130 BIRD FRIENDS 



B. Needless destruction. 



a. Shooting for sport. 



b. Market hunters. 

 e. Milliners' hunters, 

 d. Egg-collecting. 



6. Shooting song-birds for food. 



Among the agencies destructive to bird life are 

 natural enemies which were operative before the 

 advent of the white man, and most of which are 

 still in existence, although many have been de- 

 stroyed by man. 



Squirrels. Among the squirrels the red squirrel 

 is one of the worst offenders. \Vlien it is common, 

 it is a serious enemy of small birds. It eats both 

 eggs and young birds. It is able to reach almost 

 any bird's nest and the small birds can do little to 

 protect themselves from it. When the red squirrels 

 are present in excessive numbers, it may be neces- 

 sary to reduce their numbers to protect the birds. 

 The gray squirrel and chipmunk occasionally feed 

 on young birds, but not so commonly as does the 

 red squirrel. 



Other four-footed enemies. Other animals that 

 may at times destroy eggs and young birds are 

 foxes, weasels, minks, and skunks. Probably none 

 of these, except when numerous, is to be consid- 

 ered a serious enemy of the song-birds. As these 

 animals are rare throughout many portions of the 

 United States, they do not usually do much dam- 

 age. 



