Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-03-28
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INsGCTIVOnOUs BIRDS.

+. T - 81 IL
The following int resting passages are
from a paper Te6d by Mr.. Townsend
GiSwer. before the late meeting Of the
United States Agricultural Society,i and
published in the Washing ton National In!
leligencer: z>rasI, I = .a.,-sl ri q ,si.E. Il
Here, however. let me change the
subject, to put in a special plea for IN:
secIiYorOus, birds, which appear, to have,
been sent to keep the sbalance soErpower'
ia insect Lie. Which insects would other.
wiser hfaldp!y to saoh aidegrealas. to- be
perfGel!y undesirable, and render the ag-
riculiut;st's toll entirely useless: Al far :
mer keeps Il " 81 eh+dog to guard his prem
isess and. cats-kAl rats and mice in his
grah6r5 and barn yet aheasutfers any
unfessheged bipsGu toitear down his rails
in order to get q chance shot at a Robin,
wren OF blue bird. which may be unfor-
tuuaIe en6Egh to be on his premises, and
yet these very birds do him more good
than either. dog or cat, working diligently
from mort TO dark. and killing and de-
slToyiug inseots injurious TO his crops,
which, if not thus thinned out, would
eventually multiply to such an extent as
o-leavo him scarce y any crop whatso>
ever.
Birdsare accused of eating cherries and
ether fruits. True, but the poor birds
merely lake q tythe ofthe fruit to pay for
The tree, when but for unceasing efforts
wuald Otherwise probably have been kilt
Gin its infancy. 10 exemplify the util'
i.y Of birds, WiIl give one or two instan.
cea chat have occurred under my own
observation. Some years ago took a
fancy to Keep bees accordingly, hives
were procured and books read upon the
subject. One day king bird or bee.
m.u'tin. was observed to be very busy
about the hives5 apparently swapping uE
every struggling bee he could find. In
diHnAnt at such breach of hospitality,
as his rest was on my premises, hasle>
nrc 20 ths house 10 procure gun to shoot
iit.s 'nnrAuder. When l returned, l per-
ceised srayish bird on the bu>hy top
ota tree. and thinking it was the robber,
fired, aid down dropped a poor inno>
cent lalle Phmbe-bird.
Hoping 10 find some consolation to my
cn>cIcncc for having committed this most
i"u! murder, l inwardly accused the poor
htiie i'hte5c OF having also killed the
bees, ard having determined to ascertain
opened, wien, much to my regret and
establishment it was found to be full Of
the stripped cucumber bugs and not one
single bee. Here l had killed the very
Ul-d that had been working for me the
whole season, and perfectly innocent oil
the crime for which it was sacrificed
After this circumstance l determined
never TO let a gun be fired on the premi-
SEES, excepting on Specia! occasions !; and
AT PRESENT the place is perfectly crowded
during spring, summer and autumn, with
the teathered songsters, which build their
nests even in my very porch. and bring
up their young perfectly fearless OF man
kind aud although cherries, strawber-
lies. Nc, do suffer, yet the insects are
not a quarter as numerous as they were
formerly.
in the Southern States have seen the
bee~martir chase and capture boll-worm
moth not ten PAGES from where l stood
and the mocking bird feeding its nearly
grown young on the same insect. Even
the ugly toad works for the farmer and
gardener, as his food consists of insects
more or less injurious. The beautiful
and lively green and gray lizards Of the
Southern Etatvs, which are seen running
un tho feDcc-rail, or amidst the green 70,
liage of trees, shrubs and bushes, auC
from which they can scarcely be dstin,
gulshed except when in motion, are eve1
on The watch for insect prey and know
OF one curious case in which even the
mice III green house were of service. fo
Iacy had rooted up the earth round sc
Ne'nI Potted peach trees, in order to de
vour the chry-aiis of the peach>tree Dor
e."