Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-18
HAWKS AND OWLS.

jcct of protecting hawks and owls. It
is subject of more importance than
many are aware OF for the links Of
the wonderful chain forged by ma
tIrc cannot be broken without
weakening the entire chain The
equilibrium established by the Creator
cannot be destroyed without serious
consequences. Birds and other ami
mails of prey have their mission TO
perform in the economy Of nature, and
tine wise man will soon learn that II
he lxtirlates the species Of animals
that seem 70 be made especially for
The purpose Of lighting the battle
against insects and other pests against
which man is more or less helpless
his efforts at subdulng the soil will
soon bee rendered more and more diff
ncult lie therefore studies the habits
OF animals and befriends those who
help him in his lsbors. Insects and
other pests cost the country millions
of dollars every year. on account OF
tho damage they do 10 grains. fruits,
cor grass II pays well TO protect the
birds and other animals that live on
such pests.
Hawks and owls. we are told. belong
o. the order Raptores. the plunderers;
ID o. generally assumed, as a matter OF
course. that they are robbers: and
so they are unfortunately slaugh-
tered. But the Biological Survey Of
the Department OF Agriculture has
shown that only three OF our hawks
arc Injurious at all times because these
alone live mainly on Wild birds and
poultry. most other hawks and nearly
an the owls are either neutral OF
beneficial to most people.
Va report now out OF print,
Hawks and owls as Related 10 the
Farmer" Dr. A. X Fisher, assistant
ornithoIogist in the Department Of
Agriculture. shows how the old
saying that little learning is a
dangerous thing" is exempllhed in
tho popular estimate Of these birds.
Moreover the feeling against hawks
and owls has become so deeprooted In
the public mind that IL seems to be
never seen any depredatlons commit
ted by rapacious species. This preju-
dice may be attributed TO lack OF
discrimination. People have heard that
hawks and owls attack poultry, and
they do not stop 60 note that these
dcpredstions are the work OF only a
few kinds They condemn the whole
family Just as an indian II wronged
by one white man will wage war
upon the whole race.
These birds the Doctor observes.
though they labor night and day
10 destroy the enemies OF the hus-
bandman, are prosecuted unceasing-
Is while that gigantic fraud, the
house cat. is petted and fed and
given a secure shelter from which il
may emerge in the evening TO spread
destruction among the feathered tribe
seldom touching mice If she can pro-
cure birds or young poultry. A cat
has been known to Kill twenty young
chickens in a day, which Is moro than
most raptorial birds destroy In a life
time"
Hawks and owls, DR. Fisher con-
tInues arc slow breeders, rearing only
one brood a year, and they are COM
Elementary to each other. While
hawks hunt by day and keep diurnal
mammals in check. owls whose eye
sight is kcenest during twilight and
the early hours before dawn. cap
ture nocturnal species. The especially
harmful hawks are the gyefalcons
which we do not have. and the dos
hawk and the duck hawk, which are
also rare The common harmful
ones-Cooper's and the sharp Skinned
may be known by their short wings
and long tail II should therefore fol-
low that an the beneficial kinds, and
those in which good and bad qualities
balance each other may be saved
from further defamation, provided
that the public and the law makers
can be Induced to consider this SUBJ
ject
our state legislation concerning
birds Is poor and unsatisfactory re-
suit OF a lack OF information. For
instance the Utah bounty law for the
destruction Of sparrows has been IN
force since 1855, and while it has had
no appreciate effect on the number
of the sparrows It has resulted most
disastrously TO the native birds be-
cause the eggs OF several OF the lat
ter kinds have been extensively coll
lected in place OF sparrows' eggs It