200 Tue Witson BULLETIN—NOoOs. 76-77. 
to be injurious to agriculture is the killing of toads and small 
snakes; the former of which are exclusively insect-eaters, the 
latter very largely so. In one respect the enormous value 
ranks above all other birds, and that is-the destruction of im- 
mense numbers of injurious larve of large moths, which most 
birds are either unable or disinclined to cope with,” 
Bristol Co., Mass. Nest of two young, three or four days 
old, also contained a full grown red squirrel (Carpenter ms.). 
Godbout, Quebec.——The food of some I examined here, 
seem to consist of mice and small birds, and in one case I 
found remnants of the Northern Hare, but I do not think 
it kills them regularly, it was probably found dead—(Comeau 
ms.). 
Ottawa, Ont-—Those that I] examined apparently fed on 
insects, small mammals, snakes and frogs. In fact it appears 
to be very fond of small wood frogs and grasshoppers. A 
favorite locality is a cedar swamp where there are lots of 
frogs and garter snakes.—( White #.). ; 
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba——While with us it feeds upon 
mice and small rodents, I never had any complaints of its in- 
terfering with poultry and never found bird remains in its 
stomach —( Atkinson ms.). 
Norwich, Conn.—Chipmunks, red-squirrels and snakes.— 
(Richard #s.). 
York Co., Pa—On May 1, 1904, I was much surprised to 
see one swoop down, sieze and carry off a red squirrel from 
the middle of the road, not more than thirty feet ahead of me. 
It then flew to a tree some hundred yards away, where I 
watched it through my field glass, tear and devour the ani- 
mal.—(Wisler wrs.). 
“Seldom committing depredations in the poultry yard and 
rarely killing a small bird of any kind.”—( Keys). 
“Never have I known them to molest poultty.”—( Preston). 
“There were never any signs about the nest that birds or 
poultry formed part of the food of the young—( Burroughs). 
“Rarely kills birds and is distinctly a benefit to the agricul- 
tural interests.”—( Roberts). 
