mice and other small mammals, snakes, and grasshoppers and other insects, which as a rule must be sought on the ground. Cooper's hawk, which occurs throughout the United States, is preeminently a "chicken hawk," and it is by far the most destructive species we have to contend with, not because it is individually worse than the goshawk, but because it is so much more numerous that the aggregate damage done far exceeds that of all other birds of prey. It is strong enough to carry away a good-sized chicken, grouse, or cottontail rabbit. It is especially fond of domestiIcated doves and when it finds a cote easy of approach it usually takes a toll of one or two a day. Practically every stomach of Cooper's hawk examined contained remains of wild birds or poultry.— W. L. M. THE ROUGH- (Archibuteo lagopus The rough-legged hawk (fig. 12), whose range, in general terms, is FIG. 12.-Rough-legged hawk. North America north of Mexico, is a representative of the class of almost wholly beneficial hawks. In regard to its habits Dr. Fisher says: The rough-leg is one of the most nocturnal of our hawks, and may be seen in the fading twilight watching from some low perch, or beating with measured, noiseless flight, over its hunting ground. It follows two very different methods in securing its food, one by sitting on some stub or low tree and watching the ground for the appearance of its prey, as the red tail does; the other by beating back and forth just above the tops of the grass or bushes, and dropping upon its victim after the manner of the marsh hawk. Its food consists principally, if not almost exclusively, of the smaller rodents, and most prominent among these are the arvicoline mice and lemmings. As is well known, the meadow mice (Arvicola) are widely distributed over the north temperate zone, and often occur in immense numbers, overrunning certain sections of country, and doing irreparable damage to crops as well as to fruit and ornamental trees. Repeatedly young orchards, consisting of hundreds of trees, and representing great FIG. 13.-Sparrow hawk. money value, have been totally destroyed by these pests. The damage is done in winter, under the snow, where the mice eat the bark from the trees, often completely girdling them and causing death. Usually meadow mice are fairly common if not abundant over a large part of the meadow and marsh lands of the central and northern United States and temperate Canada. To show how important meadow mice are to the rough leg as an article of food, it may be stated in general terms that the southern limit of its wandering in winter is nearly coincident with the southern boundary of the region. inhabited by meadow mice. In the north lemmings are abundant over the country in which the rough leg makes its summer home, and furnish a neverfailing supply of food for old and young.1 Meadow mice were found in 28 stomachs, 5 or 6 occurring in several, and as many as 12 in 1. A few rats, house mice, shrews, and other small mammals also were found, birds appearing in only 3 stomachs.-W. L. M. SPARROW HAWK. (Falco sparverius.) The sparrow hawk (fig. 13) ranges over almost the whole of North America. It is the smallest as well as one of the handsomest of our hawks and one of the best known. It is further distinguished by its 1 Bull. 3, Biological Survey, p. 87, 1893. swallowlike flight, its habit of hovering over the luckless grasshopper or meadow mouse it hopes to make a meal of, and its repeated shrill wavering cry. "It is the only one of the true falcons," as has been pointed out by Dr. Fisher, "which can be placed in the mainly beneficial class." He says further: At times it attacks small birds and young chickens, but these irregularities are so infrequent that they are more than outweighed by its good services in destroying insects and mice. Grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects form its principal food during the warm months, while mice predominate during the rest of the year. Terrestrial caterpillars, beetles, and spiders also are eaten to a considerable extent. As might be expected, a large proportion of the birds captured are taken during the nesting season, the hawks then having less time to secure their favorite food. It is at this time also that they commit depredations in poultry yards. During late fall and winter, meadow mice and house mice form a large part of their food, the former being taken in fields and meadows and the latter around corn stacks and about barns and outbuildings. Because of its confidence and lack of fear the sparrow hawk is one of the species which suffers most from unjust bounty laws. Any vandal who can carry a gun is able to slaughter this little hawk. Mr. W. B. Hall, of Wakeman, Ohio, writes us that while the hawk law was in force in Ohio he was township clerk in his native village and issued 86 certificates, 46 being for sparrow hawks. He examined the stomachs and found 45 of them to contain the remains of grasshoppers and beetles, while the remaining one contained the fur and bones of a meadow mouse.1 LONG-EARED OWL. (Asio wilsonianus.) W. L. M. The long-eared owl occurs throughout the United States. It is nocturnal in its habits and is one of our most beneficial species. Mice, principally meadow mice, are its staple food. One hundred and fifty pellets collected by Dr. Fisher under the roost of a bird of this species at Munson Hill, Va., contained remains of 95 meadow mice, 19 pine mice, 15 house mice, 5 white-footed mice, 3 Cooper's mice, 26 shrews, and 13 birds, of which 11 were sparrows, 1 a bluebird, and the other a warbler. Eighty-six out of 92 stomachs examined also contained mice. The bird is common all over the United States and does a great deal of good. It is not wary, hence is one of the greatest sufferers where bounties are paid for the destruction of birds of prey.-W. L. M. SCREECH OWL. The little screech owl (fig. 14), in the South aptly called "shivering owl," in allusion to its quavering whistle, or perhaps to the effect of that call upon the listener, ranges from coast to coast and far beyond both the northern and southern boundaries of the United States. With the exception of the burrowing owl it feeds more 1 Circ. 61, Biological Survey, p. 9, 1907. extensively on insects than any of the other owls. It is also, according to Dr. Fisher a diligent mouser, and feeds more or less on crawfish, frogs, toads, scorpions, lizards, and fish. * * Among insects, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and cutworms FIG. 14.-Screech owl. are most often eaten. As many as 50 grasshoppers have been found in one stomach, 18 May beetles in another, and 13 cutworms in another. During the warmer parts of the year it is exceptional to find a stomach not well filled with insect remains. Meadow mice, white-footed mice, and house mice are the mammals most often taken, while chipmunks, wood rats, flying squirrels, and moles are less frequently found. The screech owl is fond of fish and catches many, especially in winter, when he watches near the breathing holes in the ice, and seizes the luckless fish which comes to the surface. Most of the birds destroyed by this owl are killed either in severe winter weather or during the breeding season, when it has hard work to feed its young. As nearly three-fourths of the owl's food consists of injurious mammals and insects, and only about one-seventh of birds (a large proportion of which are destructive English sparrows), there is no question that this little owl should be carefully protected.1 1 Circ. 61, Biological Survey, pp. 12-13, 1907. O W. L. M. |