359 



ier. The Great Horned Owl and sometimes the Barred Owl also 

 destroy domesticated fowls. The Duck Hawk, and its smaller 

 relative the Pigeon Hawk, and the Bald Eagle will kill domes- 

 ticated fowls. Among mammals, the common Weasel, Mink, 

 Wildcat, and both kinds of Foxes also destroy a large amount 

 of poultry every year; and these four-footed depredators in 

 common with the raptorial birds above cited do a great deal 

 of mischief by destroying game — birds and mammals — as well 

 as many kinds of small beneficial song birds. The Mink, which 

 lives In the vicinity of water courses, in addition to doing 

 many other bad deeds, destroys fish; large-sized trout seem 

 to be most agreeable to the taste. While hawks and owls, 

 like some of their mammalian cotemporaries, do not, so far as 

 I can learn, disturb the eggs of poultry or wild birds, we have 

 the pestiferous Skunk which is a most adroit nest robber. This 

 animal, like many other evil doers, goes about in the dark to 

 kill poultry or eat their eggs, and when these cannot be readily 

 obtained he attacks the eggs and broods of all ground-nesting 

 birds he can find. Skunks do much damage to poultry, and 

 the havoc they make among game birds, especially Turkeys, 

 Quail, Pheasants and Woodcock, should prompt every lover of 

 the dog and gun to extirpate these sneaking and sly pilferers. 

 They of course prey to some extent on different forms of in- 

 sect-life, but, possibly, it may be they consume almost as many 

 beneficial species as they do of noxious kinds. Some observers 

 believe this to be the case, and if they are correct, then there 

 can be no room for doubt that the whole Skunk race should be 

 exterminated as their ravages in poultry yards, to game, and to 

 insect-devouring birds is well established. 



C. K. SOBER, Lewisburg: 



The Skunk, or Polecat, as this nocturnal quadruped is called 

 by many, is, according to my observation, a most despicable ani- 

 mal. While it is probably true that he destroys some destruc- 

 tive larvae and beetles which subsist on the farmer's crops, 

 the damage he and his numerous family occasion by frequent 

 visits to the hen coops is considerable. I think the loss to the 

 farmer and fruit-grower, through the destruction of the eggs 

 and young of insectivorous birds by Skunks, is much greater 

 than the good these animals do by devouring crop-destroying 

 insect pests. Sportsmen who desire to see the game birds in- 

 crease, very generally favor the extermination of Skunks be- 

 cause they devour the eggs and young of Pheasants, Turkeys, 

 Quail and Woodcock; and they sometimes eat young Hares. 



