Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-01-30

, Of the huit-grower 800 the curoulio that a
small portion Of the head of what was sup
posed to be a curculio was found amongst the
comminuted contents # the stomach Of one
Of these birds, and the microscope enabled
him to count the l47 lenses in one Of the
eyes--the exact number known to make the
eye uf this particular species Of the curculio
family.
Tie Do,cny Wooapecter.--This is the most
valuable Of all the birds Of our country. 1t
knows where to find, and is busy in searching
out, the apple worm--the second in impor-
lance Of the insect enemies, which, with the
cutculio, are the chief cause Of the ruin Of
the fruit business, especially in our State
The little chck-a.dee also feeds upon the
apple worm. but finds it accidentally, and
not by boring for it,, as the downy wood
peobor does.
The O,dar Bird.-Of the cedar bird, or
cherry bird, the DR.. spoke at length, wishing
to rescue it from its bad reputation as thief
Of cherries. 1t is gross feeder, and con-
sumes immense numbers Of canker worms,
and other injurious insects. This bird and
the yellow bird, or finch, resemble each other
in one respect, both remaining in flocks, till
mids ummer, and are thus on hand in great
numbers when their services are most requir-
I'd while most other birds are at home at
tending to their domestic duties. You find
the cedar birds in New York and Philadel-
phia in large focks in June, after the worms,
and If they could be properly protected by
closing the parks, so that they shOuld not be
frightened away by the people, they would
do much towards Kidding those cities Of these
pests. The yellow birds, in immense hocks,
are found in wheat fields where the midge is
so destructive. They are in pursuit Of the
lar,m Of these flies ia the heads Of the wheat,
while the grain is in its milk state and far
mors have supposed these birds are the cause
Of the trouble, cot knowing that they are
their best friends.
The lVaJicrs The family Of warblers in
cludc some 80 or 40 species. They are all
small, but are exclusively insecuvorous-
most Of them are very beautiful, and some
are charming songsters. Many are with US
all summer, but Others breed further north.
They sometimes remain with us few days,
both going and coming. In the spring they
feed on plant lice, as found IN orchards; IN
the fall they stop aud feed on the late brood
Of Palmer worms that so iulest our elm and
maple trees, thus becoming exceedingly fat.
Tho HhppcoIWW. Individual insects are
as wonderfully made as any Of the rest Of
creation. Moths fly only at night, yet, "Sol-
onion in all bis glory vas not arrayed like
one Of these" Ten thousand lenses to form
the eyes, one bundled thousand feathers to
complete the wings; yet the whippoorwill
will snap up dozens Of thcm in a single night
The whippoorwill is natural bird, and its
beak is 80 formed that it takes in moths as
net takes in fish The eyes Of flies enable
them to see all around them, and the muscu-
ar force of%heir wings is so quick that they
can dodge the rain drops in a shower yet the
swallow is so formed that 1t lives exclusively
upon insects taken on the wing.
Tie Beoks OF Brds.-The beaks Of all
species Of birds differ, but the btak Of each
is formed exactly for taking the insects It's in
stinct teaches it to choose as its food. Many
Of the binds live exclusively on insects-as
the watblers, blue birds and crcepers. Some,
again, that are classed as insecuvorous vii
occasionally take berries, cherries or grapes
--ss orioles, knocking birds, cat-bnds and
thrushes. Some seem omnvorous, and eat
almost everything, as robins ana cedar. birds,
and are gross feeders. Large classes, as the
bob-o links, blaokbrds, fnohes, and some OF
the sparrows, live on insects in summer and
seeds IN winter or mix them when they can
find both. Others again have still wider
range, as jays, crows and butcher birds.
The IchnGmon.-But the most important
agent in the regulation Of the insect world is
an order peculiar to insects. We have
nothing corresponding to it in the other de-
partments Of animated creation. They are
sometimes called parasites, but not correctly.
Parasites are everywhere, even vegetables
have them. The mistietoe is a parasite. But
these are not necessarily destructive to the
life of tho victim. The ichneumon is, al
lude to those peculiar tlies--wasps shaped and
with four wiogs-that deposit their eggs in
the bodies OF other insects-the young feed
ing upon the living flesh of these victims,
and upon which they grow to maturity. This
seems strange Providence, and hard to
comprehend still it is 80. Without
such agent, the llessian fly would nave
destroyed the wheat crops Of this country,
but with it The Hession fly was controlled in
single season, and his been kept in check
for ffty years Thousands Of other insects
that would soon be troublesome are kept in
check in the same way, and SO quietly that
we hardly know how.