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402.  ROPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, 
FOOD OF HAWKS AND OWLS. 
By Dr. A. K. FisHer, Assistant Ornithologist. 
The present brief synopsis of results, which is preliminary to a 
special report now in preparation on the food habits of the Hawks — 
and Owls of the United States, is based on the examination of 1,072 
stomachs, 651 of which are in the possession of the Department. Of — 
the 421 stomachs not in the Department collection, the greater num- 
ber were examined by Dr. B. H. Warren, State Ornithologist of 
Pennsylvania, and other members of the American Ornithologists’ 
Union. Theremainder were compiled from Prof. Samuel Aughey’s — 
“Notes on the Nature of the Food of the Birds of Nebraska** and — 
Mr. Edward Swift’s recent article on ‘‘The Food of Rapacious Birds.”¢ ' 
Of the 1,072 stomachs examined, 89 were empty. Of the 985 con- 
taining food, 5% contained poultry; 20, game birds; 177, other birds; 
528, mice; 137, other mammals; 51, reptiles and batrachians, and — 
255, insects. On loaking at the following tables it will be seen that _ 
certain species. feed principally on mice and insects, while others feed — 
chiefly on poultry and small birds. In the latter category, fortu- 
nately, there are but 5 species in the Eastern States, namely, the 
Sharp-Shinned, Cooper’s, Duck, and Pigeon Hawks, and the Great 
Horned Owl. Taking out the 126 stomachs of these five species, — 
there remain 857 stomachs of 23 species, of which 31 contained poul- 
try; 11, game birds; 109, other birds; 518, mice; 125, other mammals; 
_49, reptiles and batrachians, and 241, insects. In other words, poul _ 
try was found in but 3.6 per cent. of the 857 stomachs, while mice 
were found in 64.4 per cent. — 
In the accompanying tables the names of the animals found in — 
the stomachs are given in general terms, such as mouse, mole, shrew. 
In nearly all cases (more than 99 per cent.) the exact species of each ~ 
has been determined and SUP and will be given in the final re- _ 
port. This is important, inasmuch as allied species often differ im 
economic consequence. Some small mammals are beneficial, and 
the injurious species are harmful in different degrees, according to ~ 
their food habits and the character of the places which they inhabit. 
The following persons have contributed stomachs of hawks and 
owls to the Department collection; Dr. W. C. Avery, Vernon Bailey, — 
W. B. Barrows, F. M. Chapman, Hubert L. Clark, William Cou- 7 
per, F. T. Cuthbert, E. O. Damon, L. M. Davies, J. L. Davison, F. 
J. Dixon, William F. Doertenbach, William Dutcher, Jonathan 
Dwacht. jry Dri A. Ke Wisher, Wi. Fisher, M. M. Green, C. C. 
Hanmer, E. M. Hasbrouck, A. H. Hawley, J. H. Hendrickson, W. 
F. Hendrickson, H. W. Henshaw, H. K. James, C. A. Keeler, Will 
iam G. W. Leizear, J. B. Lewis, William Lloyd, F. A. Lucus, Dr 7% 
C. Hart Merriam, G. S. Miller, jr., H. H. Miller, J. Percy Moore, F.  *7 
S. Place, Charles W. Richmond, Robert Ridgway, C. B. Riker, John 
H. Sage, W. E. Saunders, J. M. Shaffer, Dr. Hugh M. Smith, R. W. 
Smith, F. Stephens, Willard E. Treat, Dr. B. H. Warren, F. 5. Web- 
ster, H. G. White, Otto Widmann, A. H. Wood. 
' “First Annual Report of United States Entomological Commission, Appendix, 
pp. 42-46, 1878. 
{Forest and Stream, Vol. XXX, No. 6, March 1, 1888, p. 104. 
