separated into various divi- 

 sions. There were those who were to feed in the air 

 on flying insects, and others who were to feed on 

 the ground on worms and insects; others to feed in 

 the trees on tree insects; others to feed at night in 

 the air; others to feed at night on the ground; others 

 to feed on the water, and still another division, whose 

 food was to be the seeds of weeds. Each bird was 

 created in a manner that was peculiarly adapted to 

 his division and to the kind of duty he was to per- 

 form. He was also endowed with very rapid res- 

 piration and high temperature, so that the amount 

 of food needed in proportion to his size is far in ex- 

 cess of that required by any animals. This enables 

 him to destroy great quantities of insects, and thus 

 to be a great benefactor to mankind. 



"The birds that were to feed on flying insects were 

 especially constructed for that kind of work, as were, 

 indeed, the birds of every division for their respec- 

 tive tasks. These birds, which have small bodies, 

 with great wing-spread, are the martins, swallows, 

 kingbirds, and others of this kind, and mosquitoes, 

 flies, moths, robber flies, and flying beetles were ap- 

 pointed for their food. The birds that feed on the 



