will wager that later trips were made by this Crow to the Quail's 

 nest as long as the supply of eggs held out. 



Blue Jays sneak quietly through the woods, and among the 

 orchard and shade trees during the nesting season and help them- 

 selves to the eggs and young of useful birds. For a bird usually so 

 garrulous, the Blue Jay at this season of the year is strangely silent. 

 It is an ominous silence, the silence used by a thief in his under- 

 handed work. Whenever the Robin discovers a Jay during the nest- 

 ing season on the prowl, he immediately sounds the alarm, when 

 Robins and other birds immediately flock to the scene and hustle 

 the Jay out of the neighborhood. When this commotion is heard 

 among the birds, grab the shot-gun and annihilate the Blue Jay. 



The Great Horned and Barred Owl, are both very destructive 

 to bird life and should be shot wherever found. 



The Snapping Turtle destroys many young Wild Ducks of 

 all species, and is rather difficult to capture. This Turtle not only 

 seizes the downy young, but also ducks that are half-grown. The 

 bird protectionist has however a valuable ally in the much ma- 

 ligned Skunk. The Skunk undoubtedly destroys some eggs and 

 young of our ground-nesting birds, but endeavors to repay this 

 loss by destroying many eggs of the Snapping Turtle. The 

 Skunk has a decided epicurean taste in this respect, and makes 

 a most thorough search for the eggs of the turtle that have been 

 deposited in sandy stretches near river or pond, promptly digs 

 them out and devours them on the spot, the broken shells scat- 

 tered about giving evidence of the work. 



Too many dogs roam the woods during the nesting season, and 

 a law should be enacted compelling their owners to restrain them 

 at home during the spring and summer months. Some bird 

 dogs develop what is called the "self-hunting" habit, and catch 

 gamebirds on their nest, or the young. Most of the danger how- 

 ever comes from the presence in the woods at night of both rabbit 

 and fox hounds. These dogs while in chase of their quarry, 

 frighten many ground nesting birds from their nests, with the 

 result that the eggs are left to become chilled, and thus prevented 

 from hatching, or the young birds die from exposure before the 

 parent can return to them with the coming of daylight. 

 [66] 



