93^ Rural School LeaflE'1\ 



hungry because she is a poor mouser unless well fed and is very destruc- 

 tive when obliged to seek her own food. 



Owls and hawks are better mousers than cats. Only one or two 

 of the owls and hawks are destructive to poultiy. A terrier could easily 

 take the place of a cat as a mouse and rat killer. 



The cat is attractive, loves her home, and when trained to hunt 

 only injurious rodents, may be a good citizen of the farm. She is some- 

 times a dangerous pet, because she may contract diseases of the throat 

 and skin which are communicable to the members of the family. 



Cat gut is used for violin strings and the fur is used to line coats and 

 thp like. 



1. What food does the cat seek when foraging for herself? 



2. Does she ever kill chickens or the useful song birds? 



3. Can she be trained to respect such property when she is young? 

 Give reason for your answer. 



4. Is the cat as good a mouser when left to herself as when she is 

 well fed? 



5. Could any animal, harmless to the birds and chickens, take the 

 place of a cat as mouse killer? 



"^he Rabbit. — The rabbit is so prolific, has such a keen appetite, and 

 ita^ active life gives it such a good digestion that the harm rather 

 overbalances the benefits. In some instances rabbits destroy whole 

 orchards. Nursery men lose large quantities of their stock and the 

 truck gardeners have no worse enemies than a nearby family of rabbits. 



The meat of rabbits is very good for food. Their fur, though not 

 very durable, is much used for coat linings. Rabbits have many enemies 

 or they would be a greater menace to the prosperity of the farmer 

 than they are. Owls, hawks, foxes, and weasels feed on them and 

 they are hunted by men and boys. 



1. What is the food of the rabbit in summer? In winter? 



2. What damage do rabbits sometimes do in truck gardens? In 

 orchards? In nurseries of young trees? 



3. What good do they do to balance the harm? Are their bodies 

 good to eat? Is their fur good to wear? 



4. What enemies have rabbits besides the men who hunt them? 



The Squirrel. — Chickaree, the Red Squirrel, the little striped Chip- 

 munk, and big Grey Shadow-tail are all familiar to country children 

 but are they really very well known? 



Like the rabbit the squirrel takes his food from the crops that are 

 of value to the farm. The best nuts on the tree are none too good for 

 him. He will always take nuts of the shag-bark hickory in preference 



