Birds of Oregon and Washington 183 



three contained the remains of poultry. Of the 

 rest, twelve contained the remains of birds ; 102, 

 mice ; 40, other mammals ; 20, reptiles ; 39, 

 frogs; 92, insects; 16, spiders, etc. 



So, on this northwestern coast of the conti- 

 nent, of the very common Hawks only one 

 the Sharp-shinned is always an enemy of birds 

 and poultry. Cooper's Hawk, the other bird of 

 the same habit, is not so common. The rest 

 which will be described are comparatively harm- 

 less, and all are of great service. A good rule 

 for us to follow, if we cannot tell the kind of 

 Hawk at sight, is not to kill a Hawk till we see 

 him attacking the poultry-yard. 



And as for the Owls, they also are compara- 

 tively harmless. The farmers of Pennsylvania 

 had, in the following way, a demonstration of 

 their folly in the destruction of Hawks and 

 Owls. Supposing that these birds fed princi- 

 pally or altogether upon poultry, they secured 

 from the legislature a law setting a price upon 

 every Hawk and Owl killed in the State. After 

 a few years the farms, at least in certain sec- 

 tions of the State, became so infested with mice 

 that the yearly loss in grain was sufficient to 



