PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH %RUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 183 



If it were not for our feathered tenants about us, our existence would 

 be only for a few short months of hard battling against the hordes of 

 insect pests. 



We have two great classes of the Avis family — water and land birds. 

 The former I shall not refer to at present, as they do not especially 

 interest the farmer or fruit-grower; but as to the latter class, we will 

 see what part they play in the conditions of our existence. 



We can divide the land birds into many groups, such as carnivorous, 

 insectivorous or partly so, and granivorous, wholly or in part. It is 

 only within the last ten or twelve years that any attention has been 

 given to the investigation of bird foods at the hands of ornithologists, 

 particularly those connected with the Department of Agriculture. 



One of these groups of birds that should have more care given them 

 are the raptores, or birds of prey. Of the hawks and owls, of which we 

 have some ninety varieties distributed over the United States, we find 

 seventeen of the hawks throughout our State, besides ten varieties of 

 owls. Of the hawks, only two species have proven harmful to the 

 farmer's interest. These are commonly known by the name of Cooper's 

 and Sharp-shinned hawks, both feeding on small birds and game. 



Cooper's hawk is of a dark brown color, excepting under-parts of 

 body, which are white, having markings of brown in long dashes; eyes 

 and legs, yellow; tail having broad bars or bands of grayish white; 

 both sexes being similar; length of bird, 16 inches. 



The sharp-shinned hawk is of a reddish-brown or slate color on the 

 back and wings; breast of light-reddish color, barred across with mark- 

 ings of the same color, but darker. Tail, banded; eyes and legs, yellow; 

 legs slender and very long; length of bird, 10 inches. 



In referring to Bulletin No. 3 on Hawks and Owls, by Dr. A. K. 

 Fisher, U. S. Department of Agriculture, we find that out of 2,212 

 stomachs examined, only 3^ per cent contained poultry and game, 

 while 56 per cent had mice and other mammals, and 27 per cent showed 

 that the food consisted of insects. In these analyses of the stomachs of 

 hawks and owls it will be seen that a large number of rodents are 

 destroyed, resulting in the farmer's welfare. 



One of our most common raptores, known as hen-hawk, and at whose 

 door is laid all the charges of chicken-stealing, is the Western red- 

 tailed hawk (Buteo borealis). It can be seen almost any day the year 

 round circling over the hills and valleys, or on watch for some 

 unguarded squirrel, of which they are great hunters. Mice and grass- 

 hoppers make up much of their diet, the birds' crops being often 

 packed with them. A specimen which I shot in February contained 

 five mice. This species of hawk has two plumages: Adult, dark brown 

 over back; wings and tail barred with same; under-parts and the entire 

 breast a rufous-brown, spotted with a darker shade of the same color. 



