May in Prospect. 195 
ter is past; and although teeming nature already begins to glad- 
den the husbandman's heart with the favorable prospect of abun- 
dant crops at the appointed time of harvest, the sweltering heat 
of summer does not yet oppress him, for the genial breezes of 
the south are yet cooled and moistened with the showers of spring, 
and scented with the sweet fragrance of myriads of opening 
flowers. 
How frequently has " Oh, give me but a country life!" been 
siglied and responded to by those whose pursuits and occupations 
compel them to continue to inhale the impure air of our crowded 
and pent up cities, but never more ardently than during the month 
of May. There is one class of society, however, that barter the 
delights of the early summer to a capricious and tyrannical 
fashion. For them, the daisy -spangled lawn, the flowering mea- 
dow, with its violets and lilies, that give to every passing breeze 
an aromatic fragrance, seem to possess no charms; neither are 
their hearts gladdened with the morning song of the thrush, the 
merry notes of the bobolincon, or soothed with the pensive notes 
of the robbin perched upon the tree top, at the decline of day. 
This being the season for sowing and planting, a few words 
may be said regarding the injuries farmers are supposed by some 
to suffer, from the depredations of birds, particularly crows. 
This matter has been the subject of controversy from time imme- 
morial, although most of the older writers are decidedly in favor 
of destroying crows. 
But with the exception of crows and black birds, none of the 
birds can be fairly accused of committing depredations on the 
recently sown seed ; and even they infinitely prefer the grub or 
wire-worm to a few grains of oats, barley or corn. Where farm- 
ers have antipathies towards any of them, they arise rather from 
the general character these birds bear, than from the actual de- 
predations they are known to commit. If it were not for birds, 
and even some of those which are proscribed by vulgar preju- 
dice, the fruits of the earth would be almost wholly destroyed. 
No doubt some species of the feathered tribes may become too 
numerous, if protected; but it is only during seed time and har- 
