Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-04-30

\ H. farmer good serv-
ice. The hoopoo,
or pewit, for example, does much more
good than harm. This extremely timid
bird lives in bushes, looking for ants
and beetles. He derives his name from
his superb topknot of twenty-six red
feathers, which are fringed with black.
The filth Of the hoopoo's nest is pro-
verbal, and yet the bird can hardly be
blamed The nest is built in a deep
hole-sO deep that it is impossible to
remove the accumulated dirt. Another
popularity Of this bird is that he does
his best to escape notice. He has no
song and only barely utters a cry re-
sehbling that OF a grossbeak. The
tichodrome that haunts our walls lives
in summer on the high mountains and
only comes down to us in winter. He
is very gentle bird and one can get
very near to him. Still he has whole
some dread of a gun and flies far off
at the approach of hunter. Now for
the night birds, the birds of blood and
carnage so dear to the story writers.
| Who does not remember the hooting of
the owls and the picturesque part
played by them in the story of the
wars of the Chouans? Victor Hugo,
Lamartine, Balzac, Fenimore Cooper
have a tender regard for this bird.
Most of the screech owls come to us
from the most northerly countries of
Europe, their favorite food being Nor
wegian wood mice When the screech
owl has traversed this country, says
Townsend, he quite naturally, since he
has become eager for the quarry, goes
a-hunting for wood mice, first in Den
mark and then successfully in Han
over, Prussia and France. Hunters see
such screech owls often in heath and
vineyards, especially in Artois, Beauce
and Champagne. All honor to this owl,
the great destroyer of wood mice and
field mice! The sparrow owl makes a
nest in old tree trunks, in ruins and in
abandoned qaurries, which are very
common in the west This is the ia
vcrite bird of Breton legends. His
silent flight causes much fright in
these countries; woe to him whose
cheeks are touched by his ominous
wings. The bird lives on raw flesh,
field mice, rats and small birds. Thus.
In one sense, the sparrow owl is a de-
stroyer-nay, a cannibal-but on the
whole he may fairly be classed among
those birds who preserve more than
they destroy and who therefore de-
serves our protection. The barn owl
the white owl of belfries and church
yards, is Of all nocturnal birds the one
which fears most the light Of the sum-
He suuats at the bottom of hole, and
will let himself be killed rather than
be tempted to leave his dark hiding
place. Yet he is migratory bird, and
one of the boldest, being found in all
ATTITUDES. The owl known as the Little
Duke is distinguished from the COM
mon owl by the smallness of his body,
which is scarcely larger than that of
a thrush, and by the short horns over
top his ears A very handsome bird
he is, his plumage being harmonious
blending of gray, red, brown and black.
He leaves us when the swallows leave
us, and comes back to us almost at
the same time. Button advises farm
ers to protect this bird. "He does great
good" says the eminent naturalist, "as
a destroyer Of field mice, which propa-
gate so fast that in a few days they
devour all the seed and all the young
plants. At times when these mice
have been especially numerous owls
have come and quickly got rid of
them"
The color of these birds varies &C
oording to their age, their sex and the
climate. In youth they are gray and
when fully grown are brown. Their
ewes too, ere of the same color as their
plumage. The owl, which, according
tn paean Greece, is Minerals bird, is
like most birds Of this class, very care
less about constructing nest. In
Sced. he is satisfied with an abandoned
nest. and often takes one that belonged
to q magpie-for every one knows that
the maybe forsakes his nest every
year in order to build new one. AS
a rule the owl lays four or five eggs
Rirds of this class are not affected by
cold weather and do not suffer at al
during the winter. Ordinary owls and
screech owls are often used to attract
birds into nets Button noticed thai
large birds come more willingly at the
call of the ordinary owl, which is g
sort Of plaintive cry or deep and pro-
longed wall, whereas, on the contrary
little birds come in greater number al
the call of the screech owl, which is
high voice. That all the birds herein
referred to, and all others which are
of manifest service to mankind, shoult
be protected is evident. Some of then
may be depredators and may seem a
times uncanny visitors, but there II
ample evidence that they rid us o
much undesirable vermin, and the con
viction OF those who have studied thei
habits and who consequently hav'
the best right to speak on the subjec
is that they are far more entitled II
no 1.onsiderpd henefactOrs than de