“The special order was taken up, and the Secretary read the letter 
and text of the bill irorn Prof. Thomas respecting the destruction ot 
k*The Secretary was requested to draw up a resolution indorsing 
Prof. Thomas’ plan, which he did as follows : 
presented into a law. 
The resolution was then unanimously adopted, and the Secretary 
instructed to send a copy of the bill and resolution to such mem ers 
of the General Assembly as he deemed proper. , 
This was presented to various members of the Legislature 
brought before that body, but because of the opinion that it fell under 
that clause of the constitution prohibiting local legislation, it failed 
to become a law. How a law which is general and as applicable 1 
one portion of the State as another, can be considered local 1 must 
confess I fail to see ; that it might only operate m one or two sections 
is true, but it does not follow that it is a local law on this account. 
I very much regret its failure, because by a law of this kind the 
important and much discussed question: “ The Value of Birds as 
Insect Destroyers,” might be tested practically on a scale sufficient to 
determine the point satisfactorily to every one. I trust some lay 
the kind may yet be passed that we may _ be _ enabled by actual test 
to determine the real value of birds as aids in keeping m check m- 
As bearing upon the question of the value of birds as insect de¬ 
stroyers, I present here a summary of investigations made by Piol. 
Samuel Augliey, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and furnished the U. S. Ento¬ 
mological Commission. These investigations were commenced m 
1865 and continued up to 1877, and relate to the food of birds and par¬ 
ticularly to their locust-eating habits. Usually the stomachs of not 
less than four specimens of each species were examined and m some 
instances of twenty or more. No attempt was made to distinguis 
between the injurious and beneficial insects, except to determine the 
number of locusts (grasshoppers). The list gives first the common 
name of the bird, then the scientific name, the number of specimens 
of the species examined, the average number of locusts, and the ave¬ 
rage number of other insects found in the stomach . 
Robin —Turdus migratorius. . 1A 
No. specimens, 6. Average No. Locusts, 46. Other insects. 14. 
Wood Thrush— Turdus mustelinus. 
No. specimens, 3. Locusts, 23. Other insects, 4. 
Hermit Thrush— Turdus Pallnsii. . 
No. specimens, 1. Locusts, 19. Other insects, lb. 
Olive-backed Thrush— Turdus Swainsonii. 
No. specimens, 2. Locusts, 27. Other insects, 8. 
Wilson’s Thrush— Turdus fuscescens. 
No. specimens, 2. Locusts, 37. Other insects, 2. . 
Cat Bird— Mimus Carolinensis. 
No. specimens, 5. Locusts, 32. Other insects, 4. 
Eastern Blue-Bird— Silia sialis. . 
No. specimens, 3. Locusts, 22. Other insects, • . 
