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

legged, and the sparrow hawk. All
these birds have a reputation for doing
harm. while at the same time they
are rendering the most valuable serv-
ice; they have suffered severely and
most uniustly because OF this misap-
prehension. only within the last 20
years has IL been proved beyond doubt
that these maligned and prosecuted
species are friends and allies.
THE SWANSON HAWK.
The Swanson hawk is somewhat
smaller than the red tailed. and meas
ures from 1875 to % inches the female
being the larger In normal plumage
the male shows a white throat and
belly with a broad brown chest band
between; the upper parts are near
ly uniform dark grayish brown: and
the tail Is crossed by or 10 narrow
blackish bands. The female has the
chest patch gray. This hawk is found
over all the west. IL nests in cotton
woods and other trees. and also in
bushes or on rocks 10 uses sage
brush. willows and sticks for building
material and lines the nest with green
leaves and bark. one 10 four green
ish white, brown spotted eggs are laid.
Swainson's Is the most common and
most useful OF the larger hawks II
never visits the poultry yard It's food
consists almost entirely Of the smaller
rodents-striped gophers, mice otc.-as
well as grasshoppers and the black
cricket-scourges that "to be hated
need but TO be seem This powerful
and valiant ally I'm combating these
common and destructive "hoppers."
ranges over the open land from the
arid wastes and table lands OF Arizona
20 the sage brush and bunch grass dis
trlcts or the north Everywhere il
renders enormous service 20 the inhab-
itants NJ the west II merits the most
stringent protection. and should never
be shot or menaced. Bendire says
that compared with the majority OF
our hawks. It Is gentle and unsuspici-
GUS In disposition. living In perfect har-
monv with its smaller neighbors TO
IS no unusual sight 20 find other birds
nesting ia the same tree; and the Ar
kansas HnEbird goes even farther than
this, constructing its home under
the nest Of these hawks or In the sides
Of a."
THE LITTLE SPARROW HAWK.
Among the beneficial species none is
more useful perhaps, than tho little
sparrow hawk. the most widely dis
tributed Of am It is found I'm and
about the towns and cities as wen as
Especially useful as destroyer OF
grasshoppers, CriCkots, and numerous
other insect pests, besides mice goph-
Crs and rats. IL comes close around
the houses. whore, being fearless and
confident II suffers death from tho
unjust bounty laws. Any vandal who
can carry a gun Is able 10 slaughter
this little hawk. so that I'm many dis
trlcts IL Is practically cNterminated.
This handsome bird ~ prey n little
larger than tho robin, has two black
stripes on each check. q slaty head
blush gray wings rufous tail md
hack: under parts white; these colors
often spotted or barred with black
THE MARSH HAWK.
The marsh hawk may be recognized
by its white ruup, slender form, and
long, narrow wings, as it beats untir-
ingiy over meadows, marshes, and
prairie lands In search OF food II is
an lndefatigable mOusor, meadow mice,
rabbits, and squirrels bcing its favOrite
quarry. Lizards. frogs snakes ana
birds are also taken, the latter mostly
sparrows. "ThP intelligent farmer"
says Mr. Bailey usually recognizes
the value Of this hawk and the fact
that II almost never touches his poul-
try. He sees il slkimmng over his
meadows and diving into the grass for
mice. and wisely let's II live. nevcrthe-
less he would b. surprised II he could
figure out how many dollars It saves
him during tho year