Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1907 — HAWKB AND OWLB DEFENDED. [ARTICLE]

HAWKB AND OWLB DEFENDED.

Biological Survey Bnrean Declare* Farmer* Are Unjust. A defense of hawks and owis is entered into by the biological survey in a recent report from that bureau. It is declared that both of these bird families have been condemned by the farmers of the oountry without discrimination because some of their species are destroyers of valuable things. Mitigating circumstances are found for some otherwise harmless birds becausf of a lack of proper food in the country where they live. Incidentally, tales of eagles carrying off children are declared to have little “foundation in fact,” but the bald eagle, the emblem of the United States, is, nevertheless, said to be “unfortunately fond of ' lambs, pigs and poultry and in the more thickly inhabited regions probably does as much damage oa the golden eagle.” The golden eagle, say the experts, has been known to attack calves and colts and to have carried away from one range in the West in a single year more than 400 lambs. Tbs report of the survey divides the hawk and owl families Into four general species as follows: Species wholly beneficial ; those chiefly beneficial; those ia wliich beneficial and harmful qualities are about balance; harmful special. Some of these birds may be good dtlaens in one locality and extremely “undesirable citizens” in another.