^^^IMITED STATES 

 -D'EPARTM,ENT 

 OP AGRICULTURE 



WITH UIJCLE SAM'S IIATUMLISTS. 

 Srieaking Time 10 Liinutes, 



FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY 



ORM ATIOH^^ 



Fridjy, JLti^TEs^^e, 1932 ' 

 ^eA^ £ I V £ O 



^ 1932' *' 



AMOUIJCEHENT : And now for a talk with Uncle Sam's Naturalists of the United 

 States Department of Agric-ulture. Today Station presents a little in- 



side information ahout hawks and owls, those birds of prey accused hy some 

 folks of being nothing but bird bandits. 



Let's be fair about hawks and owls 



Just a moment — I know this is an unpopular subject with some of my 



friends — They have no patience with anything that looks like a hawk or an 

 owl I 



I know some of them feel they have reason to hate hawks and owls. I 

 can sympathize with their viewpoint. But before we go ahead and bitterly 

 condemn all hawks and owls for what we think some of them do, let's get a 

 little more closely acquainted with our hawks and owls. 



I have a particular fri-end who is ready to take the stand at any time 

 as a witness against any and every hawk. And he feels much the same way about 

 owls. 



My friend lives on a farm, and he will tell you that hawks and owls rob 

 him of some of his best young chickens. He is a sportsman and likes to hunt 

 game birds. He cliarges that owls not only kill his chicks but also the quail 

 on his place, under cover of darkness* 



Suggest to that farmer that he may be mistaken in the identity of the 

 killer. He will tell you he has seen a hawk swoop down and seize one of his 

 helpless chicks in its talons. He can describe just how the liawk does it. 

 He has seen it not once, but a number of tines. That evidence of an eye-:7it- 

 noss is very convincing. There is no. question but that he has lost chickens 

 from hawks. His evidence is certainly damaging to the hawk. 



But ask hin what kind of hawk it wasl Then he begins to try to dodge 

 the issue. To him, a hawk is a hauk. He doesn't see that it makes any dif- 

 ference what kind it was. He doesn't know, and doesn't care. But, from what 

 Ut. W. L. UcAtoc of the United States Biological Survey cnys, that is a mighty 

 inportant point. There is no use blaming all hawks, and making war on all 

 hawks and all o-7ls, because some hawks and some owls may be bandits, as far 

 as wo are concerned. 



