The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-03-30
nosEes EeRIsPEs~aBEM 70 ras
MaaMEs-
n rHon.s HaEsEa

The mischief which birds do is often
/ Of daily occurrence, is open, pAlpahle,
and not to be gainsayed. And jet
these very birds are often really our
greatest benefactors Let us take up
I 6rst for our consideration the Robin
I Where viii you find, hervabouts, one
more complained of. more generally de-
nounced, than he? Il be not by com
mon consent pronounced by most Of
oar fruii-gTowers the pest u horiicult-
uristsY Doss be not steal our cher
mes. plunder our strawberrics, strip our
cnrrant bushes, pilfer our raspberries,
help himself TO our nhoieest grapes,
and il We have some rare Shepardia
berries. viii not the glutton take the
whole And does be not, some one
selse wall add, attack and spoh our
handsoncst pears La reply TO the
last charge We cannot respond aihrma-
lively. We do not believe Il, and II It
were true. we would say 10 whoever
made this charge: "My dear SIR, Il on
I ly serves you right. You should not
leave summer pears on the tree long
enough to become so soft as TO tempt a
bird to peck at them. Your fruit
should have been gathered when so
7 hard that no bird could molest it, and
thus you would have saved your pears
and improved their quality !" But we
are getting off our track, and viii re-
turn to the Robin.
With the exception Of tho pear-accu-
sation, which we believe to ba bosh, we
admit the truth Of all these charges, -
but What then What do they prove
Simply that the worst traits in the
character Of the Robin are those which,
unfortunately for his reputation, are
the most apparent aud which are
brought home to tho notice Of all who
have fruit to be pundered, while his
beneficial deeds escape the general OBJ
servation. The Robin is eminently one
OF those who delight in doing good by
stealth, but alas be is very rarely put
to the blush by finding it fame. The
world, as a genera thing, is but too
prompt to recognize the mischief he
does, but knows little or nothing of his
good deeds, Tar oyerbalancing his faults.
Fortunately for the reputation of the
Robin, careful and faithful friends have
looked into his record, and the result of
their Investigations proves him to be
an Invaluable friend to the farmer, and
demonstrate by indisrutable evidence,
that hls services are OF an indispensa-
BILE importance. Nearly eleven years
since, the very same gentleman who
this last summer signalized his imper-
fe';t knowledge Of birds by protesting
against the European Sparrow's com
ing to Boston, because it was not an in
seet-eater, at a meeting OF the Massa-
chusetts Horticultural Society intro
duced a motion in favor Of the present
alton Of petition to the State Legisla-
ture, in the name Of the Society, pray
ing for the repeal Of all legislation for
| the protection Of the Robin. After an
animated discussion, in which it was
shown that the Robin was not even
then without strong friends, the Socie-
ty, instead Of adopting the motion, We
ry wisely voted to look INTO the matter
before they thus committed themselves,
and referred the whole subject Of the
habits of the Robin TO select commit
tee was placed j. w. p jerks, Esq, of
Middleboro' an ardent aud jealous
friend Of the bird. He entered upon
his duties with an alacrity and an in-
terest, and completed them with a f.
deity and a thoroughness that reflect
upon him the highest credit. The leis-
ure hours Of an entire year were deyot-
ed by this gentleman to careful and
minute investigation Of the subject
committed to his charge. Day by day,
and at all hours Of the day, he procur-
ed specimens Of the birds for tie pur-
pose Of carefully examining the con-
tents VI their several stomachs, for evi-
dences Of the general character Of their
food. Robins were thus obtained By
him, both from the villages aud from
the more rural districts, apart from
gardens and orchards. Beginning with
the FIRST week IN March, 1868, these ex.
aminalious were continued, with more
or less frequency, until the same month
Of the succeeding year.
! Confning ourselves here to such por-
tons Of the results as may have di-
rect bearing upon the points We seek to
establish, We find that Professor jerks
has demonstrated, among other things,
that during the whole d March, April
aad May not particle Of vegetable
matter Of any kind whatever coni a be
found il the food Of tho robius In
secfs, in large quantities, varying great
/ ly as 10 the kiud. condition, aud devel-
opment, were, daring all these mouths
their sole and exclusive food TIE
IArrn q q species Of fl. known o nat