GREAT HORNED OWL (Bubo virginianus 



and sub-species). 



Length, about 22 inches. The great size and 

 long ear tufts sufficiently distinguish this owl. 



Range: Resident over the greate^ part of North 

 and South America. 



This, our largest owl, inhabits heavily forested 

 and unsettled regions and is becoming more and 

 more rare in thickly populated areas. It is well 

 known by its far reaching call — " hoo-hoo-hoo- 

 hoo" — which is heard best in the still small hours 

 of the night, when it echoes across the expanse of 

 canyon and forest in the far west. 



This owl destroys many partridges and other game 

 birds, and unhoused poultry is never safe from its 

 nocturnal attacks. Its deeds are those of dark- 

 ness, since usually it hunts only at night, though 

 when disturbed in the daytime it can see well enough 

 to take good care of itself. Its bill of fare is a long 

 one and includes many kinds of mammals and 

 birds. It is one of the few creatures which when 

 hungry do not hesitate to attack the skunk, and 

 it appears to have no great difficulty in killing 

 this rather formidable little beast. That it does not 

 always do so with entire impunity is evident from 

 the odor frequently attaching to its feathers. Its 

 destruction of rodents entitles it to our gratitude, 

 especially when it kills pocket gophers, rats, mice, 

 ground squirrels and rabbits. In some parts of the 

 west rabbits are responsible for much damage to 

 orchards and crops and consequently their reduction 

 is a blessing. Nevertheless the protection of this 

 big and fierce owl cannot be recommended on sound 

 economic grounds. 



WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa). 



Length, about 19 inches. The elongated crest 

 of feathers and variegated plumage of white and 

 brown, spotted with chestnut, ochraceous and steel 

 blue are characteristic. 



Range: Breeds from Washington to middle 

 California, and from Manitoba and southeastern 

 Canada to Texas and Florida; winters chiefly in 

 the United States. 



It can be said of this duck, as of no other, that 

 it is our very own, since most of the breeding area 

 it occupies is within our territory, and by far the 

 greater number of the species winter within the 

 United States. The story of its former abundance 

 on our ponds and streams and of its present scar- 

 city is a sad commentary on our improvidence 

 and a warning for the future. Happily, it is not 

 yet too late to save this most beautiful of our ducks, 

 and under proper regulations it may be expected 

 not only to hold its own, but to increase until it 

 is once more a proper object for the skill of sports- 

 men. Under present conditions all true sportsmen 

 should refrain from its further pursuit. 



As is well known, the wood duck is one of the 

 few wildfowl that builds its nest in hollow trees, and 

 the security thus provided for the young is one of the 

 factors to be relied upon for the increase of the 

 species. North, south, east and west, the States 

 of every section are, or should be, interested in 

 the preservation of this distinctively American duck, 

 and should make suitable regulations for its wel- 

 fare and see to their enforcement. 



COOT (Fulica americana). 



Length, about 15 inches. The slate-colored 

 plumage, with blackish head and neck, white bill, 

 and scalloped toes mark this bird apart from all 

 others. 



Range: Breeds from southern Canada south to 

 Lower California, Texas, Tennessee and. New Jersey; 

 also in southern Mexico and Guatemala; winters 

 from southern British Columbia, Nevada, Utah, 

 Ohio Valley and Virginia south to Panama. 



The coot, or mud-hen, is a sort of combination 

 of duck, gallinule and rail, and withal is a very inter- 

 esting bird. Fortunately for the coot, its flesh is little 

 esteemed, and by many, indeed, is considered unfit 

 for human consumption. The coot is thus passed 

 by in contempt by most sportsmen, and in some 

 regions it is as tame as can well be imagined, swim- 

 ming within a few feet of the observer with entire 

 unconcern. Under other circumstances, however, 

 as in Louisiana, where it is shot for food under the 

 name poule d'eau, it becomes as wild as the most 

 wary of ducks. It frequents both salt and fresh 

 water, preferably the latter. The mud-hen is one 

 of the few American birds that occasionally visits 

 the distant Hawaiian Islands in fall and winter. 

 Finding conditions there to their liking, some of the 

 immigrants, probably centuries ago, elected to re- 

 main and found a new colony, and there, in the 

 fresh water ponds of the island archipelago, their 

 descendants still live and thrive. 



The food of the coot consists almost entirely 

 of water plants of no use to man. There would 

 seem, therefore, to be no excuse for killing or dis- 

 turbing the bird in any way. 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularia). 



Length, about 6 inches. The "tip up," with 

 its brownish gray upper parts and white under 

 parts and its teetering motion, is too well known 

 to need description. 



Range: Breeds in northwestern Alaska and in 

 much of northern Canada south to southern Cali- 

 fornia, Arizona, southern Texas, southern Loui- 

 siana and northern South Carolina; winters from 

 California, Louisiana and South Carolina to south- 

 ern Brazil and Peru. 



The little "tip up," as it is appropriately named, 

 from its quaint nodding motion, unduly favors no 

 one section or community but elects to dwell in every 

 region suited to its needs from Alaska to Florida. 

 It is doubtless more widely known than any other 

 of our shore birds, and as it takes wing when dis- 

 turbed, its "wit, wit" comes to us from beach, 

 river side, and mill pond, from one end of the land 

 to the other. It is the only shore bird that habitu- 

 ally nests in cornfields and pastures, and its hand- 

 some buff eggs spotted with chocolate are well 

 known to the farmer's boy everywhere. Much 

 is to be said in favor of the food habits of the little 

 tip up, as the bird includes in its diet army worms, 

 squash bugs, cabbage worms, grasshoppers, green 

 flies and crayfishes. Having thus earned a right 

 to be numbered among the farmers' friends, the 

 bird should be exempt from persecution. The tiny 

 morsel of flesh afforded by its plump little body, 

 when the bird has been shot, is in no sense an 

 adequate return for its services when alive and 

 active in our behalf. 



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