The daily gazette., 1876-01-21
A Piea for the Chicken Hawk.

In the current issue of the Farner
J. q. Linville presents this plea for an
unpopular bird;
''In the discussion of the bird ques-
at the last meeting of Lancaster coun-
~ agricultural and horticultural
society, while it was agreed that all
other birds should be protected by
law from the gunner, the society
seemed unanimous in their verdict
that the chicken hawk should be the
target OF every rifle and shot gun in
the country. At one time l entertain
ed similar views in regard to the chick
en- hawk, but have not shot one for
years, being fully convinced that he is
friend of the farmer.
Darwin shows how, in many cases,
the crop of clover seed is dependent
on the supply of cats in the neighbor'
hood. Humble i,ces distribute the
pollen on the clover bloom; field mice
destroy the young humble bees, cats
catch the mice. But the chicken hawk
Is better mouser than the cat. Moth
ing hurts the eye of the farmer worse
than to see great bare spots in his grass
fields, where field mice have worked
under the snow and destroyed the roots
of the clover,
have fine large hawk that every
day sits for hours perched on horizon
tai dead branch of an old chestnut tree
in the field. He forms a fine. clear
cut picture against the wintry sky as
he sits there motionless as a statue
Now and then he swoops down and
TAKES up mouse, with, perhaps, some
dead grass in his talons. l would not
exchange him for the best game cock
or the best Brahma in the country
Then, he sometimes catches rabbit
or partridge, or bears off pullet for
his crop, but he is fully entitled to
these as part pay for his services as a
mouser.
1t is true that, viewed from a senti-
mental standpoint, birds of prey afford
but few traits to challenge our admira
ton. But science teaches their use,
and when science and sentiment come
in conflict we are bound to accept the
surer results of the former.
The crow is also a much naligned
bird. Thanks to his sagacity, this
bird of ill omen" generally escapes
the shots of his prosecutors. The crow
is represented as living to a great age.
Tennyson alludes to this in the sono.
rous lines
'As the many wntereI crow that leads she
Changing rookery home
The crow has a decided taste for
"grubbs, ,'and does good service in the
corn field in early spring. have known
this bird to hook cut worms out of g
hill of corn with its beak, and leave
the grain untouched.
once was very much amused a
one of these ebony birds that found :
nest of hens eggs near neighbor'i
barn. | SAW HIM roll the eggs out o,
he rest, and then fly off to a grow
near by. Presently two crows returned
, from the wood, and had happy time
, eating the eggs. / judged that one OF
these was the crow that found
. the eggs and the other was his
: wife, though | cannot be qualified
that such was the fact! Perhaps il
was another crows wife. If my first
conjecture in regard to their consani
gunity was right, the bird certainly
showed more solicitude for the com.
) fort of his alto frau than some hus
bands know of. | feel kindly towards
these black scavengers, and throw the
butchering offal where they can get it
They get terribly hungry when the
ground is covered with snow.