IN ‘THE POULTRY YARD. 169 
locality rather unhealthy. Occasionally, when a hawk was seen 
sailing over the place at a great height, we fired a shot at him from 
a rifle, taking good care that the bullet went in a direction where 
it would do no damage. We never succeeded in hitting a hawk 
in this way, but they did not seem to like the whiz of the bullet, 
and speedily took their departure for safer regions. 
They did not seem to like to attack the poultry in the small 
breeding coops, probably taking the coops for some kind of 
trap. Amongst the large flocks we placed a few game cocks, and 
the hawks did not trouble us much after that. 
Only on one occasion did the pole traps serve a good purpose. 
One morning in the fall we were awakened by a tremendous com- 
motion in the yard—dogs barking, ducks quacking, hens cack- 
ling, and all the signs of some terrible calamity. On looking out of 
the window I saw that one of our pole-traps had caught a large owl 
by the feet, and his criés and motions had attracted an immense 
number of crows, hawks, etc. Hastily donning a few garments, 
I seized my breech-loader and a belt of cartridges, and rushed 
down stairs. Getting quietly into the barn, I opened a narrow 
side door and commenced firing. At every shot I brought down 
a hawk or a crow, and at first the firing did not seem to deter 
those that were left. Even after I had picked off a hawk from 
within a few feet of the owl, tumbling him head over lieels to the 
ground, another would make a swoop, just as if nothing had hap- 
pened. Of course, I took care not to shoot too close to the owl, 
and in a short time the ground was strewed with birds. Then 
they began to get wary. ‘Ihe crows were the first to abandon 
the field, and after them the hawks went too. As at was, how- 
ever, I had a piece of rare sport, and revenged myself on enemies 
that, otherwise, I never could have reached. 
I have heard it said, by old poultry keepers, that hawks will 
not attack poultry, if there are guinea hens around. I know no- 
thing of the accuracy of this statement, but it certainly is “ impor- 
tant if true.” 
Against most four-footed vermin, including cats, we found that a 
good Scotch terrier was the best defence. We had cats of our 
