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of his experience with jays as follows: “ Of course the old 
robins would fight the jays away for a while, but they would 
come right hack again. I have known of a bluebird’s nest 
with four or five eggs in it being robbed by jays, for I came 
along in time to hear the scrimmage, and, on seeing the blue 
jay in the bluebird’s nest, with the bluebirds screaming and 
flying at the jay, I went and found all the eggs broken, and 
the jay had eaten the insides.” 
Oivls. — Owls certainly kill some birds, but the number 
they take is ordinarily so small in proportion to the noxious 
mammals and insects they destroy that they are believed to 
be among the most useful of birds. It is, however, rather 
amusing to hear one friend of the screech owl defending it 
from the charge of killing small birds, and asserting that it 
lives on mice and insects, while another says that it is most 
useful because it destroys so many English sparrows. I 
have known a screech owl to kill a flicker, occupy its nest 
and make a meal of the owner. Owls kill many mice, 
shrews, squirrels, rabbits and other small mammals, and a 
few birds. The larger species kill some game birds. The 
owls are not so destructive to birds as either hawks or crows. 
Were they exterminated, we should miss them sadly. The 
quavering wail of the screech owl at evening is one of the 
characteristic sounds of our orchards and woodlands; it is 
becoming altogether too rare in some localities. The booming 
hoot of the horned owl, now seldom heard, gives warning of 
the approach of the most destructive owl of our woods. It 
kills many hares, or so-called rabbits, mice and rats, and is 
in this respect a friend to the farmer. 
Weasels. — Only seventeen people complain of the weasel, 
and much of the evidence against it is that of killing chickens. 
I have for years heard the statement made that weasels are 
very destructive to game birds. I have followed their tracks 
for miles, watched them whenever I could, and have always 
found them feeding on mice and other small mammals. I 
have written many letters to people who regard them as de- 
structive to birds, but the nearest thing to evidence against 
them that has as yet come to me is contained in the follow- 
ing notes. 
Mr. Thomas Allen of Bernardston says : u Weasels are 
