Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-03-21

There seems to be an innate in
stinct in the ordinary mortal to kill
and destroy living things, without
any regard TO their usefulness, or
the place they occupy in nature-in
maintaining that just eouilibr ium,
or balance of power without which
some species become 50 supcrabund-
ant as to become a menace to the
agriculturaiist-
A bill is now pending in our leg
isiaturc to put bounty on the
coyote; yet the coyote for ages has
been the chief destructive agent of
the rabbit. I have seen thought
less residents Of Parma, under the
guise of sport, shooting the crow,
blackbirds and starlings, unmindful
. OF the fact that these are the best
friend of the farmer, and on these
same farmers the prosperity of the
town depends. There is no bird in
southern Idaho, with the possible
exception of the mcadowlark, which
consumes anywhere near the guam
tity of grass hoppers the starlings
do. But the bright red spots on
the shoulder makes too fair
mark for the 22-rifle- Flocks of
these birds follow the mower all
day long reaping the easy harvest
of hoppers which the abundant
grass no longer conccals. In early
spring they, with their useful
cousin, the crow, carefully inspect
each furrow turned for worms,
beetles, and the sacks containing
the grasshopper's eggs.
Should some happy turn of fate
send their greatest enemy, the
thousands of Gro VS. that visit us an
nually here few weeks earlier
sonlc summer, and eat up the grass
hoppers before their eggs are lain,
as l knew them to do at Star one
season, this pest would be practi-
cally exterminated over a great
area in one season. There should
be more comprehensive kno wi
edge of the useful denizcns of the
field and forest among the agricul-
tural sections. To this end nature
study should be part of our COM
mon school system. On broad lines
all but the few birds put under the
ban by the Audubon socities should
be protected as useful of the dcstruc-
tive species indigenous to our
state, we may mention the English
sparro ", horned owls, cow birds,
magpies, and some species Of
hawks. The hawk family is an.
other misunderstood and sadly
abused lot. We have here bu
three kinds of hawks that are de-
structivc to poultry and small
birds, and they are all easily rec
ognized because of their small size
and rapid flight The most com
mon of the useful kinds is the red
tailed marsh hawk. They nest IL
this locality and may be seen an,
summer day slowly scanning thu
meadows for mice and mo1es. Be
ing fearless, they will approach thu
house closely, and of course strik
terror to the hearts of the fowls
but it is rare thing for them &C
tually to attack poultry, and whel
we consider the fact that a famil
of these birds must consume fiv
or ten destructive rodents daily
their usefulness is very apparent
The sparrow-hawk has an exClusiv
diet of insects and mice. The grea
Grosh hawk visits us mainly i
autumn and winter, his flight
slow and ponderous, his favorit
eyrie tall poplar or derrick pol
from which he swoops down O
the unsuspecting gopher or mous'
One of these majestic birds mai
ing your farm his habitat is fully {
valuable as your best cat-yet h
great white breast is too ofte
the target for some unthinkiu
person.
Oua1ls, robins, orioles and otht
common birds destroy not on
great quantities of insects, b'
many will seed. The robin is qui
destructive to berries, but his us
fulness in the orchard in deStro
ing cateI pillars and moths cam
be ovcrestimatcd. AD examinatie
of $50 stomachs by the govcrnme
ornithologis list sohws AZ per cent a
imal matter to only IS per cent
useful berries, and this in t
height of the berry season. SUI
truths should be taught in o
schools, and boys and girls taug
to value these bright carolers
song for their intrinsic worth
well as for their beauty.
And now last, but not least, v
come to snakes. Do you shuddcr
the name? Did you not know the