The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1890-07-26
USES OF SOME BIRDS.
THE POSITION THEY OCCUPY IN
THE ECONOMY OF NATURE.
Curious Ways in Which the Water Birds,
Hawks, Owls and Other Fowl Are an
Assistance to Mankind-Habits of Many
Well Known Feathered Creatures.

Assistance to Mankind-Habits of Many
Well Known Feathered Creatures.
In recent years much attention has been
paid by naturalists to examining the stom-
achs Of various birds in order to ascertain
the character of their food. In those Of
most water fowl a percentage of seeds and
roots Of aquatic plants has been found. A
subject we'll worthy Of consideration is
whether the migratory instincts OF all
water fowl Is not partially utilized to carry
these seeds and roots to points far distant
from n another, which could not be
reached by water currents, thus perform
Ing the part for water plants that air cur
rents do for terrestrial growths.
Shore birds, such as snipe, sand pipers,
yellow legs, plover, devour large quantities
1t beetles and worms injurious to shore
end shallow water plants. They Also assist
III the transporting of seeds from place to
place. On toast their transporting quail
ties affect us in another way.
Owls and hawks until within late years
have had only the monumental value, OF
wisdom and sharp sight allotted them.
But by shorter method than the stomach
pump Investigators have clearly shown
that few more valuable birds to b agT-
culturist exist, and now, instead of offered
premiums for their scalps, they are allowed
TO retain them, and are protected by lawn
their possession. Their chicken thieving
Il an epicurean eccentricity not worth con-
adering when compared with their habit
ual consumption of mice and other small
animals which do great injury to the
farmers trees and, crops. The farmers
poultry Is under his immediate protection,
but he cannot we'll go housing to save his
products.
MANY KIND OF HAWKS.
Undoubtedly the entire falcon family
demonstrate that bird will eat bird, but
the varieties devoured by most of them in
any appreciable quantity are such as are
Indirectly useful to man as insect killers
only. The appetite and capacity of one
hawk for insects much more than compen-
safe for those of all the birds it kills.
The sparrow hawk is by far the most
numerous of Its species. Its chief food is
.grasshoppers. When this insect is to be
had the most tempting morsels in feathers
are eschewed.
The red shouldered or chicken hawk, as
1t is m~iscalled, seldom eats chickens; then
In winter only. It's food consists Of small
.ouadrupeds, small birds, lizards, frogs,
snakes and insects.
The marsh hawk-the sportsman's spe-
tcial antipathy-never preys upon the game
for which sportsmen seek. It is rapacious
eater, varying its bill Of fare with frogs,
ooleopterous insects and diminutive men,
bers of the feathered tribe.
The sharp Skinned or partridge hawk is
the Robespierre of the air-blood, blood, no
matter whence it comes. He has a liking
for spring chicken, raw, garnished with
feathers. He finds quails toothsome n
ducks pre- eminentlyt to his taste. He passes
sentence upon almost everything that flies,
yet the number of these he kills is unim-
portant when compared with the entrees
of his bill of fare. In fact the sharp
ahmed and the cooper's hawk are the only
members of a large family that have a few
-tastes in common with man. Because of
this alleged sin the immense good they do
should not be forgotten.
THE USEFUL OWL.
Owls continue by night the good work Of
the hawks by day; mice, moles and reptiles
are their regular food. The barred or boot
owl and the great horned owl are the only
members of the family having an unsavory
reputation. The barred owl claims right
Of priority to an occasional partridge, and
retaliates upon the sportsman's encroach-
ment upon its preserves by foraging upon
the chicken yard. It feeds principally upon
mice and small birds and reptiles.
The great horned owl is singular in its
partiality for skunk (no one should enter
tain malice toward it for that). Its chill
dren cry for it. Its nests are invariably
infected by it's odor. While it's food con-
sists of pheasants, large game, ducks and
poultry, the dining On q single skunk gives
II respectable standing as friend to the
poultry raiser and sportsman, together
with all having noses in any degree more
sensitive than wax ones.
The barn owl outrixals the cat as q
mouser and as q nerve stirring musician
BY the eloquence of its silence.
For fifteen years within the writer's
knowledge q neighborly pair of screeoh
owls have dwelt upon a west Philadelphia
lawn. in the midst Of an unusual quantity
of nesting birds and in close contigufty to
a chicken yard, without routing q nest or
disturbing q chicken, 30 far as any indica-
ton has ever shown.
BIRDS HAT EAT INSECTS.
Birds other than owls, that care for
mems interests while men sleep are the
-whip-poorlwM and. night hawk. They live
~unon butterflies and moths, but enterprise
Ing experimenters have been known to try
.the potato beetle, and it is to be hoped that
-they werepleased. DR.. Warner found them
in the stomach Of q whip-poor-wiIl, which
undoubtedly indicates 9 fondness for them
,r two inconcetvable blupders in success
Tnsoc4a ara suoh rapid breeders and 10