Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-06-13
From tie Ne,ocrk Daily Advertiser.
APLEA FOR BIRDS

AS the season is at hand when the birds
begin their labors in our fields and gardens,
II becomes their friends to interpose for
their protection from the wan.on persecu-
ton which pursues them as regularly as
they make their appearance. No fact in
natural history is more certain than their
really useful services-though we are not
prepared TO admit this to he their only or
their highest claim to our regard. 1t has
been ascertained by various and careful
experiments that they protect our choicest
fruits from the ravages Of the insect tribes.
That they are sometimes misc hievous in
the autumn is not denied, but the little harm
they do in the fulIness of the year IS more
than compensated by the destructive havoc
they make amongst the insects and vermin
of the spring.
The quantity Of grabs destroyed by
crows, and of caterpiiars and grubs by
The various small birds, IS immense. Other
tribes of birds, which feed on the wing, as
swallows, martins, &c, destroy millions Of
winged insects, which would otherwise in
fest the air, and become insuppottably
troublesome. Even the titmouse and bull
finch, usually supposed TO be SO mischiev-
ols in gardens, have actually been proved
o lIy to destroy buds which contain a des-
tructiye insect. Oraithologists have Of late
determined these facts.
An English paper tells us that some Of
the large farmers IN Devonshire, under a
strong prejudice, determined a few sum-
m 'rs ago to try the result of offering great
reward for the the heads of crows; but the
issue proved destructive to the farms, for
3arly the whole Of the crops failed for
three successive years, and they have
since been forced to import birds to re-
stock their farms. We add a few other
flcts collected from experience:
Every Grow requires at least one
pound of food u week, and nineteenth OF
their food consist of worms and insects;one
hundred Crows then in one season destroy
four thousand seven hundred and eighty
pounds Of worms, insects and Larvae; from
This fact some slight idea may be formed
of the benefit Of this much prosecuted bird
10 the farmer" -Mugazine Of Natural
History
THE BIackbird destroys great number
Of Gru6s, 8c.-''Last August, observed
eight or ten Blackbirds busily engaged in
the grass plain IN front Of my house, and
the grass where they were, seemed dying,
rs was limited from their miscellaneous Oper-
atIon-and the gun was suggested as the
remedy. Suspecllng the object of the
birds search, turned up piece Of turf
with the spade and found it lite rally swarm
lug with grubs Of various sizes. | reed
not say that they were allowed to pursue
their game undsturDed, and that they were
allowed to pursue their game undisturbed,
and that the grass plat soon regained its
vcrdurc. This S another instance of the
utility Of preserving birds on farms, land in
orchards and gardens. I'D.
At ;he season to repay the garden
or for the tthe Of his crop, their natural
due, they fail not to assist in Kidding his
trees of more deadly enemies which lnfest
them, and the small caterpiIars, beetles an
various insects now constitute their oalV
food and for hours at time they may be
seen feeding on the all despoding canker
worm which intests our apple trees and
cIms." -NattaPs OrnHhology.
The Bobl!ncoIn is perhaps next to the
Cedar bird or Canada Robin, the greatest
destroyer of the canker worm. Building
her nest and rearing her young under the
apple trees, as this bird often does, she re-
qujres an immense number of worms for
their subsistence just at the time they are
the most destructive.
Il have observed one Of these birds"
says a neighbor, "go round the limb of an
apple tree IN spiral direction, land destroy
in this way every worm on the tree, III an
incredibly short titne.-No man can cal
cuIatc the value Of birds on farm.
have no doubt but that they save me equal
10 the labor Of one man for the season, be-
sides preserving my trees from destruct-
ion."
Birds, then, not excepting the hawks
and owls, are vastly more useful than 10
jnrious to man.-Nonc Of them shouId,un
der any prctence, be destroyed.