WILD BIRDS IN AGRICULTURE. 
167 
‘ Amongst various species of birds serviceable generally on forest trees, 
■apple trees, and fruit bushes, Mr. Norgate mentions the titmice, including the 
blue, cole, marsh, 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, wood-peckers, nuthatch, and tree-creepers. The lesser spotted wood- 
pecker is noted as especially frequenting the apple ; the gold-crested regulus fre- 
quents the Scotch pine, spruce, and other Coniferec ; 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 — be- 
sides 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 fat wider ; we want trustworlhily, and plainly, 
given details of the extent to which birds (specified) injure our common field 
or fruit crops under common circumstances ; also the extent to which they 
may be reckoned on as friends or foes to other kinds of birds, or Mammalia, or 
Reptilia, 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, description of the position and appearance of the nest 
and of the eggs, and of the birds both male and female. 
.So far as obtaining information goes, I do not think there would be much diffi- 
culty — bird lore from the rude but extremely well-informed observation of the 
village urchins, who harry all the nests they can get at, up to the grave sesquipe- 
dalia verba notes of the “ scientific ornithologist,” are easily procurable — but the 
difficulty appears to me to lie in the working. 
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 fearful 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 protectors. Should the 
matter be brought forward, I have a large amount of evidence in my hands as to 
the absolute curse that this bird is (in its fostered condition) to British agriculture, 
and whilst I would earnestly plead for preservation of every other of our birds, I 
would give every help in my power by encouragement with my pen, and (if my 
much tried finances allowed) by subscriptions to every sparrow club in the country 
limited to destruction of this one bird. Passer domestiais. 
But reverting to the special matter, it seems to me that what we need most of 
.all is a plain, sound, reference book, a “Manual of Agricultural Ornithology” 
well illustrated, with information such as I have already suggested. If we could 
have this formed there would be a solid basis of beginning, and there are many 
who would be competent to compile it. 
Such a text-book of Agricultural Ornithology, well-illustrated 
and plainly written, exactly meets Earl Cathcart’s views, and 
we are glad to know that the matter has already been spoken 
.about in the right quarters. 
As an illustration of the interesting manner in which the 
Earl summarises the Report of the Committee referred to, we 
mite the following passages dealing with the birds of prey : — 
All the owls are much valued by naturalists ; r.ats and mice are their principal 
ifood. When I was a young man I remember at Thornton-le-Street plenty of 
white owls, such beauties, but every man’s hand— or rather trigger-finger — was 
.against them. Our ancestors, wiser than we are, always made in their great 
barns ingress for owls — an owl hole — with often a stone perch. Passing over the 
effect the destruction of birds of prey has had in causing grouse disease, and on 
the moorlands the serious increase of vipers, we come to the kestrel, the sparrow- 
hawk, and the merlin, which all have their special uses ; unfortunately the kestrel 
is becoming more and more scarce. Canon Tristram told the Committee, “ I 
