The Port Gibson reveille., 1906-01-25

Is to be noted, however, that, as in the
case OF the fox. the chief evidence Is
given by gnnners. Nevertheless, u is
probably true that, after maA, the
great bird destroyer, birds are among
the Rraatoef en---1ies - birda.
0tner animals can pursue nafns'
through the air. No others can tois
low them In their vast migrationsp dis
cover them so far of, or overtake aud
strike them so quickly. We must,
then, look among rapacious BIRDS
themselves. for some OF the most poE9
tent checks to bird increase.
The bald eagle feeds mainly on nsh
and has little effect on the numbers
Of other birds The red-tailed hawk
is. not now generally common. Lhs'
red-shouldered hawk seldom kills
birds or poultry. but, living largely on
field MICE. Is believed to be a friend
to the farmer; but the goshawk, duck
hawk, Cooper hawk and sharp-shinned.
hawk are all bird slayers- OF these
four the Cooper and sharpshinned
hawks, being most common, are most
destructive. The duck hawk kills, Ike
the cat, for the sake OF killing. IL.
pursues its prey on the wing, rapidly
overtaking swift-hying ducks. Mr. G.
E. Bailey reports seeing a duck hawk
overtake and strike three teal In sue
cession and then fly of, leaving It's
victims lying on the water. Forum
ately this hawk is rather rare In Mas
sachusetts.
The goshawk Is here occasionally
I'M winter, but the Cooper hawk
breeds here and is still common, lo-
cally If not generally. This bird,
which Is sometimes known as the
partridge hawk or chicken hawk, Is a
feathered pirate. Swift, keen and
daring, 1t Is the terror Of both birds
and poultry. It Is the one bird OF all
others to neutralize the local efforts
OF the bird protectionist. It Is par
tlcularly obnoxious to the farmer, for,
having once tasted chicken, Il con-
tinues it's forays until It Is shot OF
the chickens shut up. Its keen eye
detects the mother bird sitting on the
nest. At one swoop 1t snatches bird,
nest, eggs and all in its powerful
talons; or it spies the nestlings and
picks them up as food for It's own
young. Conspicuous songsters, like
the brown thrasher, robin, wood
thrush, rose-breasted grosbeak and
scarlet tanager, are swept from their
perches while in full song by this bold
marauder and borne to its ravening
brood
Even the crafty bmeiay does not
always escape. AS one Of these hawks
sweeps into a clearing and strikes its
prey every bird song becomes hushed-
In moment sparrows, warblers.
thrushes, titmice-all the loquacious
musical throng-fnd cover or crouch
motionless in their hiding places In
silent terror. Grim death has been
among them, and 1t Is long before they
dare resume their activities. The
sharp-shinned hawk Is a miniature OF
the. Cooper hawk, although perhaps .
trine. simmer in build. It Is widely
known as the chicken hawk, and Is
strong and swift. It Is nearly as dan
gerous, to birds as its larger and
stronger congener. It breeds here.
feeds its young on birds, and will kill
birds. as large as a Jay. 1t Is often
mobbed by jays, but not infreluently
strikes one OF its tormentors, when
all the rest fly on. leaving the hawk
to finish its victim.
\ Probably most OF the BIRDS now
killed BY hawks in Massachusetts are
struck down by these two species
Sometimes IN the fall these birds may
be seen IN great numbers migrating
South. Mr.. w 8. Perry estimates
that he saw at least 1000, mostly
sharp-shinned and Cooper hawks.
going south on October 10, 1892. He
watched them flying all day. He esti.
mates that each bird viii eat on the
average two small birds each day, or
seven hundred each year. At that
estimate the 1000 hawks which cams
within the range OF his vision would
eat 100000 birds a year. ! regard
these two birds and the goshawk as
the only hawks that should be shot by
gunners, most others being a positive
benefit. or so rare as to do little harm
harm
The pigeon hawk, also bird hawk,
Is not common, and the sparrow-hawk
feeds chiefly on insects. The broad
winged hawk seldom kills birds, and
the marsh hawk feeds mainly on
mammals In most localities.-From a
report Of the Massachusetts, State
BOARD az Agriculture.