﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  55 
  

  

  and 
  let 
  it 
  drop 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  with 
  a 
  deep 
  gash 
  bit 
  through 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  

   its 
  skull. 
  

  

  Weasels 
  are 
  also 
  a 
  dangerous 
  foe 
  to 
  birds. 
  This 
  fierce 
  little 
  pirate 
  

   destroys 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  those 
  species 
  which 
  nest 
  or 
  roost 
  upon 
  the 
  

   ground. 
  Sometimes 
  he 
  attacks 
  birds 
  of 
  large 
  size. 
  On 
  one 
  occasion 
  I 
  saw 
  

   in 
  the 
  snow 
  the 
  marks 
  of 
  a 
  desperate 
  struggle 
  which 
  had 
  taken 
  place 
  between 
  

   a 
  weasel 
  and 
  a 
  cock 
  grouse. 
  The 
  weasel 
  had 
  sprung 
  upon 
  him 
  as 
  he 
  was 
  

   sleeping 
  on 
  the 
  hillside, 
  and 
  they 
  had 
  rolled 
  and 
  struggled 
  down 
  the 
  hill 
  

   together 
  until 
  the 
  grouse, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  favoring 
  slope, 
  finally 
  shook 
  off 
  

   his 
  assailant 
  by 
  his 
  powerful 
  wing-strokes 
  and 
  left 
  a 
  large 
  mouthful 
  of 
  

   hackle 
  feathers 
  in 
  the 
  snow 
  as 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  liberty. 
  Minks, 
  martens 
  and 
  

   skunks 
  are 
  natural 
  enemies 
  to 
  the 
  birds, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  as 
  destructive 
  as 
  the 
  

   weasel, 
  unless 
  we 
  except 
  the 
  marten 
  which 
  is 
  largely 
  arboreal 
  in 
  habits 
  and 
  

   conseqiiently 
  wrecks 
  many 
  a 
  dainty 
  household 
  which 
  escapes 
  terrestrial 
  

   enemies. 
  

  

  Among 
  our 
  native 
  reptiles 
  the 
  black 
  snake 
  is 
  undoubtedly 
  a 
  dreaded 
  

   enemy 
  to 
  birds, 
  for 
  it 
  attacks 
  their 
  nests 
  both 
  in 
  trees 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  ground; 
  

   and 
  the 
  snapping 
  turtle 
  is 
  destructive 
  to 
  ducklings, 
  young 
  rails, 
  coots 
  

   and 
  bitterns. 
  Like 
  the 
  snapping 
  turtle 
  some 
  fishes, 
  notably 
  the 
  pike, 
  

   pickerel 
  and 
  bowfin 
  often 
  rise 
  from 
  the 
  grassy 
  shallows 
  and 
  drag 
  down 
  

   the 
  young 
  of 
  ducks 
  and 
  marsh 
  birds 
  and 
  even 
  capture 
  the 
  agile 
  Marsh 
  wren 
  

   as 
  it 
  trips 
  along 
  the 
  grasses 
  at 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  My 
  friend, 
  Mr 
  

   Foster 
  Parker, 
  of 
  Cayuga, 
  informs 
  me 
  that 
  Marsh 
  wrens 
  have 
  decreased 
  

   remarkably 
  along 
  the 
  marshes 
  of 
  Seneca 
  river 
  since 
  the 
  bowfin, 
  or 
  "dog- 
  

   fish," 
  became 
  abundant 
  in 
  those 
  waters. 
  

  

  We 
  must 
  not 
  forget 
  the 
  parasites, 
  both 
  external 
  and 
  internal, 
  which 
  

   prey 
  upon 
  birds 
  and 
  often 
  destroy 
  their 
  life 
  directly, 
  especially 
  young 
  birds 
  

   in 
  the 
  nest. 
  I 
  have 
  noticed 
  many 
  instances 
  in 
  which 
  phoebes, 
  swallows, 
  

   goldfinches 
  and 
  woodpeckers 
  lost 
  all 
  or 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  young 
  through 
  the 
  

   attacks 
  of 
  lice 
  which 
  swarmed 
  about 
  their 
  nests. 
  Every 
  species 
  of 
  bird 
  

   has 
  a 
  louse 
  which 
  specially 
  afflicts 
  it. 
  Ticks 
  often 
  fasten 
  themselves 
  on 
  the 
  

   heads 
  of 
  young 
  grouse 
  and 
  gradually 
  absorb 
  their 
  life. 
  Man}^ 
  birds, 
  like 
  the 
  

   Meadowlark, 
  are 
  the 
  hosts 
  of 
  tapeworms 
  and 
  other 
  abdominal 
  parasites. 
  

  

  