1 68 



ANIMAL BIOLOGY 



than insects and other 

 robbers, it is true, but 

 they are skillful and 

 zealous in pursuit, keen 

 of eye, quick, active, 

 and remarkably vora- 

 cious. The purely in- 

 sectivorous birds are 

 the most useful, but the 

 omnivorous and grami- 

 nivorous birds do not 

 disdain insects. The 

 percJicrs and the wood- 

 Fig. 311. -Screech Owl (Megascops asio). peckers sJlOllld be pro- 



Question: Compare posture of body, position of teded 1HOSt CCll'efltllV- 

 eyes, and size of eyes, with other birds. t-,, ..... . 



I he night birds of prey 

 (and those of the day to a less degree) are very destructive 

 to field mice, rabbits, and other 

 gnawing animals. Some igno- 

 rant farmers complain continu- 

 ally about the harm done by 

 birds. To destroy them is as 

 unwise as it would be to destroy 

 the skin which protects the hu- 

 man body because it has a spot 

 upon it ! It cannot be repeated 

 too plainly that to hunt useful 

 birds is a wrong and mischievous 

 act, and it is stupid and barba- 

 rous to destroy their nests. 



Injurious birds are few. Of 



course birds which are the ene- 



Fig. 312. — Goshawk, 

 mies of other birds are enemies Q r chicken hawk 



