Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-11-25

Mr.. Torvellot, living in Medford, Mass, has
been experimenting for several years upon
some ofthe American silk worms, espe cially
upon one species. For the proper treatment
of the worms and moths he has n large tract
of land enclosed and covered with netting
beneath which the worms feed Mr.. Torvcl-
lot states that the various birds of the region
destroyed about ninety-five per cent. of these
worms, and that the Robins and Cat birds
were far the most troublesome. As he felt
obliged in self defence to kill large numbers
of them he examined their stomachs and
in no case found fruit but always worms
alone. Yet this was all through the season.
and the grounds were surrounded with Scrub
Oaks and lluckleberry bushes, which were II
part of the time loaded with fruit that was of
course much easier to obtain than the worms.
To ascertain how rapidly the birds would
destroy the worms. this gentleman placed
two thousand of them on an oak in the very
height of the berry season, and in II very few
days they We're I'LL eaten by Robins and Cat
birds.
ANY one that will watch the Robin closely
can not fail of being struck by the diligence
and activity it displays in the capture of
worms. 1t seems to be IN established fact
that Robins must have animal food especially
when young. In reducing the number of
the cut worms and others like Them the rob-
in is especially efficient. These worms crawl
out of the ground during the night, and 60
back early in the morning before many birds
are stirring, but the Robin is II very early
riser and devotes his mornings to the special
work of exterminating these worms. which
if allowed to increase, lay waste great tracts
of country, destroying cabbages, turnips, po-
tatoes and many most useful vegetables. A
Mr.. Flagg whom Mr.. Samuels quotes as one
who has watched the habits of this bird for
long time and very carefully, states as his
belief that the Robin is almost exclusively an
insectivorous bird, and uses fruit only, rs he
expresses it, for desert. never as general
diet
This gentleman tried various kinds of food
for young Robins that he had taken. To
some, worms and soaked bread were given,
but all died; to others worms. bread and
cherries, but most of these also died. Then
he tried n variety of insect food. and the man.
ner in which the birds picked up the insects
from the bottom of the cage, breaking any
hard parts, and their general treatment Of
the food showed most plainly that the birds
knew instinctively how to take such diet, and
moreover the birds grew vigorous and strong
upon such food. Experiments like these
show conclusively that rs II rule, mt least
when young. the Robin must be fed with II
variety of insect food or die. 1t is not simply
matter of choice, but of necessity which
causes II pair of Robins with n nest full of
young to catch the cut worms cankcr worms
and the like.
feed needed by growing bird and then we
can Judge better as to the number of noxious
insects it is able to destroy. Recall, if you
please, what was said mt the outset in regard
TO the energy with which all the organs of n
bird act, and it will be more easy to under
stand what n large amount of food is needed
to supply the waste necessarily caused by
such activity of the circulatory, respiratory
and other functions. 1t seems needful for
the comfort of bird, that the stomach
should be full nearly all the time. This
matter can hardly be more clearly or accu-
rately presented than by an abstract of pa
per published II few years ago by Prof. Tread
we'll Of Cambridge, in the Proceedings of
the Boston Society of Natural History, (Vol.
6, p. 1861 Two quite young birds were
taken which were fed ut first three worms
daily. The number was increased the next
day, and on the third eight were given each
in the forenoon, and in course of the day one
died and on examination its stomach was
found to be empty. The other bird, still
strong, was given II larger allowance which
was increased to thirty-one worms on the
seventh day. From tins time the bird and
its food were weighed daily. 1t was found in
this way that not until the fourteenth days
when sXty-eight worms. or thirty-four dwts
were given the bird that it began to gain in
weight. At this time the bird weighed
Ill. q