ENEMIES OF BIRDS 65 
as its inclination dictates. Any method to eliminate 
these tramps, as Mrs. Davenport puts it, is perfectly 
proper. All cats habitually prowling about in fields, 
woods, and parks, should be killed. They are nefari- 
ous bird slayers, that use human habitations as the 
base of their operations. 
The next cat is your own dear kitty, who sleeps 
under the stove all day, never scratches or bites, 
when baby pulls her ears or pinches her tail, and is 
too sweet-tempered to hurt the mice in your pantry. 
Some men and dogs have been known to lead double 
lives, but cats all lead double lives. Some cats, it is 
true, will catch mice, but in most city houses mice can 
by controlled by good masonry and carpentry and 
by traps and poison. On farms and in large barns 
good mouse cats are useful and often necessary, but, 
if you care for the birds, then do not keep more cats 
than you need, feed them regularly, and promptly dis- 
pose of all that show marked bird-hunting proclivities. 
A license law for town cats would, as has been said, 
be a good thing, but I fear that it could not be 
enforced. It would also tend to expose the advocates 
of bird protection to some ridicule, which at present 
would be very undesirable for the cause. To one who 
will go to the expense and trouble, I recommend a fence 
of wire netting from 6 to 8 feet high. Near the upper 
edge of this netting fasten from 6 to 10 wires, with 
close, sharp barbs. ‘The space between the barb wires 
should be from 4 to 1 inch wide. Another way would 
be to nail to the posts cross pieces from 10 to 18 
F 
