The Glenwood post., 1914-06-06
PIRATE OF the AIR
sDluE DARYER" a YgRRoR TO
CHICKS AND PRovEcvoRA
Many WrsaSs Nay - Laid Il the
Deer - rhis ieaseset ApesariaS
oird-Aas civsa Raes q
hawke oad RspUtatiea.

When the blue darter" darts sew
eral things happen. Most likely PAN
demonium will break loose right away,
and the farm will become the stage
for one of this most famous charac-
ter's most melodramatic scenes. In all
the country there Is no other one
creature capable OF starting 50 much
commotion as this innocent looking
bird. sometimes called the blue dab
ber," because. as the farm wife ex-
plains, he dabs down from nowhere
and takes the prettiest little white
chick of all the hens brood. In books
this pirate OF the air has the name Of
Cooper's hawk, scientifically speaking,
Accipiter Cooper.
The truth Of that old farm story
about the woman who turned over
the churn on the cat, which Jumped
and scratched the dog. which fright
ened the calf and made 1t run into
the hive Of bees, which all but stung
her husband to death is that the
whole thing was started by this same
innocent looking bird He had darted
The chickens did . perfectly natural
thing in setting up . disturbance try.
ing to escape the dart. And next to
the baby's cry. the sound that travels
quickest to the good housewives ear
IL her poultry's 8. o. 8.
Several other wrongs are laid at
the feet of Accipiter Cooper besides
the dead chicken and oil the attend
ant evils. He has been the cause of
all the other hawks getting a bad
name. Many q big, peaceful, red
tailed hawk has been shot because
of his smaller relatives reputation
for chicken stealing. Now, this big
hawk is not such a moral fellow that
he will not steal chicken once in
q while, but he's honest-hearted, pre-
ferring gophers. mice. sparrows and
insects. So great is his appetite for
different farm pests that a chicken
now and then is only small wages for
his good services.
But there Is another hawk which
shares with the blue darter," not only
his evil reputation, but also goes SO
far rs to deserve 1t. being = confirmed
chicken and bird killer This is the
sharp Skinned Accipiter Velox, which
is about half the size Of the other
Accipiter.
The case of the hawks is Just an.
other one which goes to show that it
won't do to put all people of the
same name in the same class. One
Mr.. Hawk may be 4 chicken thief and
another Mr.. Hawk may be . strenu.
Gus worker for the public welfare, and
that's just the fact about this bird
family. In fairness to the hawks II
should be remembered that most OF
them are our efficient friends. The
two Accipiters mentioned are the only
outlaws Of the family commonly
known over the United States.
Save your ammunition for the
blue darter" and his smaller kins
man. That's the advice Of those who
know the hawks. Observation and ex
animation have shown that all the
members of these two tribes are hope
lessly guilty Of the murder of domes
tic fowls. game birds, songsters and
other feathered friends.
True 1t is that both the Aecipiters
do kill sparrow now and then. In
this way they seem to think they can
make up for the harm they do. Per
haps they could IL they killed spar
rows enough. But they don't. The
sight Of either Of them should be the
signal for every farmer to snatch his
gun and shoot to kill, But he should
be sure 1t isn't one Of his friends.