1 
/ 
or, to put it in another way, the carelessness of the 
people in the United States in this respect costs them 
at least fifty million dollars yearly, besides much un¬ 
happiness and suffering. 
White-winged Crossbill. Curvirostra leucoptera. 
TABULAR VIEW OF FOOD OF BIRDS. 
TV c must conclude, then, after careful examination 
of the habits of birds and insects, that birds are of 
the greatest service to man ; and that they should be 
protected and encouraged in every possible way. 
Nevertheless, it is undeniable that, this rule has some 
exceptions; that there are some birds which are far 
from beneficial, being, on the contrary, very injurious, 
not only to the interest of man, but also to the well- 
disposed members of their own race. In short, there 
are robbers and cut-throats among birds as well as 
amongst men ; and it is just as sensible to pronounce 
the human race good for nothing because of the de¬ 
pravity of a portion of its members as to say that 
birds are useless because a few species are inclined 
to wrong-doing. The following table will give an 
idea of the food of the more common birds of Massa¬ 
chusetts, and will serve as a ready means of distin¬ 
guishing the injurious from the beneficial species : — 
Family. Order — Rapt ores (Robbers). 
Falc.onidce, Hawks.Subsist on smnll birds and ani¬ 
mals, and poultry. 
Strigulce, Owls.Mice, rep iles. insects, and a 
few small birds. 
Order — Scansorcs (Climbers). 
Cuculidce, Cuckoos.Caterpillars and other troc-in- 
sects, and a lew > ggs of oiln r 
birds. 
Picidce, Woodpeckers.Insects (a very beneficial family). 
Order —Insessores (Perchers). 
Trocilidce , TIu mming-birds.In sects. 
CypseluUc , Swifts.All kinds of winged insects. 
Cliprimulgiitce , Whippoorwills 
and Night-hawks.Night-fly ! ng Lepidoptcra (very 
beneficial). 
Alcedinidce, Kingfishers.Fish. 
Coloptericlce, Flycatchers.Flies and other winged insects. 
Turdidie, Thrushes.Inst cts and a few small fruits 
and berries. 
Snxicolidce, Bluebirds.Tnsects. 
Sylviidce, Wood-inhabiters.Insects. 
Paridce ,Titmice and Nut-hatch- 
ers.Tnsects and their eggs. 
Certhiiadxe Creepers.Insects. 
Troglodytidce, Wrens.Insects. 
Sylvicolidce, Warblers.Insects anti the seeds of weeds 
and grasses. 
TTirundinidce, Swallows.All kinds of winged insects. 
liombycillidce , Chatterers.Various insects and cherries. 
Laniidc e, Vireos and Butcher¬ 
birds.Insects and small birds respec¬ 
tively. 
Fringillidce, Seed-eaters.Various seeds, fruits, and some 
insects. 
Icteridce , Starlings, Orioles and 
Blackbirds.Grains, and other seeds, various 
tree insects. 
Corvidae, Crows and Jays.Eggs anil young of sma'l birds, 
a lew insects, corn and other 
grain. 
Order — Rasores (Scratchers). 
Columbidae. Doves.Berries, nuts, and seeds. 
J’etraonidce, Grouse.Various seeds, insects, and ber¬ 
ries. 
Perdicidce , Partridges.Seeds, berries, and a few insects. 
Order — Grallatores (Waders). 
Ardeidce, ITerons.Fish, frogs, mice, and insects. 
Charudridce, Plovers.Aquatic insects. 
Seolopacidce, Snipes.Worms, larva of insects, and 
grasshoppers. 
Pnludiroke, Rails.Various insects and water- 
worms. ' 
Baltimore Oriole. Icterus Baltimore. 
Order — Natatores (Swim¬ 
mers). 
Anatidce, Ducks.Small shell-fish and other aqua¬ 
tic animals. 
Laridce, Gulls .Fish and various animals wash¬ 
ed up by the sea. 
CROWS AMD ROBIXS. 
We must say a word in regard to tho«e two birds 
which have occasioned so much debate among farmers 
and others, — the crow and the robin. At one time 
the agricultural papers were continually saying some¬ 
thing for or against these birds; and, although not so 
much is heard ou the subject now, yet. tin' question has 
not been settled to the satisfaction of all. From our 
own observation, we are compelled to believe that the 
crow is a very injurious bird, but the robin an 
equally beneficial one. The crow is acknowledged, 
even by his friends, to pull up a good deal of corn ; 
but it is urged that he destroys enough insects and 
grubs to compensate for this injury. Granting this, 
it leaves 1 im m utral, doing as much good as harm ; 
but this leaves unnoticed the fact that he destroys a 
great number of eggs and young of small birds 
which, if permitted to live, would have destroyed 
vastly more insects than the crow. The robin is 
