Birds in Relation to Agriculture in New York State 1777 



detrimental, and those that do more harm than good are exceedingly few. 

 In New York State the sharp-shiimed hawk, the Cooper's hawk, the 

 goshawk, and the great homed owl are the only birds that can be said 

 to be uniformly more destructive than beneficial, and even these do con- 

 siderable good. In restricted localities at certain periods of the year, 

 it is doubtless true 

 that crows and black- 

 birds are injurious to 

 grain and robins are 

 injiuious to cherries; 

 but it must be re- 

 membered that in 

 other parts of the 

 State, and at all 

 other seasons of the 

 year, these birds are 

 highly beneficial. 

 Nor should all the 

 individuals of a 

 species be judged by 

 the actions of a few, 

 any more than all 

 mankind should be 

 judged by the theft 

 or knavery of a few. 

 Frequently individu- 

 al birds depart so far 

 from the customary 

 habits of the species, 

 feeding on valuable 

 produce of the farm, 

 as to bring all birds 

 of that kind into disrepute. For example, there are isolated cases of the 

 kingbird, one of our most beneficial birds, feeding on honeybees. The 

 owners of the bees had an econom-ic right to dislike the birds, and if 

 necessary to remove them, pro\'ided they first ascertained whether the 

 kingbirds were not feeding exclusively on the superfluous drones, as has 

 often been the case. 



Great care should always be exercised to correctly determine the 

 culprit, for many unfortunate mistakes are made. For example, the other 

 day a broad- winged hawk, which had been shot by a farmer who accused 

 it of having taken his small chickens, was brought into the laboratory. 



1X2 



Fig. 



II. — The broad-winged haick. 

 taking chickens 



Unjustly accused of 



