girls who are ready to weep over the misery of a wounded bird 

 can be induced to wear hats ornamented with stuffed birds or 

 the feathers of birds dehberately slaughtered for decorative 

 purposes is a problem not so easy of solution. Many of the 

 states have properly passed laws for the punishment of those 

 who have in their possession the skins and feathers of any song 

 bird or other protected bird. 



Less blame can attach to domestic and wild creatures that 

 pursue and destroy the birds. They are moved to do it by 

 instinct and hunger. Prominent among these are the red 

 squirrels. In the spring, they are very fond of birds' eggs and 

 destroy many of the helpless young in the nest. To avoid a 

 battle, they usually rob the nest when the parent-birds are 

 absent seeking food. As red squirrels have no value whatever, 

 they should be shot for the mischief they do to the birds. One 

 cannot have both birds and red squirrels in abundance about 

 the premises. 



Cats have long held a high place as family pets. They 

 also have some value for killing rats and rnice, but they are 

 among the worst enemies of the birds. Especially is this true 

 of the vagrant kind that live mainly upon what they can cap- 

 ture for themselves. Such cats hunt as regularly for birds as 

 for vermin. They should be exterminated. If household cats 

 acquire a liking for bird-flesh, pets though they may be, they 

 should be put where there are no birds for them to get. 



Some kinds of Hawks and Owls and also the Crows and 

 the Jays live in part upon other birds, their eggs and their 

 young. There is no way of determining the amount of mis- 

 chief which is done by them. While it is considerable, it has 

 doubtless been much overestimated. These birds are often 

 charged with oflfenses that should be laid against skunks, 

 weasels, rats and snakes, for every one of these is guilty of 



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