THE QUADRUPEDS OF ILLINOIS, INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL TO THE FARMER. BY ROBERT KENNICOTT, of West Northfield. [Natural history, or natural truth, is the basis of agricultural science; and yet, in some of its most applicable divisions, there is little knowledge of it on the farm, and few or no text books suited to the wants and abilities of the ordinary farmer. To meet this state of things, agricultural societies have resorted to the publication of popular essays, in their state Transactions. That of New York appropriates one thousand dollars annually, for a report on noxious and useful insects, alone; and with far greater facilities-though perhaps less favored in some things, than the United States patent office is doing a good work in the same direction; and has just now laid us under particular obligations for the means of re-producing this paper. But let not the reader suppose, from this fact, that our society has been unmindful of these special wants; for it was proposed that you should have the benefit of an abridgement of this very article, and its continuation, (only a part having been put in print this year) and an arrangement to that end was made with the author, and reported to our legislature. But circumstances, needless to specify, prevented the execution of this design, and proof sheets, and duplicates of plates from the patent office, being kindly offered, free of expense to the society, the editor could not well neglect so legitimate an opportunity of parti lly carrying out the original intention, in regard to a treatise on the animals of the state, to accompany the admirable contributions to its general and special botany. And we are more confident in the propriety of this secondary action, from knowing that the life-like illustrations of "The Quadrupeds of Illinois," were prepared, and the text revised, under direction of the Smithsonian Institution, and by its officers and artists. And were this the proper place, we might attempt some expression of our high appreciation of the apparent policy of this great school of natural science--which, in the discovery and application of new truths and liberal aid given to those who study nature in the field, has certainly had the interests of agriculture more in view than is generally supposed. ]—Ed. [FROM THE PATENT OFFICE REPORT.] However injurious wild animals may be to man, he should not forget that he himself is very often the cause of their undue destructiveness. When destroying his crops, they are only following the instincts with which they have been endowed by the Creator. Ruled by All-wise laws, every animal fills its appointed place exactly, existing not alone for itself, but forming a necessary part of the vast system of nature. One class of animals keep in check certain plants; others prevent the too great increase of these, while those having few enemies are not prolific. Man interferes unwisely, and the order is broken. It is true that, to some extent, an interference with the natural regulations of the animal. creation is necessary to the progress of civilization. Man appropriates to himself the food of many animals, but as they continue to devour this wherever found, he must therefore sometimes destroy them or lose his property. But, before waging war upon any animal, let us study its habits, and look well to the consequences which would follow its extermination. We must remember that it is an undeniable fact, that the dangerous increase of any species is due to the destruction of its natural enemies; and, indeed, would we stop the ravages of a vegetable eating animal, the easiest and most certain way genererally is to encourage the increase of these enemies. But some men think animals unworthy of study, and do not know the injurious from the beneficial. A farmer's poultry has been killed by some carniverous mammals or birds, and he therefore destroys every one of these, large or small, indiscriminately, whether found about his farm-yard or out in the fields. Some birds injure his crops, and so every bird that ever ate a grain of corn is shot, while many, which are not known to do any harm, are killed lest they should; and his boys are hence encouraged to destroy blackbirds' nests, and they very naturally extend their destructiveness to every other bird's nest they can find. The meadow-mice are injurious, and he accordingly wages war upon the shrews and moles, which he confounds with the mice, or accuses of performing their work. He knows some snakes are venomous, and so pronounces all reptiles "deadly" and "horrible things," to be dreaded and destroyed. His crops are affected by insects, and he eagerly kills the carniverous species with the others. And then the gnawing mammals kill his trees and destroy his crops, and the insects multiply alarmingly, and he wonders "why such worse than useless creatures were created!" A more careful study of animals would surely benefit our farmers. I would earnestly commend the subject to their special consideration. If they say they cannot spare time to watch the habits of animals, then let them encourage their children to do so, not alone that they may endeavor to learn, for practical purposes, the injurious from the beneficial, but also because of the good influence produced on mind and morals by the study of nature-a study which will become the source of much profit and pleasure, as soon as the observer once begins earnestly to investigate na |