OUR HOME BIRDS. 
135 
more than one-half was thus ruined. Indeed, the 
farmers in the immediate vicinity of the rivers Dela- 
ware and Schuylkill generally allow one-fourth of 
this crop to the blackbirds, among whom our grakle 
comes in for his full share. During these depreda- 
tions the gun is making great havoc among their 
numbers ; which has no other effect on the survivors 
than to send them to another field or to another part 
of the same field.’ 
“ This does not present the crow blackbird in a 
very attractive light ; and it must be a pleasant sight 
to the farmer when, in the month of November, he 
sees this pest winging its way to the South. But 
there is little left to steal then ; and agriculture 
would probably be more benefited if the grakle could 
be persuaded to reverse the order of his visits, mak- 
ing them in winter instead of summer. 
“ Here an untiring friend of birds brings up the 
insect question again, and says : ‘ As some consola- 
tion, however, to the industrious cultivator, I can 
assure him that, were I placed in his situation, I 
should hesitate whether to consider these birds most 
as friends or enemies, as they are particularly de- 
structive to almost all the noxious worms, grubs, and 
caterpillars that infest his fields ; which, were they 
allowed to multiply unmolested, would soon con- 
sume nine-tenths of all the productions of his labor, 
