WINGED VERMIN 301 



forgotten that delays are dangerous, and that in the 

 case of unmitigated pests such as crow and sparrow- 

 hawk, magpie and stoat, the longer they live the more 

 harm they do. 



There are, it is well to remember, vermin and vermin. 

 Certain of these predaceous creatures are absolutely and 

 entirely harmful, and, as far as game-preserving is con- 

 cerned, they have not a single redeeming characteristic. 

 As coming within this category, the crows, grey and 

 black, the magpie and jay among birds ; and the 

 poaching house-cat, the polecat, stoat, weasel, and rat 

 among quadrupeds, may be specified as being most 

 widely destructive. Other enemies to good game- 

 preservation there are, but some of these, as for instance 

 the kestrel hawk and certain of the owls, undoubtedly 

 do a considerable amount of good, and so do not merit 

 ruthless extermination. Other creatures formerly occu- 

 pied exceedingly prominent positions on the game- 

 keeper's black list ; amongst these raven, peregrine 

 falcon, harriers (3), buzzards (3), goshawk, badger, 

 beech-marten, pine-marten, and wild-cat are now far 

 from common, some, in fact, being practically extinct. 



WINGED VERMIN. 



THE CARRION CROW, Corvus corone, assuredly is one 

 of the worst enemies that the keeper has to contend 

 with, and partridges' and pheasants' nests are well con- 

 cealed that are secure from this bird's remarkably acute 

 vision. Carrion crows rarely form nesting colonies in 

 the same way as rooks, they preferring to lead a some- 

 what solitary existence, usually going about in single 

 pairs, winter and summer. Old hands generally adopt 



