, 1921-12-01

make an average of almost three to
the pellet, and probably to the meal. In 592 pei.
lets collected in California there were found skulls
and other traces of PSI pocket gophers, IA field
mice, 1874 pocket mice. IA deer mice, 80 harvest
mice, 230 kangaroo rats, and 215 house mice. These
items make it clear that the barn owl is constantly
doing work of great value to agriculture. Its serv-
ices are typical of those of hawks and owls in gen.
eral. Owls as a group have long been prosecuted
by man, but never has persecution been more un.
just. The hawks and owls are not the only suffer-
ers. however, for when their numbers are greatly
reduced in any community, farmers will be forcibly
reminded of the fact by a great increase In the
number of destructive rodents.
Among the most praiseworthy birds are the
%cuckoos. The most widely distributed species, the
yellow-billed and black-billed cuckoos, usually keep
oQt Of sight, but are well known by their strange
notes. which have earned them the name rain
crow" The cuckoos feed very largely on caterpil-
lars. and subsist to a larger extent than most of
our birds on the hairy and spiny kinds. One stom-
ach contained 250 tent caterpillars and another
PIT fall web-worms. The cuckoos are fond also
of grasshoppers, sawfiy larvae, plan. bugs. and
other injurious insects.
The large and important woodpecker family in
cludes "a species In the United States, most OF
them highly beneficial. They are the chief de-
Tenders of trees against insect attack, most of
them being specialized to feed upon wood-borlng
larvae, pests preyed upon by few other birds. From
10 to so per cent of the annual diet of various
1ltNN9 - tAON' VI " uhtSt NhANh ~ ullnDSl uDl-
formly injurious. The hickers, or "yellow-ham-
Iners,' especially are assiduous destroyers of ants,
one of these birds being known to have taken more
than 5000 Mt a single meal.
A group Of birds, which, though diverse In ap-
pearance, are related i'm essential characters, in
cludes the huck-will's-wldows whlppoor-wills
poor-wills, nlghthawks, swifts and hummlng birds.
All are almost strictly insect eaters and conse-
quently beneficial. The larger ones feed extensive.
~ upon ieaf-chafers' the larvae of which, including
the well-known white grubs, are very destructive.
The nighthawks take considerable Of the same sort
Of food, but, in common with the swlfts. capture
"A great variety OF small insects, more than 30 diff
ferent kinds having been found in single stomachs
represented In some cases by thousands Of indIvid-
uals.
one of our families of birds gets It's popular
name 'iycatcher" from the insect -eating nature
Of its species, 81 OF which live In the United States,
including such birds as the spectacular scissor-tail,
the bold, dashing ~klngbird. and the more quiet and
domestic phoebe. ON the average, % per cent Of
the food of these birds has been found to consist
Of Insects. The rosechafer, a species not only de-
structive to vegetation. but known to be poisonous
to chickens and pheasants. is freely eaten by the
klngblrd. Several hycatchers have the reputation
Of eating hive bees to an injurious extent. but 1t
has been shown that they take mostly drones, and
furthermore, that they eat enough enemies of bees,
MS robberiles, to pay for all the domestic bees they
take.
The Jays. crows and ravens have always been
severely criticized, and It must be admitted that
on the whole the criticism Is justified. About the
best that can be said for birds Of this family is
That on the average they do about ms much good
as harm. II would stem u good policy to accord
them ths ntne treatment long given the common
crow-the crow Is not especially prosecuted,
neither is II protected. Thus while the birds are
allowed to exist In reasonable numbers for the sake
Of the good they do, the way is left open for ag-
gressive measures against them when necessary.
In the case Of this family, rs Of oil destructive
birds, damage is the result Of overabun dance.
The damage done by the hlackbirds is consplc-
uously the result OF over population. The damage
sometimes Is serious, ana protection Of these spe-
Giles II not recommended In the same family with
the blackbirds, however. are such birds as orioles
and m~eadowlarks, and these do much more good
than harm.
The great sparrow family, comprising almost a