Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-01-17

with their prey, and torturing it in
the most cruel manner Cats are
also more destructive than other ami
mails, because so much more album
dant"
Among the many horrible stories
told of animal rapacity, this will pass
for one:
Some squirrels have a habit OF
cracking the skulls of young birds, as
they would a nut. Mr.. F. n. Mosher
tells me he has observed this habit
at Hyde Park, Duchess County, N.
Y, and also at Dartmouth, Mass. At
Hyde Park botn red and grey SPUR
rels attacked the young on the nests
ON six different occasions. The birds
molested were the chipping sparrow,
robin and red-eyed vireo. The squir-
rel cut Off the head of each bird, drop
ping the body to the ground, and ate
out the brains from the skull. One
day in the spring of 1903 he heard
cries of robins at his own place IN
Dartmouth. He saw gray squirrel
climbin to robins nest, and before
he could reach the spot the squirrel
had the head of a young robin in It's
mouth. The bird was dead when he
reached it. Gray squirrels have been
the culprits in each case but one that
he had observed"
There is large volume of testi-
mony of this sort illustrating the old
quotation of Nature, red in tooth
and claw" There is a long discus
sion of the different remedies for the
decline of bird life, which are sum-
married as follows:
First and most important teach the
people the economic value of birds,
and show the consequences that are
likely to follow their extirpation.
This should begin in the schools, by
interesting the children in the lives
of birds, teaching their usefulness,
and how to feed, shelter and vrotect
them The children should also be
instructed in regard to tn laws pro-
birus, and be taught to respect them.
The bird and game laws must be en-
forced, and even il it requires larger
appropriations for the 4 ish and Cam
Commission, with the appointment OF
more paid deputies. In tn.s connec-
ton a law licensing shooters, the
license fees to be applied TO the en-
forcement of the game laws, may be
worth considering. The officers OF
the Fish and Game Commission
should be given the right to search
the suspected persons. Until such
a measure is enacted, the game laws
can never be enforced as they should
be. Those birds which like the
wood chuck, are disappearing, should
be protected at all times by law All
spring and summer shooting of wild
fowl and shore birds should be, and
eventually must be, prohibited by
law. If it shall be found that these
measures do not give sufficient pro-
lection, then the sale of ali birds
from Massachusetts sources must be
prohibited. All persons and all as
sociations interested in bird protec-
ton should unite to hold up tie hands
of those who are now working to Sc
cure the protection of birds in the
south during the winter and spring.
The extirpation of species usually
takes a long time, and only those spe-
cies which are the objects OF special
and unremitting persecution through
out their range are likely ever to be
eradicated from the country For
this reason our song and insectiver-
Gus birds" which are here protected
by law will be comparatively safe
when the law is funny enforced But
1t is not SO difficult practically to ex-
terminate or TO drive out of state
migrant or resident game bird:
therefore, the game birds, the shore
birds and all others that are readily
accessible ana are killed for food or
sport must now be protected by the
most stringent laws, most rigidly en-
forced, or they will eventually be
swept from the territory of this com
monwealth.
Forgotten Long Ago.