in South Carolina 23 



The larger natural enemies destroy the smaller ones: 

 Crows and Jays destroy smaller birds; Hawks and Owls 

 destroy Crows and Jays, thus preserving what is known 

 as the balance of nature, or the adjustment of nature's 

 laws. But thru man's interference, this balance or adjust- 

 ment is often upset, and the native natural enemies of 

 birds may become so numerous as to be positively harmful. 

 When this happens these native natural enemies should be 

 reduced in numbers but not wholly destroyed, for it is not 

 known what disastrous results might follow the des- 

 truction of a single species. 



Forty-eight observers report Hawks and eighteen report 

 Owls as very injurious. It is most unfortunate that two 

 families of birds having so many good members as the 

 Hawk and Owl famiUes should be so hated and persecuted 

 because of the evil ways of a few exceptions. Detailed 

 examinations of the food habits of these birds show that 

 only three Hawks, viz: Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, and Duck 

 Hawks, and one Owl, the Great Horned, do more harm 

 than good. The Duck Hawk is so rare in this State, it 

 need scarcely be taken into consideration.^ Cooper's and 

 Sharp-shinned Hawks destroy many birds and most of the 

 poultry for which all hawks are persecuted. The Great 

 Horned Owl is found only in deep woods. 



Nearly all the common snakes are said to eat birds and 

 eggs, but the most destructive is the pilot black snake. 

 Crows and Jays are destructive to bird life by robbing the 

 nests and destroying the eggs and young of other birds. 

 The Crow and Jay have some useful habits which atone 

 for this destruction, tho neither should be allowed to 

 become so numerous as to be seriously destructive. 



The native four-footed enemies of birds do some harm: 

 Foxes, wild cats, minks, skunks and opossums. But they 

 do some good in other ways. The natural enemies intro- 

 duced into this country which have become very injurious 

 to native birds are: English Sparrow, dog, horse, cat and 

 hog. As the destruction caused by them is due indirectly to 



1 Wayne, A. T., Birds of South Carolina, p. 77. 



