FRANK B. COOMBS. 1547 
The often more than compensating good which some of 
these birds do is of a nature to escape his sight, however, 
and the comparatively few species which are of more harm 
than benefit, give a bad character to many species of similar 
appearance which are eminently beneficial in their relation 
with the farm. 
A recent Bulletin of the Agricultural Department, treat- 
ing of the ‘‘ Hawks and Owls of the United States,” is based 
upon extensive examination into the general habits and 
actual stomach contents of hundreds of individual birds from 
all localities, and throws a new light upon their status in 
farm economics. To be brief, the work clearly proves that 
of all the Hawks and Owls upon which the wrath and buck- 
shot of the farmer are expended, but six species are harm- 
ful, and of the six, “three are so rare that they need hardly 
be considered.” 
Even the Crow, perhaps the most universally hated of 
birds, has been, after careful study, placed in the category of 
malefactors by but a slight excess of harmful over useful 
activities. 
It is undoubtedly too much too ask of the farmer that he 
shall become sufficiently a field ornithologist to discriminate 
on sight between closely similar hawks or other birds. His 
direct vengeance is ordinarily exercised toward feathered 
invaders “taken red-handed.” He gives little time to de- 
liberate pursuit of birds of any sort; yet he can be wisely 
cautious when he is asked to support enactment of laws 
which offer bounties for their destruction. His influence in 
this way can be certain and effective, for the history of such 
bounties has more than one instance of costly mistakes. 
We are but beginning to gain a fairly clear idea of the 
complex reactions between various forms of organized life, 
and the unforeseen ways in which these mutual influences 
hold one another in check. Human intervention with this 
machinery is quite apt to bring about undesirable accidents, 
worse than the evils eliminated. Allusion may be made to 
