360 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
OTTO BULLIS, WINNEBAGO CITY. 
If Iam expected to report of birds that are injurious to the horticultu- 
rist,as Prof. Lugger would of insects, I shall have little to say, as 1 cannot 
call to mind a single (native) species I should wish exterminated or its 
numbers reduced, not excepting that bugbear of the poultry raiser, the 
hen hawk. 
While most species of our native birds appear as numerous as ever, the 
Raptores (birds of prey), that were once so common, are now seldom seen, 
owing I think to the hostility of everyone toward them. The hawks and 
owls doubtless do destroy many of the smaller and most useful insect- 
eating birds, with an occasional barnyard fowl ; but this is more than off- 
set by the countless numbers of gophers, field mice and similar pests 
which they destroy. Owing principally to scarcity of hawks and owls, 
and, consequently, the greatly increased number of field mice, our crop of 
clover seed was not half what it promised, for although the fields bloomed 
with unusual profusion,most of the blossoms ripened little or no seed. This 
I account for by the scarcity of bumblebees,so useful in transferring pollen 
from blossom to blossom. ‘The scarcity of this insect is accounted for by 
the multitude of their deadly foes,the field mice,to be found in every field; 
and were our hawks and owls more numerous, field mice would not abound 
in such unusual numbers. Another season, if conditions remain the same, 
we may be obliged to import either hawks, bumblebees or clover seed ; 
for we must raise red clover to maintain our farms and live stock on a pay- 
ing basis. 
As so much is to be said in favor of the persecuted hawks and owls, 
there can be no excuse for the wanton destruction of other species of our 
native birds, not even excepting the blackbirds, which in earlier days 
were so destructive to cornfields. 
I have heard my father relate how ‘‘in the early days—’54 or 55—the set- 
tlers complained of the depredations by the blackbirds, claiming it was 
impossible to secure a crop of corn in Minnesota, as the blackbirds would 
destroy whole acres of corn while in the milk, even stripping the husks 
in shreds in order to obtain all the corn.” 
Now few farmers complain of the blackbird, not because these birds 
are less nuwerous, but the country being so well settled,the birds are dis- 
persed over more fields, and the injury done to each field is slight. 
A few years ago large quantities of quail succumbed to the intense and 
prolonged cold weather, but they are becoming more common now. 
Heavy spring rains have covered our dry lakes with water, and once 
more the water fowl remain throughout the breeding season. 
Large flocks of the prairie hen are at present reported from various 
parts of southern Minnesota, but as few are to be found here in chicken 
season the flocks must be considerably augmented by the addition of 
