Year: 1871

Il very large number are of special interest
to the agriculturist. In entering upon this
part of our subject we are treading upon
ground, every inch of which has been hotly
contested and even now the discussion i'm re-
gard to some species has by no means ceas-
ed.


Although there is n pretty general agree
ment among naturalists in regard to most of
our birds. those who have not made IL special
study of their habits and structure are bv no
means so nearly unanimous i'm their opnion.
Because the ground to be passed over is con-
tested, all theoretical views and all that is
simply probable will be omitted and only
what is believed to he fact well established
and capable of proof will be presented For
this reason Il careful consideration of what
may be offered is desired.


OF course in so limited u space as is now
ut my command, L can speak of only a few
of the most important species, and must
leave unmentioned many others, of less inter-
est perhaps, but yet not wholly unworthy of
regard. such sa the Hummng Bird, Vireos
Warblers, Finches, &c. The Whippoorwills
and Night Hawks, are harmless, and very
beneficial rs they destroy, in common with
the Owls. many of the nocturnal insects.
The little Wrens are of considerable service
in devouring the eggs and small Larvae of
insects, many of which are too minute
to be seen by man andyet they may developc
intp formidable enemies. Still more useful
in hie same say is the common Titmtuse.
IL bird regarded by many as very troublesome.
and with some show of reason, for he may
he seen not rarely tearing the buds from
plants and after pulling them to pieces throw
ing them away. This certainly looks very
much like mischief, but ifany one will take
the trouble to examine these castaway buds.
every one will be found with the marks of
worm within it, and this is the object
which the bird seeks, and so, while apparent
~ doing harm, it is really preventing n mnrb
greater evil. Not only in this way does the
Titmouse prove serviceable, but in MANY
others.


The Chickadee or Black-capped Titmouse
is one of our winter birds, and after the
leaves have dropped from the trees and
bushes he may be seen carefully examining
the bark and thrusting his sharp little bill in
to every crevice. often spending u long time
upon single branch and thousands Of eggs
left during the summer by the canker-worm,
apple-worm and hosts OF similar pests are
thus prevented from doing harm, nor does il
cease its labors in summer when the eggs of
insects are not so plenty, but it still wages un-
ceasing warfare against the enemies of the
iarmer; MIR. Samuels in his exceedingly
valuable work on the Birds of New Eng-
land" states that it has been calculated that
Il single pair of these Chckadees DESTROYS five
hundred grubs and caterpilars daly


Probably no bird has been the subject of
more dispute, OF the object of us many false
opinions, us our common Robin, and yet no
bird is more famiarly known and none
should be better understood. 1t is not very
wonderful that when one sees his pet cherry
tree, us it is just rpening its frut, visited from
morning till evening by hungry Robins, he
should set down the birds as fit only for pow
der, and it is undoubtedly trying to ones feel
ings to have the strawberry bed plundered,
and the raspberries and grapes, the ripening
of which has been tendery watched, missing
when the eXpectant owner goes to gather
them. We are all very sensitive when any
thing affects our palates OF our pockets. At
the Robin is IL most beneficial and useful
bird. The cherries and straw berries show
us only one very small side of the question.
1 Let us consider IL few facts which show
what the Robin really is and what he does;
some OF these are from my own observation