142 WINGED ROBBERS AND NEST-BUILDERS. 



As this class of birds do not take much pains in 

 dressing their food at the time of eating, but swal- 

 low feathers, hair, bones and all, Nature has pro- 

 vided a skillful contrivance within the muscular 

 stomach, which separates the indigestible parts, 

 and rolls them up into wads or pellets, to be 

 thrown up after the disuniting process has been 

 completed. 



Notwithstanding the weakness these robbers 

 have for a tender chicken now and then, they 

 render good service to the agriculturist as his 

 " man at arms," by ridding the meadows of mice 

 and other vermin, which, but for them and the 

 house cat that takes occasional strolls, would soon 

 swarm the field, destroying the grass roots and 

 girdling the apple-trees. As a proof of their use- 

 fulness to the farmer, a curious naturalist examined 

 a certain number of these pellets and found them 

 to be the remains of mice, moles and insects with 

 a very small proportion of those of birds. 



We often come upon specimens of these aerial 

 highwaymen, descended to earth, perched on some 

 fence or stump, where they remain apparently 

 unconscious of surrounding dangers, and stupid 

 from excessive feeding. My correspondent, Mr. 

 W. B. Allen, a close observer of the birds, has 



