we began looking for blood to see how 
badly he was hit, but could not find a 
drop. However, we kept on and soon 
began finding beds, and just below in 
a shady sort of shallow ravine could 
be seen several deer. My father be- 
gan shooting again, and I could dis- 
tinctly see the deer jump exceedingly 
high, then squat, and again jump way 
high while running sidewise to us. 
The net result was nothing so far, 
and the thing looked like a long chase, 
so my father decided I had better re- 
turn home while he kept on and per- 
haps would camp out Indian style all 
night. 
Father did not return for two days, 
and when he did, he reported no success 
whatever. I am not prepared to state 
whether he was a poor shot or whether 
the fault was with the rifle, but from 
my observation of the tactics used by 
these deer to protect themselves, that 
they afford no easy mark even for the 
best of hunters. 
Gro. A. Cook, 
Pasadena, California. 
An Appreciation of “Night 
Prowlers” 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
ANY thanks are due to Mr. Don 
Cameron Shafer for his very lucid 
article on the “Night Prowlers,” in the 
February issue of FOREST AND STREAM. 
He states clean facts which no man of 
intelligence will fail to endorse. The 
writer has carried a gun since Septem- 
ber, 1855, and therefore has had some 
little experience with the cat in the 
woods, and many a cat has paid the 
penalty for wanton destruction of the 
farmer’s friends, as well as for reduc- 
ing the sport of the hunter. The great- 
est destruction done by cats is during 
the nesting season of birds, when the 
young are unable to take care of them- 
selves. 
Few people know or care about the 
destructiveness of cats, the loss to the 
farmer and consequently to the whole 
country. 
Let us put this in a more concrete 
form. Then, perhaps, we may make 
people sit up and take notice. 
In the Bulletin of The Audubon So- 
ciety of New Hampshire for July, Au- 
gust and September, 1922, an estimate 
is made of the destructiveness of cats 
and of the value of birds to the farmer, 
and to the country as well. 
The estimated killing of birds by cats 
is one per week, a very low estimate, 
but high enough to tell a pitiful story 
of loss to the country at large. 
The estimated value of each bird, by 
the destruction of the seeds of noxious 
weeds, insects and caterpillars and 
other destructive pests which form the 
226 
chief food of the birds, is $5.00 per 
bird. This too seems to me a low esti- 
mate. Yet it will suffice to illustrate 
our point. 
Mr. Shafer estimates the number of 
farms in the United States at 6,500,000. 
Allowing 50 birds per year to each cat, 
one cat to a farm the number of birds 
killed by cats reaches the figure of 
338,000,000 birds. 
These birds were designed by nature 
to hold the balance of power between 
the noxious weeds and insects and plant 
life. 
Now estimating the value of each 
bird to the country at $5, and we have 
the astounding result of a loss of $1,- 
690,000,000 to the country at large. 
In this article no estimate has been 
made of city and village cats which are 
left to shift for themselves during the 
vacation weeks of the owners, and 
which probably double the loss, i e., $3,- 
380,000,000. Does not the farmer need 
it? 
The farmer is constantly clamoring 
for help. Why will he not begin at 
home? 
The writer has caught 48 mice in one 
trap within the last four months which 
come in through a crack back of the 
chimney. Yet we are surrounded by 
cats which have made their breeding 
place under this same building. 
Does not this tell its own story and 
bear out what Mr. Shafer has so clearly 
stated? EDWIN DE MERITTE, 
Norfolk, Va. 
A Beagle Enthusiast 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
AM a subscriber to FOREST AND 
STREAM, a member of the League of 
Ohio Sportsmen, Northern Ohio Beagle 
Club, Portage County Fish and Game 
Association, and a breeder of beagles 
that are real rabbit hunters. 
I am also a trap-shooter and a bass 
fisherman. Of course I am intensely 
interested in FOREST AND STREAM, but 
would like to see more in your columns 
about beagles. Quail are on the song 
bird list in Ohio, but we outdoor men 
can take one or more beagles out in 
the fields at any time and enjoy our- 
selves in watching them run “Brer” 
Rabbit, as well as listening to the music 
they make when they tell him to go in 
a hole or they will catch him. Then we 
get up on a stump or fence and watch 
some of the stunts the rabbit pulls in 
trying to fool the little hounds. To 
those who do not enjoy this sport, it is 
almost unbelievable to see a rabbit cut 
some of the capers he does. 
Then, too, the pleasure that a good 
hard running rabbit affords will con- 
tinue until some hunter cuts him down, 
for if the hounds get to pushing him 
too closely he will just duck in a hole 
in the ground or a tree and you can 
run him again in 2 or 3 days and he’ll 
not be hurt a bit. This sport can be 
had the major part of the year, but 
we do not think it proper to run rab- 
bits in the late spring or summer 
months, for it is liable to interfere 
with our next fall and winter supply 
of rabbits. 
Enclosed is a photo of five beagle 
puppies, one month old. Would like to 
see same in your columns. Yours for 
all outdoor sports. HARRY FULLER, 
Kent, Ohio. 
Disagrees with Mr. Pyle 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
CANNOT let the opportunity pass 
without taking exception to the state- 
ments Mr. Pyle made in regard to the © 
crow in the February issue. 
In most cases, I believe, the crow is 
not as bad as painted. It is a well 
known fact that this bird does a great 
deal of harm at certain seasons of the 
year, notably that of destroying song 
birds and corn. But does Mr. Pyle con- 
sider, or even know, the vast amount 
of good this bird is capable of accom- 
plishing. 

A bunch of promising-looking pups owned by Harry Fuller 
— = 
C—O 
