ORNITHOLOGY. 399 



Hawks and owls will In time become extinct, unless they are protected 

 by the farmer, instead of being persecuted by these gentlemen as well as 

 by any one that is able to carry a gun. I say protected by the farmer, 

 because they own the land and derive the must benefit from these birds 



The food of owls consists of small animals, such as mice, gophers and 

 rats. I have found but a single instance where the stomach of a snowy 

 owl contained the remains of a western meadow lark, and I have exam- 

 ined dozens and dozens of stomachs of the owl tribe that inhabit this 

 state. When you see an owl near your barn, it is not for the chickens in 

 your coop that she visits there, but the mice and small animals that are 

 apt to be there. 



Hawks are not very much different from owls as regards food. They 

 will, however, capture small birds once in a while, and some of the species 

 a chicken, if they can get it. But the damage that is done is so small if 

 compared to the benefit they do in the way of destroying gophers and 

 mice in our fields, that they deserve our protection. I examined the 

 stomach of a western red-tail hawk, at Excelsior, that contained about a 

 dozen frogs. I presume they want, as we do, a change once in a while. 



The United States government spent thousands of dollars a few years 

 ago to investigate this subject of damage done by hawks and owls, and if 

 any of you gentlemen wish to see for yourselves, I refer you to that re- 

 port. Unless you wish to make use of a bird, whether it is a robin or an 

 owl, do not kill or allow it to be killed, on your premises. If a hawk be- 

 comes troublesome about your poultry yard fire off a gun once or twice 

 and he will stay away, but do not kill him. Would you kill your pet dog 

 or cat if they had made a mistake in your yard ? No, indeed I but you 

 would, probably, punish them. Do all you canto have the birds stay on 

 your farms and gardens. Put up bird houses for the purple martins and 

 the bluebirds in your garden. But, watch iti if that imported little nuis- 

 ance, the English sparrow, troubles them, kill him as you would a rat. 



