The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-23
BIRD AND BEAST OF
PREDACIOUS KIND

! nLUnUIUUU NllVU
Continued From FRS, rareo
visits indiscriminatc persecution ON
map% humble and faithful workers
that have helped importantly 10 save
his harvest or orchard
Most Aesh-ea;lng animals Change
their ordinary dict only unde, pres
sure Of hunger. In tho main. they
prey upon some abundant species,
which, when available furnishes al
most their entire subsistence. ,'or cx-
ample. Il meadow mice were always
present, the red tailed hawk would
rarely touch other food. /, is when
,he!r normal food is scarce and there
fore frequently after they have done
q good Job OF Graduating pest tina,
predatory birds and mammals are.
from necessity. forced to take what
they can nnd. and thus become tres
passers on mans property. The man
eating tiger and the poultry-eatilg
F, skunk, weasel and hawk are rare
though their deeds have been herald
ID far and wide and their names have
become notorious
Misdeeds Of the House-Cnt.
MANY an Innocent hawk. skunk. owl
and weasel has been shot for the
deeds II the house cat II is safe to
say that the cat. which enjoys the
com forts and protection OF the home.
destroys IN the aggregate more wild
birds and young poultry than all the
native natural enemies combined. =
cat has been known 10 Kill a whole
brood Of chickens In n day. Cats in
The course Of a season, have been
known to practically destroy whole
coveys OF quails or grouse or nests
full OF young songstcrs. a we'll
known naturalist estimates that in the
New England States alone, 1900, 900
birds are destroyed annually by cats.
There are over 100000 birds destroyed
1 In New York state annually II We as
sumo that each cat in tho state kills at
least ono bird a week..
The 70, and the Mink.
For It's occasional misdeeds. the fox
is looked upon by the majority OF
mankind as villain that devotes its
entire lie to robbery and derives all
it's forage from the chicken yard or
duck pen AS a matter Of fact even
in localities where foxes are abund-
ant ii is comparatively rare that poul-
try is destroyed by them. ON a we'll
regulated farm chickens are housed at
! night ana the foS necessarily turns
its attention to field mice. rabbits.
grasshoppers crickcts and May beetles.
TO the great benefit Of the farmer.
While II is true that the fox de-
stroys a considerable number of birds.
Vet runed grouse has been known
10 rear its young within 100 feet OF
Il FOX den, and none of them were
molested. While the mink feeds on
I sci, IL. o,NI TIL. te {,,I.. 20
tigable IN It's search for meadow mice
and other marsh loving rodents. 1t
IS very fond OF muskrats. and one OF
its most important services TO man is
its destruction OF these pests about mill
dams. canals and bikes, where their
/ burrows undermine the cmbankmcnt
/ and cause disastrous overfows.
Wcnscls and Skunks Are Useful.
I The weasel is one OF natures most
efficient checks upon the hordes of
meadow mice and other rodents which
at times destroy forage crops. orch :
ards, vineyards and garden produce 1t
| feeds also upon rabbits, squirrels and
birds, but in many sections its oc-
cnsional inroads on the poultry yard
have brought it into serious disreputc.
! While IL is. OF course, desirable to kill
particular individuals which have ac-
quired the poultry habit. farmers and
horticultursts will make IL mistake If
they Systematically destroy them.
The dcspised skunk OF polecat rem
ders important service by destroying
I immense numbers of mice. white
grubs. Erasshoppers, crickets. cut
worms, hornets, wasps and other noXi-
Gus forms. Although it prefers this
kind OF food, like the opossum. it will!
eat almost any animal matter. and at
! times certain wild fruits and berries.
! While II Is said to be fond of eggs and
! young chickens. a mother skunk has
| been known to make her nest and rear
her young in the inner walls OF the
chicken yard. and neither eggs nor
, fowls were moiestcd.
Hawks and Other Birds.
An important fact farmers should
bear in mind is that all hawks and
owls feed largely on noXious rodents
and the larger insects, such as grass
| hoppers. criclScts and May beetles Yet
| In the more thickly settled sections of
! the country, except at rare intervals.
! the goshawk, duck hawk and great
| horned owl are so infrequent that
years will pass without an individual
! being seen. There are two kinds of
| hawks that should b. kept in check.
and they are the sharp SIX inned and
| Cooper hawks. These feed almost en-
tircly on wild birds and poultry.
! Ravens. crows and jays also do cf-
! fcctive work in destroying pests. but
| in localities where they have Increased
out of proportion to the available food
supply they become troublesome by
killing small chickens and by destroy
ing eggs and nestlings of wild birds.