Moreover, in his own material sphere his narrow prejudices
were ever a jarring element that often exasperated Webb, who had been known
to mutter, "Such clods of earth bring discredit on our calling."
Burt, with a mischievous purpose illuminating his face, remarked: "I'll
try to put the squire into a dilemma. If I can catch one of his boys
shooting robins out of season, I will lodge a complaint with him, and
insist on the fine;" and his design was laughingly applauded.
"I admit," said Mr. Clifford, "that Webb has won me over to a toleration
of crows, but until late years I regarded them as unmitigated pests."
"Undeserved enmity comes about in this way," Webb replied. "We see a crow
in mischief occasionally, and the fact is laid up against him. If we
sought to know what he was about when not in mischief, our views would
soon change. It would be far better to have a little corn pulled up than
to be unable to raise corn at all. Crows can be kept from the field
during the brief periods when they do harm, but myriads of grasshoppers
cannot be managed. Moreover, the crow destroys very many field-mice and
other rodents, but chief of all he is the worst enemy of the May-beetle
and its larvae. In regions of the country where the crow has been almost
exterminated by poison and other means, this insect has left the meadows
brown and sear, while grasshoppers have partially destroyed the most
valuable crops.
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