THE BIRDS 2O7 



destruction for food of such birds as meadow larks, robins, 

 blackbirds, and even many birds of smaller size. Laws 

 prohibiting the sale of game birds prevent the systematic 

 hunting for the market which is so destructive of bird life. 

 Birds are still sacrificed to provide ornaments for ladies' 

 hats, but the combined forces of legislation and public 

 sentiment have diminished the fearful slaughter of our 

 most beautiful birds for this purpose. 



One of the most destructive of the enemies of birds is 

 the common house cat. It is unfortunate that this familiar 



FIG. 162. Great grey owl. (From photo by Holliger.) 



object of affection and fostering care should prove so mis- 

 chievous a malefactor, but recent investigations have 

 made the case against pussy a very strong one. Forbush 

 estimates that a mature cat kills on the average more 

 than fifty birds a year and John Burroughs says that cats 

 kill more birds than all other animals combined. Ordi- 

 narily the depredations of cats escape notice, since they 

 hunt in a quiet manner and do much of their prowling 

 around at night. Cats are especially destructive to nest- 

 ing birds and their young. It is true that cats perform 



