The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-10-25
Red Squirrel 9 Destroyer

The following article has been re-
ceived from Deerfoot Camps of which
John I. Bodfish Is proprietor at Onawa
with request for Its punishment.
The material was compiled by Or. B.
H. Warren, the noted naturalist and
arnithologist of West Chester, Pa. He
has to say:
1t Is hard to beliye that the hand
some, agile, graceful red squirrel
which adds such a picturesque note
to our lawns and parks Is an inveter-
ate destroyer of the eggs and young
Of useful birds and spends much of
his time in searching out nests among
the trees. Such however are his
habits and naturalists and sportsmen
class him as one of the most vicious
of all game destroying animals. In
many places war has been declared
on him by sportsmen who are parti-
cularly interested In Kidding their
neighborhood of "vermin," as the birds
and animals are called which prey
on useful species. A great mass of
evidence has been collected against
the red squirrel showing that his
depredations are such as to make Ii
necessary to keep down his number
II insectivorous birds are to be allow
ed to flourish and help out in their
useful work.
The late John Burroughs wrote of
the red squirrel: "Nearly all the
birds look upon 1T as their enemy and
attack and annoy 1t when 1t appears
near their breeding haunts. Thus
l have seen the pewee, the cuckoo,
the robin and the wood thrush pur-
suing 1t with angry voice and gestures.
II you wish the birds to breed and
thrive In your orchards and groves,
kill every red squirrel that infests the
place"
DR.. B. H. Warren of West Chester,
Pennsylvania, formerly State Ornitho-
logist of Pennsylvania and natura
list of repute stated that some years
ago when Thomas ]. Edge was Sec
rotary of Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, he received complaints
from a dozen or more farmers in diff
ferent sections of Pennsylvania about
red or pine squirrels destroying young
chickens. Several also wrote Sec
rotary Edge that this squirrel killed
the young domestic pigeons.
More than 100 farmers and sports
men in Pennsylvania in 1897 and 1893
wrote to the Pennsylvania Game De-
partment, complaining of this squirrel
destroying eggs or young of many
kinds of wild birds, game and other
kinds.
Prof. N. f. Davis, teacher of biology
at Bucknell College, Lewisburg, Pa.
had so much trouble with red squirrel
killing nesting birds and eating their
eggs about the lawn of the college
campus where lots of large shade
trees flourish, that he shot some TWEEN
ty of the nimble little relocated muir
derers to end their depredations. One
day six of the squirrels attacked and
pursued large gray squirrel and
before Prof. Davis could save 1t, the
vicious creatures cornered their VIC
tim and literally cut it to pieces
Further damaging testimony is CIV
en- by James Carnes of Clearfield,
Pennsylvania, who states that the red
squirrel is one of the worst pests as
he destroys so many eggs Of the ruffed
grouse, known generally in this region
as pheasants.
The depredations of these squirrels
seem to be of the most general kind
and to include nearly all kinds of
birds. Mr.. B. F. Shaffer, Nittany.
Center County, Pa, states that he saw
red squirrel eating young robin
and also that they kill different kinds
of wild birds and suck their eggs and
also sometimes catch young poultry.
The presence of the red squirrel is
by common consent among many nat
uralists, dangerous to useful birds for
the protection of which there is such
an insistent demand at this time.
DR.. C. Hart Merriam who for many
years was chief of the Biological Sur
vey, Washington, D. c., and who ranks
as one of the foremost authorities in
the United States on birds and man.
mails writes: 1.-THE propensity to
suck the eggs and destroy the young
of our smaller birds is the worst trait
of the red squirrel and is in itself suf-
ficient reason for its determination, at
least about the habitations of man.
have myself known him to rob the
nests of the red-eyed yirso, chipping
sparrow, robin, wilson's thrush and
ruffed grouse, and doubt not that thou
sands of eggs are annually sacrificed
in the Adirondack region alone, to
crafty his appetite. Therefore,
where abundant, as he always is dur
ing springs that follow nut years. his
influence in checking the increase of
our insectivorous birds can hardly be
over estimated Dr. A. X. Fisher in
forms me that on three occasions he
has known these squirrels to destroy
young robins have long been aware
that this animal was an occasional
depredator of the poultry yard, and
find in journal written twelve years
ago, a note to the effect that case
had come to my knowledge where one
was caught in the act of killing both
chickens and ducks.
According to all accounts the red
squirrel, like other predatory animals.
is extremely aggressive and does not
fear to attack his prey. For exam
l. DF ri faII