Destnictive Insects and Utility of Birds. 
243 
them, with a view to showing how great is their Iinportance to all 
brandies of agriculture. Without these creatures, agriculture and 
vegetation would be impossibilities : they perform a work which 
millions of human hands could not do half so completely. 
We have yet to treat of an order of birds, numbering several 
families, which appear in great numbers and play an important 
part in the economy of nature, — we mean the crow ( Corvus). It is 
difficult to judge them all in one body, for the different species vary 
in their mode of life. The jay belongs to this class, which destroys 
quantities of insects, but damages the seeds of lorest-trees, and 
attacks nests of small birds, devouring their eggs and young ; it is 
remarkable also for its destruction of venomous vipers. The jay 
is hurtful to many crops ; it has been seen to tear off a wheat-ear 
whilst in full flight and swallow it whole. The same may be 
said of the carrion crow {Corvus corvus\ which at the laying 
period, behaves like a real bird of prey, and carries off quails, 
young ducks, partridges, and even leverets. The great raven 
{Corvus corax), still more closely imitates the birds of prey, and 
equally carries off young hares and rabbits, but it has one great 
redeeming point in its character, that of making away with dead 
and putrid carcasses. Magpies decidedly do more harm than 
good ; voracious and cunning, they do not rest satisfied with 
young birds merely, but hunt perpetually those of all ages ; the 
magpie therefore may be shot without compunction. The most 
innocent and useful members of the above order are the jackdaw 
(Corvus vionedula) and the rock crow (Corvus frurjilegus), which 
feed a good deal on cockchafers, snails, earthworms, mole-crickets, 
and mice ; therefore the two last species may be encouraged, 
whilst the rest ought to be kept in check if inclined to multiply 
rather too rapidly. Those few birds which live exclusively on 
vegetable products appear at first sight to be hostile to mankind, 
and to harm the cultivator. This apprehension is more imaginary 
than real ; man is too much inclined to forget the great indirect 
profit he derives from the Granivora, and only to look upon the 
damage they cause at certain periods. Do they not destroy 
quantities of the seed of all sorts of weeds? And how can the 
agriculturist (as happens in most countries) look upon the wood- 
pigeon as a real plague ? Let him but take time to observe how 
those birds consume the seeds of the nigella, the wild poppy, and 
several noxious varieties of the euphorbium, which no domestic 
animal can eat, as noticed by Glauser. For the above reason 
pigeons are now strictly preserved in Belgium. The crossbill 
(Crucirostrd), and the liskin (Fringilla spinus), eat, it is true, many 
seeds of trees, but they also consume great quantities of burdock 
seeds ; others again of the Granivora, the twite (FrinfjiUa linasia), 
the brambling (Fringilla montif ringilla), &c., eat abundantly of 
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