2416 Birds. 



years ago, to prevent it falling down, he had it repaired, — every chink well pointed ; 

 and of course the colony was broken up, and the members dispersed : the next year 

 but one the field in which it stands was sown with turnips, and when the plants came 

 up, and escaped the ravages of the fly, they looked well, and grew as well as perhaps 

 any other turnips for five or six weeks, when, to the astonishment of Mr. Dawson, 

 the bailiff, every plant was entirely covered with grub: whether the caterpillars be- 

 longed only to one species or not I do not know, for at that time I did not go to see ; 

 but nine women were to be seen daily, for some time, gathering them off the plants 

 and destroying them. Before the following spring several places in the building 

 were re -opened, and the sparrows soon took possession of their old domiciles ; and 

 since that time there has been no more trouble or loss with caterpillars. I leave the 

 fact to speak for itself. And, again, we have the testimonials of other eminent natu- 

 ralists in favour of the sparrow, as well as those named in my last letter. The im- 

 mortal Bewick pleaded their cause,* and I think if Mr. B. would read that pathetic 

 and admirable defence he might yet be induced to stay his destructive plan. Also 

 we find in the Horticultural Register (vol. i. page 277) the sparrows defended, and 

 their cause well pleaded against a wholesale destroyer by poison. Many more might 

 be given ; but I shall just add a quotation from that beautiful and highly interesting 

 trophy of Natural History, ' The Letters of Rusticus,' who says, after his graphic 

 account of the nigger that infests the turnip-plant, " When we get on a little farther 

 with our inquiries into the history of animals, especially such little things as insects, 

 we shall be sure to find that the best way to check the increase of any kind, is to en- 

 courage any other animal, whether beast, bird, fish or insect, that makes the injurious 

 one its prey. Providence has foreseen that the earth might at any time be desolated, 

 or totally unpeopled, by the natural increase of many kinds of animals, and He has 

 provided against it. The tiger-moth caterpillar nearly every year is produced in 

 these islands in sufficient numbers to eat up every green leaf or blade of grass ; to 

 starve all our sheep, cows and horses ; to deprive us of both animal and vegetable 

 food. This caterpillar eats almost everything. Well, of all caterpillars this has the 

 most insect-enemies or parasites ; so many, indeed, that not more than one egg out 

 of fifty thousand produces a moth : thus its voracity and its productiveness are ren- 

 dered harmless." f 



Such are the wonderful scenes of production, destruction and reproduction, which 

 are constantly going on before our eyes : we do not pretend to fathom the purposes of 

 the Creator ; we only know that myriads of beings are produced, which are intended 

 for the food of other beings ; and in order to save our crops from the ravages of those 

 animals which are appointed by Nature to destroy them, it would seem to be our 

 wisest plan to give as much effect as may be in our power to the universal law. In- 

 stead of grudging the small birds a little food, our gardeners (and I would add our 

 agriculturists) should cheerfully accede it to them as allies in our task of destroying 

 those creatures which do more mischief in a day than the others in a season. 

 This is the proper — the only legitimate — ground on which to discuss the subject; 

 *we think that based only on the interest of man is too low ; we ought never to lose 

 sight of the wisdom manifested in the adaptation of each species in the wise and 



* Bewick's ' British Birds,' vol. i. page 154. 

 | ' Letters of Rusticus,' page 104. 



