.169 



Our larger snakes are beneficial in destroying rats, mice, prairie 

 squirrels, and pocket gophers. As most of the food of snakes is 

 obtained remote from human abodes, only a small percentage con- 

 sists of rats. 



BOUNTIES ON PREDATORY ANIMALS. 



Whatever may be said in favor of bounties on the larger beasts 

 of prey, those on hawks, owls, and the smaller fur-bearing animals 

 can not be justified. Payments of this sort should cease, and laws 

 should be enacted to protect species which careful investigations 

 have shown to be mainly beneficial. 



A few States still pay bounties for the destruction of foxes, weasels, 

 skunks, minlcs, and raccoons. All of these, except the southern 

 weasels, have valuable fur, and hence should be protected as a source 

 of wealth. In addition they do far more good by destroying rats, 

 mice, and other field pests than harm to game and poultry. 



The payment of bounties on hawks of any kind is open to the 

 objection that officials hardly ever discriminate between the harmful 

 and the useful kinds, even when the statutes do so. Since the bene- 

 ficial kinds are the more easily captured, public money is often paid 

 out to reward what really injures the commtmity. The bounty on 

 owls is still more reprehensible, since owls are a more decided check 

 to rodent increase. 



The natural enemies of the rat exercise a steady, cumulative effect 

 in restricting the numbers of the pest. That the effect is not greater is 

 largely our own fault, since instead of protecting the birds and 

 mammals that prey on the rat, we destroy them, sometimes even 

 offering bounties on their heads. In future our aim should be to 

 increase their numbers and to protect them in every way possible. 



