[Illustration:  COOPER’S HAWK A Species to be Destroyed]

BIRD-DESTROYING BIRDS.—­There are several species of birds that may at once be put under sentence of death for their destructiveness of useful birds, without any extenuating circumstances worth mentioning.  Four of these are Cooper’s Hawk, the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Pigeon Hawk and Duck Hawk.  Fortunately these species are not so numerous that we need lose any sleep over them.  Indeed, I think that today it would be a mighty good collector who could find one specimen in seven days’ hunting.  Like all other species, these, too, are being shot out of our bird fauna.

Several species of bird-eating birds are trembling in the balance, and under grave suspicion.  Some of them are the Great Horned Owl, Screech Owl, Butcher Bird or Great Northern Shrike.  The only circumstance that saves these birds from instant condemnation is the delightful amount of rats, mice, moles, gophers and noxious insects that they annually consume.  In view of the awful destructiveness of the accursed bubonic-plague-carrying rat, we are impelled to think long before placing in our killing list even the great horned owl, who really does levy a heavy tax on our upland game birds.  As to the butcher bird, we feel that we ought to kill him, but in view of his record on wild mice and rats, we hesitate, and finally decline.

[Illustration:  SHARP-SHINNED HAWK A Species to be Destroyed]

SNAKES.—­Mr. Thomas M. Upp, a close and long observer of wild things wishes it distinctly understood that while the common black-snakes and racers are practically harmless to birds, the Pilot Black-Snake, —­long, thick and truculent,—­is a great scourge to nesting birds.  It seems to be deserving of death.  Mr. Upp speaks from personal knowledge, and his condemnation of the species referred to is quite sweeping.  At the same time Mr. Raymond L. Ditmars points out the fact that this serpent feeds during 6 months of the year on mice, and in doing so renders good service.  In the South it is called the “Mouse Snake.”

[Illustration:  THE CAT THAT KILLED 58 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR From Mr. Forbush’s Book Photo by A.C.  Dyke]

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CHAPTER IX

THE DESTRUCTION OF WILD LIFE BY DISEASES

Every cause that has the effect of reducing the total of wild-life population is now a matter of importance to mankind.  The violent and universal disturbance of the balance of Nature that already has taken place throughout the temperate and frigid zone offers not only food for thought, but it calls for vigorous action.