50 



THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Of 5G2 stomachs examined by the author, 54 contained poultry or 

 game birds; 51, other birds; 278, mice; 131, other mammals; 37, ba- 

 trachians and reptiles; 47, insects; 8, crawfish; 13, offal; and 89 were 

 empty. It has been demonstrated by careful stomach examination that 

 poultry and game birds do not constitute more than 10 per cent of the 

 food of this Hawk, and that all the other beneficial animals preyed upon, 

 including snakes, will not increase this proportion to 15 per cent. Thus 

 the balance in favor of the Hawk is at least 85 per cent, made up largely 

 of various species of injurious rodents — a fact that every thoughtful 

 farmer should remember. It is not to be denied that a good deal of 

 poultry is destroyed by this Hawk, but the damage done is usually 

 among the less vigorous fowls in the late fall, and in view of the great 

 number of injurious rodents as well as other noxious animals which 

 this Hawk destroys it should seem equivalent to a misdemeanor to kill 

 one, except in the act of carrying off poultry. The fact that there are 

 robbers among Hawks is no sound argument" for exterminating any and 

 every one. 



The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- 

 fied among the stomach contents : 



MAMMALS. 



Sciurus aberti. 

 Sciurus carolinensis. 

 Sciurus c. leucotis. 

 Sciurus arizonensis. 

 Sciurus hudsonicus. 

 Tarn ias striatus. 

 Ta m ias quadrivittatus. 

 Spermophilus lateralis. 

 Spermophilus grammurus. 

 Spermophilus franklini. 

 Spermophilus tridecem lin eatus. 

 Beithrodontomys humilis. 

 Mus decumanus. 

 Mus musculus. 

 Sitomys americanus. 

 Sitomys sonoriensis. 

 Neotoma mexicana. 

 Arvicola riparius. 

 Arvicola pinetorum. 

 Synaptomys cooperi. 

 Sigmodon hispidus. 

 Zapus hudsonius. 

 Erethizon dorsatus. 

 Lepus texianus. 

 Lepus sylvaticus. 

 Lepus s. arizonce. 

 Lepus s. nuttallL 

 Thomomys. 



Like many other Hawks, the 

 among the clouds, where it is 



Perodipus ordii. 



Mcp h i tis m epliitica. 



Sorex. 



Blarina brevicauda. 



Blarina I), carolinensis. 



Blarina exilipes. 



Scalops aquaticus. 



BIRDS. 



Dafila acuta. 

 Ballus elegans. 

 Colinus virginianus. 

 Callipepla gambeli. 

 Bonasa umbeUus. 

 Zenaidura macroura. 

 Megascops asio. 

 Mclanerpes erythrocephahis. 

 Otocoris alpestris. 

 Corvus americanus. 

 SturneUa magna. 

 Icterus spurius. 

 Quiscalus quiscula. 

 Pooccetus gramineus. 

 Ammodramus s. passerinus, 

 Spizella monticola. 

 Junco hyemalis. 

 Melospiza fasciata. 

 Merula migratoria. 

 Sialia sialis. 



Red-tail seems to delight in circling high 

 barely visible from the ground or even 



