330 
Wild Birds in Relation to Agriculture. 
gives useful suggestions for further ainplihcation. (This is taken from 
my Annual lieport for 1870.) 
“ Amongst various species of birds serviceable generally on forest trees, 
apple trees, and fruit bushes, Mr. Norgate mentions the titmice, including 
the blue, cole, mar.sh, long-tailed, and great tit (and of these the blue tit 
may be especially observed at work amongst Aphides on gooseberry bushes) ; 
also the warblers, woodpeckers, nuthatch, and tree-creepers. The lesser 
spotted woodpecker is noted as especially frequenting the apple ; the gold- 
crested regulus frequents the Scotch pine, spruce, and other Conifcrcc ; the 
bearded tit, yellow wagtail, titlark, wren, cuckoo, and water rail, are 
mentioned as serviceable in osier beds and reeds, and in marsh hay. 
Amongst gooseberry, currant, and raspberry bushes the titmice and 
warblers, the wren, and the cuckoo are noticed as of especial use. Amongst 
cabbage and turnip crops the partridge, spotted fly-catcher, swifts, swallows, 
and martins are serviceable. ... On grass — besides the warblers, swallow, 
swifts, martins, and partridges before mentioned — the wagtails, pipits, and 
starlings were all of service.” 
This just refers to a portion of what is included in my own special 
department, but our need of information runs far wider ; we want trust- 
worthilij, and plainly, given details of the extent to which birds (specified) 
injure our common held or fruit crops under common circumstances ; also 
the extent to which they may bo reckoned on as friends or foes to other 
kinds of birds, or Mammalia, or Iteptilia, useful or hurtful to us. And also 
we need an authentic account of the domestic habits (so to say) of each kind 
described, such as its time of nesting, how many broods in the year, de- 
scription of the position and appearance of the nest and of the eggs, and of 
the birds both male and female. 
So liir as obtaining information goe.s, I do not think there would be 
much ditiiculty — bird lore from the rude but extremely well-informed obser- 
vation of the village urchins, who harry .all the nests they can get at, up 
to the grave sesquipedalia verba notes of the *■ scientific ornithologist,” are 
easily procurable — but the ditiiculty appears to me to lie in the working. 
I am very far indeed from thinking that all the County Council Lecturers 
are advancing the subject most under my own notice, namely, that of Agri- 
cultural Entomology ; in fact, 1 ant aware of ca.ses where the matter has been 
brought into contempt by the inca]>acity of the lecturer, and I greatly fear 
that if we added soi-disant teachers on bird life we should be deeper yet in 
the mire. 
The connections of the subject need long experience to set usefully for- 
ward, and I think have to be considered often in their local sociiil bearing. 
AVith regard to rooks, for instance, half the farmers in a parish will declare 
one way, lialf the other, about their injuriousness. My own view is that this 
depends very much on weather, state of land, and crop. AVith birds of prey, 
there is difficulty in working tlie matter evenly — for the rules (or laws even) 
suitable for regulation of wide areas of 0 ])eu field, moor, or forest, woidd 
come very differently on orchard growers. 
In the much-vexed question of the sparrow, it is no matter what it eats 
in a town, but in the country I am personally aware of the fe.arful loss caused. 
This is not only by its raids on the corn fields, but by driving away the 
swallows and martins, which are amongst the first class of our insect pro- 
tectors. 
Should fhe matter be brought forward, I have a large aniocnt of evidence 
in my hands as to the absolute curse that this bird is (in its fostered condi- 
tion) to IJritish agriculture, and whilst 1 would ear.iestly p’ead for preser- 
vation of evenj other of <ur birds, I would give every help in my power by 
encouragement with my pen, and (if my much tri;d finances allowed) by 
