ENEMIES OP BIRDS 65 



as its inclination dictates. Any method to eliminate 

 these tramps, as Mrs. Davenport puts it, is perfectly 

 proper. All cats habitually prowling about in fields, 

 woods, and parks, should be killed. They are nefari- 

 ous bird slayers, that use human habitations as the 

 base of their operations. 



The next cat is your own dear kitty, who sleeps 

 under the stove all day, never scratches or bites, 

 when baby pulls her ears or pinches her tail, and is 

 too sweet-tempered to hurt the mice in your pantry. 

 Some men and dogs have been known to lead double 

 lives, but cats all lead double lives. Some cats, it is 

 true, will catch mice, but in most city houses mice can 

 by controlled by good masonry and carpentry and 

 by traps and poison. On farms and in large barns 

 good mouse cats are useful and often necessary, but, 

 if you care for the birds, then do not keep more cats 

 than you need, feed them regularly, and promptly dis- 

 pose of all that show marked bird-hunting proclivities. 

 A license law for town cats would, as has been said, 

 be a good thing, but I fear that it could not be 

 enforced. It would also tend to expose the advocates 

 of bird protection to some ridicule, which at present 

 would be very undesirable for the cause. To one who 

 will go to the expense and trouble, I recommend a fence 

 of wire netting from 6 to 8 feet high. Near the upper 

 edge of this netting fasten from 6 to 10 wires, with 

 close, sharp barbs. The space between the barb wires 

 should be from ^ to 1 inch wide. Another way would 

 be to nail to the posts cross pieces from 10 to 18 



