FROM a purely practical point of view the mostimportant of the relations of native birds toman are the economic. The esthetic value of birdsis great—greater, indeed, than that of any othergroup of animals; and that this is a real and especiallytreasured value is not to be denied. But itis in their relation to insect and other enemies ofcrops that birds are most directly associated withthe welfare of mankind, and their value in this particularshould be made as widely known as possible.

This bulletin is one of a series designed to assistin doing this. Not all birds are beneficial, and allfacts tending to show in which class each speciesbelongs will be set forth. The useful kinds far outnumberthe injurious, however, and so great is theirvalue as insect destroyers in the United States thatto them may be given the credit of being one ofthe greatest controlling factors in limiting the developmentof insect pests and in preventing manydisastrous outbreaks.

In the following pages are discussed the habitat,food habits, and relation to agriculture of more than50 species of birds common to farming sections.