USEFULNESS OF BIRDS.
Birds can be useful to us in many ways. They can carry the seeds of different plants from place to place so as to help start new groves, in which we may find shelter from the cold in winter and the heat in summer. They plant shrubs by the wayside that spring up and later bear good fruit. They also carry the eggs of fishes and small crustaceans among their feathers into new water, and feed upon the countless millions of weed seeds that are scattered over our fields. Some kinds live almost entirely on insects; while others hunt out and destroy such small animals as mice, ground squirrels, and gophers. Still other birds, like some of the useful insects, act as scavengers by helping to remove decaying things that would make us sick if not cleared away.
In addition to these direct benefits which are the gifts of birds, we are further indebted to them for the cheer which their gay music, bright plumage, and pleasant manners bring to us. The birds form a carefully planned army of police, which is engaged in keeping things balanced in nature.
But we can go even further when summing up the benefits that human beings may derive from birds. A great many kinds are excellent food, while others furnish soft feathers for pillows and warm coverlets on beds.—Bessey-Bruner-Swezey.
BIRDS AS ENEMIES.
Everybody knows that birds sometimes do harm as well as good. So we must try to learn just what this harm is and whether or not it is as great as some people would try to make us believe. Quite a number of different birds are continually doing things that we call wrong. If we only knew of these wrong things and nothing of the bad they do, it might go pretty hard with the doers.
Some of the wrong things that birds do are cherry and berry stealing, grain eating, grape puncturing, apple pecking, corn pulling, the carrying of some kinds of bark lice on their feet from one place to another, the spreading of hog colera by crows and turkey buzzards, the robbing of the poultry yard, and lastly the disturbing of our slumbers in the morning by their songs.
Some of these so-called crimes are genuine and are to be regretted. Others are more imaginary than real. A few of them could be prevented in part or altogether, while others might be made less severe if we were inclined to take the trouble to do it. After all that can be said in favor of and against the usefulness of birds in general, there can be no doubt left, in the minds of thinking people at least, as to the value of these creatures. Only ignorant and thoughtless persons will continue to destroy our birds after learning facts like these about them.—Bessey-Bruner-Swezey.
