Birds of Oregon and Washington 183 



three contained the remains of poultry. Of the 

 rest, twelve contained the remains of birds ; 102, 

 mice ; 40, other mammals ; 20, reptiles ; 39, 

 frogs; 92, insects; 16, spiders, etc. 



So, on this northwestern coast of the conti- 

 nent, of the very common Hawks only one — 

 the Sharp-shinned — is always an enemy of birds 

 and poultry. Cooper's Hawk, the other bird of 

 the same habit, is not so common. The rest 

 which will be described are comparatively harm- 

 less, and all are of great service. A good rule 

 for us to follow, if we cannot tell the kind of 

 Hawk at sight, is not to kill a Hawk till we see 

 him attacking the poultry-yard. 



And as for the Owls, they also are compara- 

 tively harmless. The farmers of Pennsylvania 

 had, in the following way, a demonstration of 

 their folly in the destruction of Hawks and 

 Owls. Supposing that these birds fed princi- 

 pally or altogether upon poultry, they secured 

 from the legislature a law setting a price upon 

 every Hawk and Owl killed in the State. After 

 a few years the farms, at least in certain sec- 

 tions of the State, became so infested with mice 

 that the yearly loss in grain was sufficient to 



