Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-09-21

committee OF Audubon socicties pnh'Ilenal
By National association Of Audubon 20
This hawk ID commonly known by tbra.
popular names, each OF " hich relates -
special Characteristic OF the bird Ma,ss
hawk, because it IL found about marsha.
meadows or prairies; mouse hawk. ,ror,
its fondness for these small but des,r,a-
tive vermin. and barrier, from its ha bit N
continually hunting or ravaginr tho
homes of small mammals. 1t is one O, ~.
most useful and valuable OF ali the hawks
and the agriculturist should under n.
circumstances ever permit one to be killed
on his premises.
No person can fail to recognize N.
marsh hawk on sight, from its very pecu-
liar slow wing beats. its proximity 10 thu
ground either in marsh or meadow. It's
long wings and tail, and especially the
large white patch at the base OF the tain
above. There 10 certainly no excuse for
killing the marsh hawk because Of mis-.
taken identity.
All OF the data regarding the food OF
this species OF hawk shows that it lives
very largely upon . class Of rodents that
does the farmers and fruit growers Of the
country incalcuia BILE damage in DESTROYING
forage crops. and especially in eating the
bark from young orchard ttrees and thus
killing them. At . recent meeting OF hor-
ticuiturists in New jersey, one Of ihe
members present stated that during the
past winter, owing to the deep SHOWS,
mice and rabbits had damaged his or
chards to the extent Of s2,oo0. In Kansas
/, rodents are scourge so great that:
Since January. iaca. the demand Tor poison
has continued steady. and large quantities
have been sold. especially Tor the destruction
| Of praifie-dogs and oeket-gophess. Up 70
| the present time there have been consumed
about twelve hundred pounds Of stryehnire
| and over bali ton Of potassium cyanide in
manufacturing poison. From soo0c TO &C.
co acres of land, formerly infested ~iih
| prairie dogs. have been entirely reclaimed.
while = partial destruction of then. has been
accomplished over q much larser area The
destruction OF pockss-gophers has been se-
oomplsshed over many small and widely
| scattered Areas, including some Of the bass
| alfalfa ranches In the ssase. This work. how
1
ensiy large areas 10 be permanent; farthar
and united efforts only viii produce results
which will prevent loss to alfalfa growers
from the presence of this pest. tFrom Press
| Bulletin. No. iso, Kansas state Agi. Coliege)
Kansas, Hkc..many other states, gives no
| protection whatever to hawks, although
scientific research shows them TO be I'M
mensely valuable aids in killing rodents.
1 Poisons COS; the farmer money, besides
labor in distributing, and then do good
| only II the rodent eats the bait; on the
| other hand, the marsh hawk is always
hungry, and during the long hours Of
| daylight is necessarily coursing back and
forth hunting for food. II works contin-
uously without pay, and deserves legal
| protection rs well as the care OF every
| person who Hills the soil. The contents Of
i2i stomacns examined by the biological
survey. United States department OF agrl-
| culture, show that Is per cent. had been
| feeding on mice, Is per cent. on other
small mammals, Is per cent. ON reptiles,
| frogs and insects, and low percentage on
poultry and small birds.
| DIR. A. X. Fisher, who wrote the tx
haastive and valuable report quoted from
| above, says:
| Although this hawk occasionally carries of
| poultry and game-birds. its economic value
| as n DESTROYER OF mammal pests Is 50 great
that It's slight irregularities should be par
| doned. Cnfoftn nAtely, however, the farmer
and sportsman shoot II down at sight, tegaEd-
| less or ignorant OF the fact tina. IL preserves
I'M, n mmsnss saary o. gram same :.
birds by destroying the vermin which cai tue
grain, girdle the trees, and deyoar the eggs
| and young Of the birds. The marsh haWk Is
unqaestionably one OF the most beneficial as
| IL IL one OF orr most bunaant hawks. and fs
| presence and increase shoeid be encouraged
| In every way possible, not only by protesting
| l, by law, bat by disse m mating 4 knowledge
i Of the benefits 1t confers. 1t is probably the
most active and determined foe Of meadow
mice and ground-squsrrels, destFpylha
greater numbers OF these pests than any other
| species; and this fact alone should entitic II
20 protection, even II 1t destroyed no other IN
| furious animals
| Only fourteen states protect the marsh
hawk; thirty-tive states and territories
| permit II TO be killed at any time. In the
British Provinces, Manitoba is the only
one giving protection. The ignorance re-
gzrding hawks and the prejudice concern
ing them Is torcibly illustrated by the
action OF Virginia, which in 1903 passed
law protecting all the beneficial hawks
and owls, but without waiting to give the
| statute fair test, repealed the same IN
lSO4- In Ohio the present Legislature IS
considering bill offering bounties on
| chicken hawke. This, Of course, means,
should the bill become . law, that all
hawks will be killed for the bounty, and
the farmers OF the state will be taxed for
| funds with which to pay pot hunters ana
| others for the heads OF birds which are OF
| great value to agriculture.
In 1885 Pennsylvania passed a bounty or
scalp act which was shortly sfterwsrd re-
pealed, as IL was found to be most disas-
trous in its effect. Over 90, 900 was paid
the hrst year for bOunties. Among otner
reasons urged for . repeal Of the Law were
| the following: "Oficers were imposed
upon and bounties were Illegally drawn"
ut encouraged . certain class to folio"
hunting as Q means Of livelihood, to tne
exclusion of other labor at is burden.
some and inimical to the best interests OF
the farming community, and . useless eA-
penditure OF county money"
Does not this show Q lamentable degree
OF ignorance on the part OF those VINO
should be the most interested in the pro-
lection OF hawksf Every farmer in North
America who reads this should at once
commence . campaign OF education among
his fellow workers, and should make IL