No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 511 



of his experience with jays as follows : "Of course the old 

 robins would fight the jays away for a while, but they would 

 come right back again. 1 have known of a bluebird's nest 

 with four or five eggs in it being robbed by jays, for I came 

 along in time to hear the scrimmage, and, on seeing the blue 

 jay in the bluebird's nest, with the bluebirds screaming and 

 flying at the jay, I went and found all the eggs broken, and 

 the jay had eaten the insides." 



Owls. Owls certainly kill some birds, but the number 

 they take is ordinarily so small in proportion to the noxious 

 mammals and insects they destroy that they are believed to 

 be among the most useful of birds. It is, however, rather 

 amusing to hear one friend of the screech owl defending it 

 from the charge of killing small birds, and asserting that it 

 lives on mice and insects, while another says that it is most 

 useful because it destroys so many English sparrows. I 

 have known a screech owl to kill a flicker, occupy its nest 

 and make a meal of the owner. Owls kill many mice, 

 shrews, squirrels, rabbits and other small mammals, and a 

 few birds. The larger species probably kill some game 

 birds. The owls are not so destructive to birds as either 

 hawks or crows. Were they exterminated, we should miss 

 them sadly. The quavering wail of the screech owl at even- 

 ing is one of the characteristic sounds of our orchards and 

 woodlands ; it is becoming altogether too rare in some local- 

 ities. The booming hoot of the horned owl, now seldom 

 heard, gives warning of the approach of the most dangerous 

 owl of our woods. It kills many hares, or so-called rabbits, 

 mice and rats, and is in this respect a friend to the farmer. 



Weasels. Only seventeen people complain of the weasel, 

 and much of the evidence against it is that of killing chickens. 

 I have for years heard the statement made that weasels were 

 very destructive to game birds. I have followed them for 

 miles, and watched them whenever I could. I have written 

 many letters to people who regard them as destructive, but 

 the nearest thing to evidence against them that has come to 

 me yet is contained in the following notes. 



Mr. Thomas Allen of Bernardston says: "Weasels are 

 too sly and quick in movement to be caught. The bird with 



