6 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Feb. 



farmers " may probably laugh at such an idea as ridiculous, and 

 point to their own success as a refutation of the theory. If, 

 however, the many mistakes committed by them, even in the 

 matter of treatment and training of animals, and the losses aris- 

 ing from these mistakes, could be accurately tabled, even they 

 might be inclined to alter their opinion. But there are many 

 other points in which profit, pecuniary profit, may be derived by 

 the agriculturist from a sound knowledge of zoology. For in- 

 stance, a knowledge of the structure and habits of fish will show 

 us how to protect them from being taken by improper means and 

 at wrong seasons ; and also how to stock our rivers and lakes 

 with species adapted to them, with as much profit and advantage 

 as we now stock our farms with cattle. 



The study of birds and reptiles has even already corrected 

 many erroneous ideas, formerly very prevalent among practical 

 farmers. We now recognize several of these as friends instead of 

 foes to our gardens, orchards, and cornfields. By his services in 

 destroying more insidious, and therefore more injurious plunder- 

 ers, the crow makes a rich and grateful return for the few grains 

 of wheat with which he regales himself at our expense. It is 

 only, in fact, by gaining a thorough knowledge of bird and beast, 

 insect and " creeping thing," that we can learn which are useful 

 and which injurious, and how we shall encourage and protect the 

 one, and drive away or destroy the other. Even the money value 

 dependent upon such knowledge as this would amount to an 

 enormous sum a year, in this our State of Massachusetts alone 1 

 How vast must be its amount in the wide area of these United 

 States ! 



Entomology, or the study of insects, is a branch of zoology 

 which has probably been regarded by " practical men " with more 

 disregard, and even contempt, than any other, and yet how un- 

 wise and unjust must such a feeling appear, even in a commercial 

 point of view, if we reflect either upon the productive energy and 

 power of some, or the destructive energy and power of other 

 numerous classes of insects. Many millions of dollars are repre- 



