. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 104 USEFUL M'inter the smaller wood birds that remain in the north must subsist largely on the hibernating eggs of insects, for many insects pass the colder months in the egg; the bird that eats these eggs can destroy at least a hundred times as many insects in this minute, embry- onic form as it could in the summer, after the caterpillars had hatched an
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 104 USEFUL M'inter the smaller wood birds that remain in the north must subsist largely on the hibernating eggs of insects, for many insects pass the colder months in the egg; the bird that eats these eggs can destroy at least a hundred times as many insects in this minute, embry- onic form as it could in the summer, after the caterpillars had hatched and grown toward maturity. The Jays, Titmice, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers, which remain through the win- ter in the northern woods, give months more of service to our trees than do the majority of birds that come here as sum- mer residents or migrants only. These all-the-year-round birds, with the Creepers and Kinglets, are the most valuable guardians of the wood. Millions upon millions of insects and their eggs are destroyed by them during the long winter months. In this work thej^ are assisted to some extent by certain of the winter Finches and Sparrows. Birds guard All Parts of the Tree. — Even insects which feed upon the roots are dug out of the ground by birds, or attacked by these feathered enemies whenever they appear above the surface. Sparrows, Thrushes, and Towhees search among the dead leaves for caterpillars which drop from the trees and crawl on the ground, and for those which pupate among the litter of the forest floor. Woodpeckers, tapping the trunks, find and bring forth injurious ants, bark beetles, and wood-boring insects. Creepers, Kinglets, Titmice, and Nuthatches search the bark and cavities of the trunk and limbs for insects' eggs, scale insects, bark lice, borers, bark beetles, and other insects which hide there. Jays, Warblers, Tanagers, Wrens, Titmice, Yireos, Cuckoos, and other tree- loving birds pry about among the leaves and branches in search of cat
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherb, booksubjectbirds
