6 bie NATURA TEST. 
the smaller Screech Owls. 
Recently a farmer told me that 
there was but one species of Owls 
and those less 
learned neighbor “Screech Owls, 
were nothing more nor less than 
young Hoot Owls.” Surely this 
man should be elected to honor- 
ary membership in (thee O70); 
in memory of his great discovery. 
Last summer a farmer called to 
get me to shoot a Hawk that was 
depopulating his poultry ‘yards. 
His wife had seen the Hawk and 
from her description he thought it 
must be a Meadow Hawk (J4Zarsh 
Hawk). But I told him it could 
not be for I never knew one of 
these to make daily trips as it is 
the custom of the Sharp-Shinned. 
Great was his surprise when shown 
one of these latter shot in the very 
act. He had never supposed that 
so small a bird could carry off 
half-grown pullets, but such was 
the case for this one was shot as 
he was flying away and the almost 
lifeless chicken was the proof, 
It is not strictly necessary for a 
farmer to be an ornithologist but 
he should at least be able to dis- 
tinguish his enemies from his 
friends and he has some strong 
ones of both in the Hawks and 
Owls. 
In this brief article I shall try to 
divide the injurious from the bene- 
ficial, but the dividing line will be 
variable, as some species are bene- 
ficial in one section and injurious 
in another. Among those injuri- 
ous in all parts of the country will 
his 
called by 
be found the Sharp-Shinned, 
Cooper’s Goshawk, Duckhawk and 
all of the Gyrfalcons. These have 
no redeeming features as they de- ° 
stroy large quantities of poultry 
and wild birds. And were it not 
for the fact that all but the first 
two are northern residents they 
would prove immense plaguers. 
The Goshawk sometimes moves 
into the states in the fall and then 
the farmer should have the old 
fusec loaded or his hen house will 
be deserted in a short time. The 
Osprey has but few good qualities 
and probably does some damage 
to the fishing interests, but as his 
home is near the water he does 
the farmer little harm. Among 
those whose depredations are nearly 
balanced by their destruction of 
injurious mammals, I would class 
the following and would recom- 
mend you to study their habits in 
your locality: Bald and Golden 
Eagles, Pigeon and Richardson’s 
Hawks, Alplomado and Prairie 
Falcons and Great Horned Owls. 
These embrace all that are strictly 
liable to do more damage than 
good. The Marsh, Red-Shoulder- 
ed and Red-Tailed Hawks destroy 
a few birds but they also destroy 
many thousand mice and squirrels 
that would have been allowedto live 
and in time destroy ten times the 
birds the hawks do, in the way of 
destroying their eggs. 
Thus it is that the great Creator 
preserves an equalizing power over 
His animals. All other species 
are greatly beneficial and every 
one killed is a blow against the 
farmer: In fact a few as) 9ihe 
Kites and the little Sparrow Hawk 
are so beneficial that laws should 
be made to protect them. 
STEPHEN J. ADAMS. 
