242 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



Nevertheless, individual birds of several other species may at 

 times become destructive to poultry or game, and may have to 

 be killed, but the indiscriminate shooting and trapping of these 

 birds is likely to do more harm than good. 



The owls, with the exception of very few species, are now 

 believed to be among the most useful of all birds. They de- 

 stroy destructive insects and mammals at night which escape 

 other birds by day. The great horned owl (Bubo mrginianiLS 

 mrginianus) usually is regarded as pernicious, as it destroys 

 game and poultry, particularly chickens and turkeys when they 

 are allowed to roost in trees at night, but it is now becoming 

 rare and should be killed only where it is known to attack 

 poultry or game. The fact that there are robbers among hawks 

 and owls is not good ground for exterminating all. Mr. E. O. 

 Niles records the finding of the remains of one hundred and 

 thirteen rats on the ground beneath a horned owl's nest, all 

 taken within a period of about ten days. It is a habit of these 

 rapacious birds • to regurgitate or reject, through the mouth, 

 bones, fur, feathers, and other indigestible portions of their 

 food. Dr. Fisher found about the nest of a barn owl {Aluco 

 pratincola) four hundred and fifty-three skulls of mice, rats and 

 other small mammals and only one of a bird.^ 



Eagles. 

 The bald eagle {Halicetus leucocephalus leucocephalus) has 

 been observed to pursue and strike down water fowl on the 

 wing, and also to catch them on or in the water, but it lives 

 chiefly on fish, captures few except crippled water fowl and 

 is now becoming generally rare in New England. The golden 

 eagle {Aquila chrysaetos) is only accidental here. 



Introduced Bird Enemies. 

 The English Sparroiv (Passer domesticus) . 

 This is the one bird that if not destroyed or driven away will 

 dispossess the smaller native birds of all bird houses and nesting 

 boxes. All who cultivate its acquaintance will learn eventually 

 the truth of this statement. Like most birds it is serviceable in 

 destroying insect pests, but less so than most native species. 



> Fisher, A. K.: U. S. Dept. of Agr., Div. of Orn. and Mam., Bull. No. 3, The Hawks and 

 Owls of the United States, 1893, p. 136. 



