68 OUR NATIVE BIRDS 
Squirrels and Chipmunks. — It is well proved that 
these animals, especially the red squirrel, destroy 
many eggs and young birds. As every bird lover 
is generally a lover of all nature, he must decide 
whether he will sacrifice some birds and keep the 
squirrels and chipmunks, or whether he will restrict 
himself to birds, and shoot the amusing, frisky little 
rodents. 
Weasels, Minks, Skunks, Foxes, etc. —In regard to 
these animals, I would say, from the bird lover’s point 
of view, let nature alone. The birds must have some- 
body to look out for and to keep their wits sharpened. 
For my own part, I could not enjoy living in a world 
that was inhabited exclusively by very good people and 
by very sweetly singing birds. Let us keep some of 
the wild Indian creatures about us. 
Hawks, Owls, Crows, and Jays. — The United States 
Department of Agriculture, in an admirable pamphlet 
called “ Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the 
Farmer,” has shown conclusively that of about fifty 
species of hawks and owls investigated, only four 
common United States species are actually injurious. 
These are the duck hawk, the sharp-shinned hawk, 
Cooper’s hawk, and the goshawk. About ten species 
are wholly beneficial, thirty are chiefly beneficial, and 
in seven the beneficial and harmful qualities balance. 
This shows that nobody should kill a hawk or an owl 
unless he knows exactly what species he kills. Nine 
times out of ten the farmer kills one of his best friends, 
when he shoots a hawk or an owl. 
