and all trees that had been injured by the frost had their sickly foliage proportionately devoured by the red spider. For the protection of my one and a half acres of trees and fruit bushes, situated some six hundred yards from the town, I have within the vinery walls about twenty five pairs of sparrows, and my gooseberry bushes are never touched. As for sparrows eating the blooms, I have as yet only heard of the performance. These are stern, unattackable facts. During the first year, after the serious frost referred to, I dusted my bushes with hellebore powder. Amid the shoals of dead caterpillars that lay under every bush, I discovered several dead sparrows which had been killed by eating the poisoned pests, and so I had it proved conclusively that they did eat the gooseberry caterpillar.

"Birds that are fed on the premises, and that live and feed amongst the trees, search for and attack the larvæ or grub at every stage of their existence. I attribute much to having birds bred, and always near, where you want them, for such never attack buds ravenously, as do town-bred birds, the latter not being able, so situated, to secure the green food necessary for their health. With gooseberry bushes near a stackyard you will find, probably, especially during a snowstorm, that the want of green food has compelled the birds to eat the buds. Also in the early spring, in the neighbourhood of large towns, the conditions being similar, everything that is green will be sought for. Likewise, when gardens are surrounded by woods, it is only by a liberal use of nets that any reasonable portion of the fruit can be saved. I provide nesting-places, and thus have birds so near the caterpillars, and so far away from house morsels, that they devour the pests greedily; but fruit crops being thereby secured, we must next draw on our ingenuity to prevent the birds taking more than their fair tithe.

"Birds are very destructive to corn when in the wild state, and fields especially of early ripe corn, situate near towns, suffer severely. Had I such a field I would set two school children, the one from 4 a.m. till 12, and the other from 12 till 8 p.m., each having a crake, to drive the birds away. If the children cost say £1 for the fortnight, I should perhaps save from £5 to 10 of crop, which, but for the birds, would be non-existent."

Mr Witherspoon admits, however, that for perhaps six weeks in the year crows, blackbirds, and sparrows are especially destructive, but if cultivators would concentrate their efforts to "keep them moving" at such times to other fields, then they would not be injurious, and their

services would so be secured for the longer period, the great value of which will only be known when thousands of grubs are allowed to breed and to devastate, through our ignorantly tampering with that necessary balance so wisely provided. In reference to the hard-billed tribe of birds, which destroy the seed beds, he also advises the gardeners to protect their beds with nets, as these species live mostly on seed all the year round; indeed, we cannot but be witness to the vast swarms that feed on stubbles and fallows during the winter months, without thinking that were it not for those birds, eating myriads of the seeds of choking, impoverishing weeds, our corn crops, in thousands of cases, would not be worth the gathering.

In January 1893, after making further close observations, Mr Witherspoon says: "Whilst many fruit growers have been racking their brains to discover still more poisonous compounds for the destruction of the apple-weevil and other insect pests, I have again found my birds equal to the occasion. My apple crop, in fact, has been so well preserved that I do not remember to have met with even one fruit disfigured by insects. This, too, after, by the aid of a microscope, discovering many more maggots than I expected to find. Sure enough the enemies were in possession, and the battle was rather tough; but all in time for the fruit crop, the brave birds brilliantly conquered. In connection with my occupation there are three things I love to see, viz., crows following the plough, ducks (under two months old) in either vinery or orchard-house, and sparrows, especially during the blooming period, feasting and holding high converse in an apple tree."

Again, in the autumn of the same year, he says: "This last season I have had further confirmation of the great value of birds, as, within fifty yards of my sparrow colony, my apple orchard has been the wonder of the neighbours, and numerous visitors have come from adjacent towns to see the sight; all declaring they never saw the like before."

Mr Witherspoon closes his statements with the following advice: "Think long, think seriously, and search deeply before attempting to upset the laws of Nature, or disturb the balance of forces established by the Great Designer and Maker of the universe."

INDEX

ACONITE, Winter (Eranthis hyemalis), 28, | Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), 149, 152.
29, 106.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica), 39, 82, 158, 317-8, Bullfinch, 12, 131.