50 



THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Of 562 stomachs examined by the author, 54 contained poultry or 

 game birds; 51, other birds; 278, mice; 131, other mammals; 37, ba- 

 trachiaus and reptiles; 47, insects; 8, crawfish; 13, offal; and 89 were 

 empty. It has been demonstrated by careful stomach examination that 

 poultry and game birds do not constitute more than 10 per cent of the 

 food of this Hawk, and that all the other beneficial animals preyed upon, 

 including snakes, will not increase this proportion to 15 per cent. Thus 

 the balance in favor of the Hawk is at least 85 per cent, made up largely 

 of various species of injurious rodents — a fact that every thoughtful 

 farmer should remember. It is not to be denied that a good deal of 

 poultry is destroyed by this Hawk, but the damage done is usually 

 among the less vigorous fowls in the late fall, and in view of the great 

 number of injurious rodents as well as other noxious animals which 

 this Hawk destroys it should seem equivalent to a misdemeanor to kill 

 one, except in the act of carrying off poultry. The fact that there are 

 robbers among Hawks is no sound argument for exterminating any and 

 every one. 



The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- 

 fied among the stomach contents : 



MAMMALS. 



Soiwrus dberti. 

 Sciurus carolinensis. 

 Sdurus c. leuootis. 

 Sciurus anzonensis. 

 Scinrm hudaoniiyus. 

 Tamias striatus. 

 Tamias qiMdriviUatua. 

 SpermopMlws lateralis. 

 Sp&rmophilus grammurus. 

 SpermopMlus franklini. 

 SpermopMlus tridecemlineatut, 

 Beithrodontomys humilis. 

 Mtts decumanus. 

 Mus musculus, 



s americanus, 



I sonoriensls. 

 Neotoma mexieana. 

 Arvicola riparius. 

 Arvicola pinetonim. 

 Synaptomys cooperi. 

 Sigmodon Idspidus. 

 Zdpus Jiudsonius. 

 MretMzon doraatus. 

 Lepns texianus. 

 Lepus sylvatieits, 

 Lepns 8. arizonw. 

 Zepus s. nuttalli. 

 Thomomys. 



Perodipus ordii. 



Mephitis mepMHoa. 



Sorex. 



Slarina hremcanda. 



Blarina ft. carolinensis. 



Slarina exilipes. 



Scalops aquaticus. 



Dafila acuta. 

 Eallus elegans. 

 Colinus virginianus. 

 Callipepla ganibeli. 

 Bonasa umbellns. 

 Zmaidura macroura. 



gascops asio. 

 Melanerpes erythroceplialus. 

 Otocoris alpestris. 

 Corvns americanus. 

 Siurnella magna. 

 Icterus spurius. 

 Quiscalus quiscula. 

 Pooccetus gramineus. 

 Ammodramus s. passerinuB, 

 Spizella moniicola. 

 Junco liyemalis. 

 Melospiza fasciata. 

 Merula migratoria. 

 Sialia sialis. 



Like many other Hawks, the Eed-tail seems to delight in circling high 

 among the clouds, where it is barely visible from the ground or even 



