Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-01-05
E.V.EURIOUS ESEF:DS.

II must be admitted, think, by most
observers that there arc injurious birds.
And yet among thesc there are some, IL not
all that have vaient defenders The number
ofspccics that may he set down as inuri-
ons is not very large, but some of them
arc very numerous In individuals, and "a
they assemble in large flocks they may do
considerable damage. There are common
in Vermont four different species of black
birds. Some of these do very little dam
age to the crops, aud do much good by
destroying insects. So much evil do they
prevent that in some eases where they
have been placed under the ban and indls-
criminately slaughtered, there have follow
ed extensive and destructive deprcdations
from grubs and worms. But the most
common of all the Blackbirds is that call
ed Crow Blackbrd. These birds descend
upon the cornfclds in large flocks, pulling
up and swallowing the grain with great
gusto, and again when it is in the milk
they tear open the husks and prevent ma
ny an car from ever coming 10 maturity.
And yet with all their faults they destroy
great many insects.
As to the Crow there is considerable dis
cusSion. DR.. Brewer contends in an arti-
Gle in the Atlantic Monthly. that the Crow
is on the whole useful bird, but other
naturalists doubt the correctness Of this
conclusion and ii seems reasonable To bO-
lieve that the Grow does far more harm
than good. In the winter and early spring
Crows live almost wholly upon insects,
.,f., gt,n,.
beneficial. In May or early June they
busy themselves in pulling up corn, some
times making it necessary to replant large
tracts. Certainly they are none other than
thieves during this time. About this same
time too they are watching the smaller
birds in their domestic operations, and
when the eggs are laid and the young hatch
ed they make a meal from them. If what
has been said in regard to these smaller
birds be true, it is easy to see that in de-
stroying their eggs and young the crow is
preventing the destruction of myriads of
insects and so is most harmful bird as
long as he continues in this predatory
work. Mr.. Samuels thinks that crow
takes about eight ounces of food daily. and
SO he is able Of course to eat no small num-
Der of birds and eggs during the season.
Mr.. Samuels calculation gives, as the re-
suit of one days work for crow, the de-
slruction of birds that could fairly be pre-
sumed to have destroyed during the season
nearly 100000 insects had they lived. AZ
ter the corn has grown too large and the
birds have flown from the nest the crow be-
takes himself again TO the search for insects
and becomes a useful. member of society.
But, as his evil deeds are far greater than
his good ones, we must set him down rs an
outlaw. An ingenious mode of catching
these birds is given by Wilson. A live
crow is securely fastened 10 the ground
with his feet upward. In this condition
his cries are loud and frequent AS soon
as other crows fly down about him he
grasps them hoping to relieve himself of
the letters that hold him to the ground,
and in this way the prisoner may be taken
and the trap is all set for another.
The Blue Jay is guilty of similar INSIDE
meanors, for this bird delights TO rob the
nests of the Thrushcs and Warbcrs ofboth
eggs and young. 1t also devours insects,
beech nuts and other seeds and fruit.
f-IcdllN us l-ulltN III IbDuluH inc ucSlS Ol
insect eating birds is the Canada Jay.
This bird is not common except in the
northern part Of The state. Mr.. Samuels
says that he has known a pair Of these
birds 10 carry oil the young of four nests
of the snow birds in one forenoon.
Besides these three groups, the crows,
the blackbirds and the jays, there are 4
few other birds that are to some extent in
iurons, and in saying this I Of course do
not III aln that no others are ever guilty of
dana ing fruit or crops, but that in these
the injury done is not compensated by any
equivalent benefit rs il is in the case of the
others. The purple Finch, though fine
looking bird, is disliked on account of his
habit of feeding on buds and blossoms of
fruit trees. The great northern shrike or
butcher bird is indirectly injurious, at least
sometimes, as il destroys the smaller birds
and so prevents the benefits they might
have brought to the farmer. But at most
the really injurious birds of this order are
very few in number Of species, and except
the crow and blackbirds ar few in indivd-
uals.-Vt. Farmer.