The Emu. 
But, alas for human expectations ! the birds come and take a 
share. The owner is wroth, and vows to destroy them at all costs. 
He sets nets, traps, poisons, and shoots them, declaring that 
they are interlopers and have no business in his garden. 
Let him pause a moment and consider : it is he and not the 
birds who is the interloper. It was their right to fly wheresoever 
they list before he or his forefathers inhabited the earth. 
He, by his action (direct or indirect) has caused the forests to 
be levelled, and thus partly deprived them of their chances of 
obtaining food. How can he, in all common-sense, expect birds 
to know that they have no right to touch certain food on trees 
enclosed by fences ? But have they no right? Are the fruits 
of the earth to be man's wholly and solely ? I think not, more 
especially as man, in many instances, takes away from birds the 
opportunities of sustaining themselves on their natural food as 
was given them from the first. 
During a visit to a certain district in this State a few years 
since, I inquired if there were any Magpies in the district, as I 
had not seen any. I was informed that they had all been shot, 
as the farmers considered they destroyed the grain by pulling 
it from the ground while in the milk. 
In connection with the foregoing, the following little incident, 
which happened in England may not be out of place : — 
A gentleman owning land in one of the counties was pass- 
ing in a train, in company with a friend, a large field of corn 
just springing from the ground, which he owned. On the field 
were large numbers of Rooks, all intent on some work. 
" Look at those Rooks," said his friend ; " they are pulling up 
every bit of corn. You won't have a bit left." 
Next day the owner, who was of an inquiring turn of mind, 
went and examined the field in question. Sure enough there 
were large quantities of corn on the ground. On examination 
it was found to have been attacked by grubs. To get at these 
grubs the much-abused Rooks had pulled up the diseased corn; 
not a single blade of healthy had been molested. 
Farmers and fruit-growers are apt to jump to conclusions too 
quickly with regard to which are injurious birds and which are 
not, without duly investigating the habits of the various ones. 
If those farmers who accuse the Magpies of pulling up and 
destroying their corn would take the trouble to examine a field 
after they have been foraging there, they would find that it is 
only the diseased corn that is pulled up, and that in search of 
the enemy at the roots. 
It has been stated that if all birds were destroyed from off 
the face of the earth, in five years it would not be habitable. 
A writer says : — " If the arrangements of nature were left 
undisturbed, the result would be a wholesome equilibrium of 
destruction. The birds would kill so many insects that the 
insects would not kill too many plants. One class is a match 
