Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-28
A PLEA FOR THE BIRDS.
Great Usefulness of Birds of Prey-Bad
Policy to Destroy Them.
j. ii. Langille, In baltimore sun


Policy to Destroy Them.
J. II. Langille, In Baltimore sun.
Probably in no respect are the people
moro mistaken than concerning the
economy In nature of the birds of prev,
They know that hawks, and also owls
sometimes kill chickens, and they there
fore conclude that hawks and owls should
be shot. So Peterkin starts out with gun,
new or old, as the case may be, and shoots
indiscrininately any hawk or owl he NAV
hnd. Even our most intelligent citizens,
having in their thoughts some vague
notion of sharp claws and hooked bills
take 1t for granted that every hawk and
every Owl Is simplya a marauder Hence
every Legislature passing a law to encour-
age the destruction of birds OF prey, and
every farmer popping over bird of this
class, one and all take IL for granted that
they are in the service of their country.
Not many years since the state of Penn
sylyahia offered a large premium on the
heads OF hawks and owls indiscriminately
and in one year paid out of its treasury
$50, 900 for the destruction of 10000 haw ks
ana owls. II write from memory, but
think am correct in my figures. Some
OF me citizens of the state being acquainted
with the bill of fare of this class OF birds
notable among such was DR., Harry H.
Warren, of West Chester. Pa.-were
alarmed at the consequences of such a law
ana took measures 10 have the stomachs of
the birds shot examined bv specialists 8
under the microscope and officially re-
ported. The result was that only s per
cent. of these birds of prev We're foupi In
contain any remains of the domestic fowls
in their stomachs, while the remaining %
por cent. were proven To feed on uoXious
insects, destructive quadrupeds, etc. So IL
turned oat that while the farmer was kill.
ing hye enemies to his premises he was
also killing ninety five friends. Therefore
IA N "a lt.ttx
dure the Ills they already had rather than
ny To others that they knew not Of"
IL ahhoys The ornlthologist exceedingly
10 see, as he Is riding through the country
the remains OF our various hawks hanging
oS lhe leei III ihe Trees about the farmers
YARDS. About eighteen miles from the
clty OF Washington n few winters since one
wide-awake and eccentric farmer had the
remains OF twenty-nine hawks hanging i'm
Tree IN his front yard all at once. The
tree looked rs lift bore hawks, and he no
doubt fe!t very complacent over his mis-
chievous slaughter.
To all such careless and indiscriminate
marksmen it may be well to saw that tha
investigation III PENNSYLVANIA lust referred
10 Is not the only testimony IN favor of The
great utiilty of the birds of prev. Now
That me country is awake on the question
good many are noting the contents of the
craws OF the different hawks and owls
| - s'N NAi'',S 'he same Story.
| only a few OF these birds are destructive Ia
the poultry yard. Most ofthem are hioblv
beneficial To the rural districts.
Oi the hawks, those especially destruc.
tive, first, these of the genus accipiter-
Coopers hawks and the little sharp-sbin.
The former will undoubtedly make havoc
among the hens, and the latter among the
chickens They also destroy a great deal
| OF game and many small birds They are
birds OF the most rapid and dashing flight,
always taking their wild prey ON the wing
Soopers hawk Is Of good size, some Is
inches long, of a fine ashy brown, blackish
on the head. The under parts are white,
MIN hhe cross streaks of light reddish.
! Common in these Eastern states hnt not
found in the Canadas in any considerable
numbers, 1t is more or less migratory, and