100 Wild Bird Guests 



open, and sharp talons ready to snuff out the 

 lives of the thieving mice or rats. This little 

 fellow may often be induced to take up his 

 residence on a given farm, if a suitable nest box 

 is put up for him in the orchard. There are 

 several such nest boxes in this village and I know 

 of at least two which are occupied by screech 

 owls. One of them is on an apple tree in my 

 own orchard, and when I found the owl, I found 

 in the box beside him, half a very large black rat, 

 and several pellets containing the bones and fur 

 of meadow mice. 



If space permitted, we might go on through the 

 whole long list and continue to prove by indis- 

 putable evidence that most hawks and owls are 

 of great value to the men to whom the presence 

 of rats and mice and gophers and other rodents 

 means a money loss. But even from the above 

 facts, I think it will be seen that in most birds 

 of prey the farmer has powerful, allies who should 

 be encouraged in every way possible and made to 

 feel that they are never so safe as when they are 

 on the farm. 



The cuckoos of which we have two species, 

 the black-billed and the yellow-billed, are among 

 our most valuable destroyers of insects. They 

 make a specialty of hairy caterpillars and are 

 among the best checks upon the destructive 



