24 
HISTORY AM) WORK OF THE 
of Aoriculture o-ive the scientific analyses of the stomachs 
of thousands of birds they have taken for the purpose of 
such examination. The value of the common birds is set 
forth in various bulletins. The purpose of the study and the 
])nblications is to inform the public and especially the agri- 
culturists and fruit growers. These bulletins are sent with- 
out charge to those who make recpiest for them. The most 
useful ones to Audubonists beginning the study of the value 
of bird imotection are “Some Common Birds in Their Rela- 
tion to Agriculture," by F. E. L. Beal ; ‘‘Audubon Societies 
in Relation to the Farmer,” by Henry Oldys, and ‘‘Some 
Benefits the Farmer May Derive From Bird Protection,” by 
T. S. Palmer. There are man}- other bulletins in relation to 
special groups of birds. It is astonishing how' few birds are 
harmful. It is doubtful if any bird is more harmful than 
benehcial. Crows are condemned in the corn growing States 
because they uproot newly sprouting corn, and yet thev 
undoubtedly balance the damage in tlie destruction of harm- 
ful insects. 
The fact is that man's hght for existence evould be greatly 
augmented by the passing of bird life. Some reliable scien- 
tists have gone so far as to say that human beings would 
be driven from the earth by the horde of destroying insects 
if bird life were eliminated. There are those, however, who 
think that man could get the mastery over these insects. We 
can imagine what this fight would be when we consider that 
Massachusetts has been fighting one insect, the gypsy moth, 
for the past fifteen or twenty years, in order to save the 
trees of the State from destruction. During that time the 
State has spent millions of dollars and private individuals 
have probably s])ent hundreds of thousands. This is not all, 
for the i^eople have been kept in a constant worr}' over the 
plague. Idle United States has been called on to help, as 
the ]>est has spread into other States, and the United States 
officials say that the only remedy is to destroy every tree 
affected. 
You may ask why the birds do not keep these moths 
checked. Birds are like other animals, including human 
beings, in many resjiects. AT are all likely to prefer the food 
we are used to. d'he gy])sy moth is not native, but an im- 
