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Author: Pearson, Leonard
Title: Diseases of poultry, v.1-v.2
Place of Publication: Harrisburg, Pa

Copyright Date: 1897

Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg039.2

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100 1 Pearson, Leonard $d1 868-1 909.

245 10 Diseases of poultry $bpart 1 $cby Leonard Pearson. Enemies of poultry :
part 2 / by B.H. Warren.

246 1 8 Diseases of poultry.

260 Harrisburg, Pa. $bC.M. Busch, state printer $c1897.

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PART I

i —

Diseases of Poultry

C

BY

LEONARD PEARSON, B. S.. V. M. D.,

STATE VETERINARIAN.

CLARENCE :m. BUSCH,

STATE PRINTER OF PENNSYLVANIA.

1897.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

N

Larvae of Chicken Flea-Railliet * ^^^f-i

Head of Chicken Flea— Railliet, . '

Chicken Lice— ' ^*

Ooniodes dissimili6—Pa,igei

Ooniocotes gi ff as -^eumsinn .^. ...... 20

Goniocotes hologasler —Neumann, ........ . . . 21

Lipeurus variabilis -Neumann 22

Menopon pallidum -Railliet .......*.' 23

Red Poultry Mite— Delafond, 25

Pigreon Tick— Railliet .......!...... 27

Parasites of Body Man^e—

Epidermoptes &t7o6a<ii« -female-Neumann, 29

Epidermoptes 6i7o6ari4« -male— Neumann, 30

Sarcoptes /acrw -Railliet 31

Protozo-a from a Fowl's Intestine— Perroncito, 33

Head of a fowl with Fav us— Neumann, 34

Parasite of Favus— Neumann 35

Pair of Gape Worms— Rfeilliet 40

Pair of Gape Worms Attached to Windpipe— Megnin, 41

Windpipe Containing: Gape Worms— Megnin, 43

Air Sac Mite— Railliet, * 45

Tape Worm— Zurn !...!!..!! 54

Intestine Containin^g- Tape Worms— Goeze ', 55

Pin Worm of the Pigeon— Neumann ...... 60

Digestive Apparatus of Birds— Smith ...!...... 61

Parasite of Mange of the Legs and Feet—

Sarcoptes mu<an«— Neumann 33

Foot of Fowl with Mange— Neumann 84

Floor of Mouth, Showing Diphtheria— Moore. 91

Roof of Mouth. Showing Diphtheria— Moore, ! 94

Caeca of Healthy Turkey— Moore ^q^

Caeca of Turkey. Showing Effect of Protozoan Disease-

Moore

• 102

Liver of Turkey, Showing Effect of Protozoan Disease-
Moore

1 AO

Plate 1— Skeleton of Fowl— Chauveau ^^^

Plate 2-Digestive Apparatus of a Fowl-Chauveau. '..... u\

< •t

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

H

Department of Agriculture,

Harrisburg, Pa., Match 8, i8g8.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Repreai^ntatives
of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania:
Gentlemen: In ccnipliance with the following con-
current resolution I have the honor to transmit here-
with Part I, entitled '^Diseases of Poultry/'

LEONARD PEARSON.

■ X

In the House of Representatives,

March 1, 1897.

Resolved (If the Senate concur), That there shaU be printed
at the earliest ixvssible date, in pamphlet form, fifteen thousand
copies of Bulletin No. 17. of the Department of Agriculture,
entitled "The Diseases and Enemies of Poultry," with Fuch ad-
ditional matter and chang-es as the authors may deem nec-
essary to more fully explain this important subject; five thou-
sand for the use of the Senate and ten thousand for the use of
the present members of the House of Representatives: Pro-
vided, That the authors shall receive no extra compensation for
preparing, writing, editing, proof reading, revising and index-
ing this pamphlet.

A. D. FETTEROLP,
Resident Clerk of the House of Representatives.

In the Senate, March 2, 1897.
The foregoing resolution in the House concurred in.

E. W. SMILEY,
Chief Clerk of the Senate.
Approved— The 9th day of March. A. D. 1897.

DANIEL H. HASTINGS.
(5)

(4)

PREFACE.

(6)

This report on the Diseases and Enemies of l*oiiln-v
is written in answer to an extensive demand for infcu-
mation on the subject of wliich it treats. While a
large number of articles on diseases of poultry may be
found in poultry jouinals, live stock papers and poul-
try books, there has been no recent attempt in this
country to produce a comprehensive, popular but ac-
curate description of the diseases of fowls, together
with the means to be employed to cure and prevent
them. - ' '

In preparing the first part of this Bulletin, the Vet-
erinaiian has made free use of all of the works on dis-
eases of poultry that he has been able to secure, and has
drawn upon the English, French and German litera-
ture.

Special acknowledgment must be given to the agri-
cultural and poultry perio^licals, to the following au-
thors: Zfirn, Friedberger and Frohner, Neumann, Rail-
liet, Nocard and Leclainche, and the publications of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture by Drs. Salmon,
Smith, Moore and Stiles.

There is a great deal to learn in reference tcj. these
subjects, and a promising field for investigation and re
search is offered. It is hoped that some of the numer-
ous imperfectly nnderstood diseasc^s of poultry may be
carefully studied, and a fiiture more complete report
upon this subject issued under the auspices of the
State Department of Agriculture.

(7)

(8)

COLOR PLATE

PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

lilPOKTAKCE OF THE POtJLraY INDUSTBY.

The prtKludion of eggs and poultry is one of the
most amiKjrtant branches of agriculture. To those who
have not given this subject especial attention, the state-
ment that the ai.nual poultry products of the United
States are equal in value to the wheat crop, may ap-
I)ear something startling.

According to a recent estimate of the American Agri-
culturist, based on the last census and on an extensive
iiHiuiry, the number of fowls in the Trnited States is
about 383,000,000; these produce 1,141,000,000 dozen
•'ggs each year, and the value of both amounts to «343 -
000,000,00.

Pennsylvania is one of the leading states in the pro-
dnction of ponltry. According to the same anthoril v
there are in this State 15,317,000 ftiwKs of all sorts^
turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens— valued at |8'>30-
000, and these produce 08.818.000 dozen eggs each year
worth, at 20 cents jier dozen. n3.7G3,«O0. making a

00000 ^'''"*' ^^^ ^'""'^'^■^ ''"*' *'""" ''^ "^'"^ ?22.000,-

At a very conservative estimate, one-tenth of the
poultry, young and old, is carried awav bv disease each
.^ear. Hence the importance of this subject is mani-

(9)

■.t^iH^iL.

PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

l.Mi'OirrAACE OF Till-; J'OliLTKY 1N1)U«TKV.

Tlie pmdudiou of e^ss and jjoultry is oue of the
most in.iwitant branches of agiionlture. To those who
have not jriven this snbjoct especial attention, the state-
ment that the ai.nual poultry pnxlncts of the Unitwl
Slates are equal in value tn the wheat crop, uiav ap
pear soniethinf,' startlins--.

According: to a recent estiuuite of the American Agri-
•ulturist. based on the last census and on an extensive
iiHiuMv. the number of fowls in the r'uited States is
ab.M.I .moOtKOOO; these |.roduce 1.141.(H)(),0O0 dozen
ews each vear, and the value of both amounts to «H4.3
<l(>(),000,00. «'*■»*».

Pennsylvania is oue of the leading slates in the j.ro-
du.tu.u of poultry. According to the same authorilv
there are in this State ]5..?17,Ono fowls of :,n sorts-
turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens— valued at $S":{(;-
000, and these produce f.S.S] 8,000 dozen eggs each y<.ar
worth, at 20 cents per dozen. -l^ir^.TfW.COO. uiakin" a

Ootuifl '"^'"^ ^'*' ^'"""'■'' '""' *■""■ "^ "'"'"^ 122,000.-

At a very conservative estimate, one-tenth of the
P^'iUry. young and old. is carried awav bv disease each
.'par. Hence the iu.poi lance of this subfect is mani
fest.

(fl)

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

10

TREATMENT OF SICK FOWLS.

A number of difficulties are met with in treating
fowls that do not confront the veterinarian or live stock
owner in treating most of the other domestic animals.
Fowls are not accustomed to being handled. They are
of a semi-wild disposition, so that when it becomes nec-
essary during illness to examine and administer medi-
cine to them they are apt to resist. However, fowls
can be treated as successfully as any other animals,
provided they receive the same amount of careful, in-
telligent attention.

On all farms where poultry is kept in large numbers
it is ad\isable to have a small building or room fitted
up as a hospital for the <:are of sick and disabled birds.
If such a place is at hand it will be possible to achieve
much better results than when attempts are made to
treat fowls in the buildings where their companions
are, and where they are constantly annoyed by them,
or than can be reached if the fowls are placed in a
dirty box in »o.me damp, out of the way place, under
the impression that anything is good enough for a sick
chicken.

CAUSES OF DISEASE.

The causes of dise-ases of poultry are various and at
tention is directed to the cause of each one treated upcm
in the following. Tt will be noticed that in mo«t cases
diseases are avoidable, that they result from misman

COLOR PLATE

10

TREATMENT OF SICK FOWLS.

A niinibor of difficulties are met with in treatiuj,^
fowls that do not confront the veterinarian or live stock
owner in treating most of the other domestic animals.
Fowls are not accustomed to bein^- handled. They are
of a semi-wild disposition, so that when it becomes nec-
essary during;' illness to examine and administer medi
<nne to them they are apt to resist. However, fowls
can be treated as successfully as any other animals,
provided they receive the same amcmnt of careful, in-
tellij^ent attention.

On all fai-ms where poultry is kept in larjjje numbers
it is advisable to have a small building; or room fitted
\i\) as a lH)S])ital for the care of sick and disabh^d birds.
If such a i>lace is at hand it will be possible to achieve
much better results than when attempts are made to
treat fowls in the buildinj^^s where their companions
are, and where they are constantly annoyed by them,
or than can b(^ reachcKl if the fowls are placed in a
dirtv box in sc-nie damp, out of the way place, under
th(* imi>ressi(>n that anytliinji' is good enough for a sick
ihicken.

CAUSES OF DISEASE.

The causes of diseases of ]M)ultry arc various and at
tention is directed to the cause of each one* treated upnn
in the following. It will be noticed that in m(^«t cases
diseases an* avoidable, that they result from misman

COLOR PLATE

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

a .

agement in the way of feeding, housing or cleanliness.
Some of them, however, are contagious and cannot be
wholly prevented even when the feeding and sanitarv

wherfZ^'I- ''' '^" ''^' '"* ^^P^rience teaches that
where conditions are good for bii^s they are bad for
disease gei-ms and vice versa, so that when contagious
diseases prevail, their ravages are much greater among
fowls that are poorly kept than among those that a.^
cared for properly. *<- die

Contagious diseases and parasites are usually intro-
duced by new fowls brought into the Hock, and it is
worth while, especially where pure bred fowls are

Tn?;/" 5'T f """'" ««^1"i«itions in quarantine awav
from the flock for a few days, and until it has been
shown that they present no evidence of disease. Great
eare should be used. al.o, in purchasing onlv from
sound stock kept under favorable conditions '

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE.

.n^lTf li""'" fV '"^ " "'•''"^^- '*' "«•>■«' l>»t in most
cases f the affection is at all severe, they become list-

down .V *• ^"' '^'* ^' '^""'^ ^'^^^ ^^' head drawn
down, the wings and tail pendant and feathers ruffled

rn many diseases, diarrhoea is the first svmptom, and in

^n cases of diarrhoea, attention should be paid to the

droppings for the pur,>oso of noting their 'oolo ana

or blood. Sometimes loss of app^^tite is the first svmp.

12

torn of di^ase, sometimes paleness of the comb and
•lie men..b,.r.es. In the skin diseases he fir.
symptH>m« appear on the surface a^d consis m^^
of s: OSS on s<,me of the feathers and stiffness and bnt
inZot the feathers, and sometimes the appearance

"^tlmt^ion of the throat is im,.rtant in n.^y
cases because it is the seat of two common and veiy
serious amotions of domestic fowls -^-^^'y^J^^ ^^J
«apes. In examining the mouth and tho«t the bdl can
t/oiK^ned by pressing, the thumb and finger on the
angle at either side; then if the windpipe^.s pressed up-
J..d from the neck, the larynx can be ^rced -to the
bick of the mouth and examined easily. Jt is ire-
quentlv of advantage to have an assistant hold the fow
while the examiner carries out these manipulations and
also holds the tongue down by bearing upon it with a
wooden toothpick or some similar small object.

The temperature of the fowl is rarely measured. l>e-
,.ausc fever is shown by symi.toms of chilliness, etc
but it is well to know that the '^-rn.al tcn.pevature of
the domestic fowls varies between 100 and 10<... d.-
,M-ees F. This is considerably higher than the tempera-
ture of the larger animals. If it becomes desirable to
measure the ten.peratu,,.. it can be done b>- inserting
■i clinical thermometer into the cloaca. It should pene-
trate for about two inches and remain two or three
minutes before it is withdrawn and read.

The heart beat of the fowl is quite rapid, varym}
frun 110 to 110 per min.ito. but the determination of its
rapiditv is of little impoHance in diagnosing the dis-
ease of fovls. because when they are gra-siM-d for Ihe
purpose of counting tbe bent, it becomes so rapid that
it is sometimes almost impossible to count it. running

f

13

<ip in maay cases to 300 pulsations per minute The

hear beat can be easily felt by applying the fingers to

the sides of the chest wall. ""st^is to

The rapidity of respiration is of more importance

determined at a distance from the fowl, and without
annoying it and thus quickening this fun<.tion X
nonna, breathing rate of the fowl at rest is f m 50 o
00 respirations per minute. In diseases of the breath

paiasites, the respirations become quickened.

iy

■w/'>

■•^

rOST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS.

Very often it is not jrossible to determine the char
act«. of a disease affecting fowls until after they te
dead, and a« many of the poultry diseases are con t^

c .r/s cL ri^^n,"^; Tt' '' ^^ ''^'"'•^ ^" '°^^

i^ii^ irom, so that similar occurrences nnv

n,mv of the fowl eannot be descrfbed at this time for
ack of space, but anyone who is in the habit of oZin '

th^ die n, large numbers from disease that seems to

u

l.e contagious, infonnati.n in r^a.d *« tUe.e a^e^s

. 1^ nhtflined bv correspondence with tne Ridie
,„aN be «btamea Dj c j ^^.^^

:rere:sersMn '; S^^-d a^ soon as pos.i.Ie
X tSey are dead to the Vet^Hn^^ JJjaf^^
thP UnivereitY of PenTOylvania, Philadeipnia. x ;r

horbe wrapped in Coth .nd heavy I-P^^^-^f -
straw, nailed np in a box with a oalce o^^ and ex
pi^ssed as promptly as possible A l^^tei sn

.Uvavs be forwarded either in the box or by mail ex
lil^^he general symptoms and eharaoten^- of
?he disease. Such shipments may be made C. O. U.

THE MEDICATION OF FOWI>S.

The medication of individual fowls is not difficult,
b„ r^u res care and patic.ee. There are --^al forms
in wMch medicines may be administered. Pills can be
"yen most readily. It is only necessary to secure e
; reopen its bill and drop the pill into the back of the
^^u'th!^hen close the bill and if the bUd res-ts, hold
it together until the pill bas been swallowed.

Fluids are sometimes administered from a spoon biU
if the fowl is badlr frightened this may be a matter o*
considerable difQculty. The best way is to.^t«>^«^^^*
small rubber tube, about a third of an inch m diame^
into the month, pas« it into the oesophagus and down
rthe crop. A little experience will enable one to do
t^il ^itkW and without discomfort to the bird Fluid
icines in any derirable quantity can be Introduced
through this tube.

16

Pasty mixture* are sometimes given. Medicines are
mixed with sticky .naterials, as u.olasses, honey et.
made into pasty masses and placed in the back of the
mouth with a small wooden paddle. Flocks can he
treated, when t],e birds will oat, by mixing medicines
with the food or dissolving them in water. Sometimes
l.ovvde,-s are given by sprinkling them on moist grain
Chalk is frequently given in this way to birds witl

onZ Z\i' ™S"^ '* ^'^'^ '''' ^^^^ ''«« been moist -
ened. It thus adheres to the kernels and is eaten with-
out reluctanc-e.

When a very sdck fowl is under treatment, it is bet-
ter 1^0 give small do«es at frequent intervals than large
doses at long intervals, for in this way the action of the
medicine can be measured more accuratelv and the

ZZ . T T ^' '^^^^•■t^'"^ by trials. ^ Fowls of
dfferent breeds and different sizes and ages require
d-flferent do.ses. It is not always possible to determine
these accurately, but the judgment of the poultrv
keeper must be called into play in all instances '

DISINFECTION.

Disinfection is alluded to very frequentiv in the f„|.
l.m-,ng pages and is often of the gr.^te8t 'importance
M^y poul ry keepers are under the impressio' that it
8 suffic^nt to scatter strong smelling ,K>wdeis or li-

?ol?a«^h / '"T^' "•■ ^""'^'-'^ "«"«^«' ^"'J that so
long as the odor of these materials is in the air the

P"-"ml8es are undergoing disinfection. Nothing t-ould

N

If.

be more inisloadit-g or further fioin the Uuth. Disin-
fection is practised for the pnrpoae of destroying dis-
ease urmlucing germs and disinfectants, or the mate-
rials used for disirfecting, will only destroy germs that
tliey come in c<mtact witli. It is perfectly evident that
when disinfectants are scattered about carelessly they
come in ooL^tact with a very small fraction of the entire
surfaces that may harbor germs, and unless all of these
surfaces are covered and all of the germs reached the
disinfectioi* is apt to be fruitless. In order that dis-
infection may be carried out properly it is essential
first of all. to remove the manure, litter and rubbish of
all ,nnds. This should be mixed with lime and placed
in barrels, or it should be spread on fields at such a dis-
tance from the poultry runs that it cannot possibly
.■ontaminate them. However, if the disease is a yirn-
lont one it is always best to bum manure rather than
take any chances with it. Then the Interior of the
building should be thoroughly swabl)ed or scrubbed
out and afterv.ards the disinfectants can be employed.
DiJinfect^nnts are best used in solution because they
can then be applied more evenly and perfectly. They
can be applied with a brush, with a sprinkling pot or,
best of all, with a spray pump, such as is used for
soraving fruit trees. The disinfectants to be employed
in special castas are mentioned hereafter in connection
with the prevention of the different diseases. White-
wash is always a good disinfectant, but its value can
be greatlv increased for this purpose by adding chloride
of lime to it, one pound to three or four gallons, or car-
bolic acid, one pint to the bucketful.

.1. '

CHAPTER 1.

DISEAShS OF THE SKIN.

A. 2%o«e caused by parasites.

1. FLEAS.

The bird flea, known as Pulexavium, is a very small

i^Z •""*• '' '"^ -^'-^ '^«« -^"^ '^ withoutwrngs'
Its body ,s somewhat elongated and flattened fro,,
side to side. This little parasite is exceed nghanro
mg to poultry and especially to pigeons. It iTyery

fiHts const iVh^'ir^ '''^''' "' I^"'t''y i^^-^^^-

«fem to s ';.?/:* '^"^P' '''''' "^'^''^^ «°d causes
Hw r"/'"^''^'^ ''^^ I'op about so that their rest is
di^urbed and eventually they become thin andTeak
and If they are not actually killed bv the fleas whic
occurs very inrely. they are so hara;..! that I'u^ re

cr:v inrct^"-- -^ ^" --^ -■ - -

cause of deatli. Pi^-
^ms are annoyed by
fleas far more than
other poultry.
The remedy is to al-

2--I

Larva of the Chicken Flea.
Twenty times natural size.
(17)

i\

■^ 6!ft^.»i

18

low the birds a dusting place and if the parasites are
very numerous ii-sect powder or sulphur should be
mixed with the dust and when the fowls scratch and
burrow in this powder it enters the spaces between the
feathers, reaches the skin and so obstructs the breath-
ing openings on the surface of the flea that it fands the
conditions very disagreeable and l>ecomes stujefaed
and falls off or goes away.
f)r insect powder can be
blown by means of a powder
gun or blower between the
feathers of the afflioted fowl.
It is also necessary to so
treat the roosting places,
nests and poultry houses
that the fleas will be either
destroyed or driven away. Because if this is not done
they I'etum to the birds as soon as the dust is shaken
from their feathers. Disinfection can be accomplished
bv spraving the interior of the building with a solu^
tion of 'carbolic acid (one p«rt to twenty parts of
water) Or a kerosene emulsion, such as is used for
spraying fruit trees, can be employed for the same pur-
pose. •

Thirty times natural size.

1,1

. 2. LK'E.

Bird lice differ considerably from the ordinary lice
of haired animals. They do not suck blood as tho«e
do and cannot, for they are provided with a mouth

. .. 19

that only erables them to bite. They live on the

tDltL ^'^"^ '"-.P-v^t-J f-m falling off by

There are several varieties of lice belonging to fo„r

principal genera: those are Goniodes. GonfJ^ofeT Z

eur^ and Menopen. While these p^rat'sSr Sn"

«uierably as regards their shape and size they resem"

ble each other very closely in their habi^' -U of

hem are very .small insects, from 1-100 to 1 r ,

^xjfz"-'''' -' '"'^'°'^ divirdi^o't:

paits the head is very large and flat, the thorax Z

most posterior segment, is lono-
oval and plump. riieir color
18 usually grayish or yellowisli
but some of them show differ-
ent shades of.brown. Although
these parasites do not pene-
trate the skin and suck the
blood as fleas do, and as the
'ice of mammals do, they cause
a great deal of itching and an-
noyance while crawling about
over the surface and sometimes
they bite thp «Hn o^j • x, , i^hicken loitse.

J uiie ine Skin and m that GonUnte!, dmtmm male

way occasion much irritation ,'?"^°f '''^ "»««* common' va-
■ At one time it was thou-l.t ~- .^"'"««"«'''rai size.

«■«. ..d «.. ,1,,- ;^^ :;,';;-■ '-'' "■'

m dirtv i)Iapp« Knf ,-* i. r. *'^"^^^tlves, as it were,
havo the property of reproducing themselves

II

Chicken Louse.
Goniocotes (;i(/(W, female.
Ten times natural size.

20

with great rapidity. It has
been estimated that the third
generation springing from a
single individual may reach
the enoi-mous number of 125,-
000 within twelve weeks.

While it is true that ne-
glect, dirt, mth, etc., favor the
growth and piopagaition of
lice, it should always be le-
meiiibered that they cannot
appear in the poulti7 yard
unless they are brought in by
an infested fowl or by a cage
that a fowl has been in or
some other object that an in-
fested fowl lias been in contact with. Hut fowls are
interchanged so fre(,nently and fowls of d.tferenl
owners come in contact in so many ways at poultry
shows, in markets, etc., that it is not at all difficult for
a yard that was previously free from those parasites to
become infested when least suspected.

These parasites occasion as much loss as any disease
that fowls are subject to. While they alone do nol
often kill birds, in many cases they so annoy them by
their constant irritation that they prevent slei^p and
rest so that fowls and especially young ones do not
grow and Ihrive as they .should, and beciune thni and
delicate. In this condition they d<. not produ<e eggs
nor are thev good for food, and so long as th.-y con-
tinue to remain badly infested with lice fhey are ab-
solutely unproductive and worthless.

The conditions that arc mo«t favorable to the pro-
pagation of lice have already leon mentioned briefly.

fowls that are poor in condi- ^na,, al.,o.

tion are more apt to be in-
fested with lice than those
that are in good condition,
healthy and sturdtv-. it has
t>een noticed frequently that
where there are a number of f
fowls in an infested pen
those that are least rugged
harbor the most lice. Tlie
probable i-eason fca- this is
that fowls in poor condition
have a somewhat dry and

scurfy skin which nrnviHoo r, ■ chicken Louse.
.v,^ x.-.. provides O^wcoto Mowosler, male.

more hiding places and more t(^'f^TvT"?u'''^- u
smooth, pliable skin of T J^ ** *^^° *^^

When ^wls are afflLe^H^*^"^' ^""'"^^ ^''^■
th'.t fh. afflicted in this way it can be noticed

Sn to ius ^"^^^'^«- '^'-y «'«« have an inclina
"on to dust themselves and when eai..,hf » ^

amined the lice can frequently be'^ ^^TLS'
JnVZrT "P""' ^°^ specially abo" ?he tad

the'rnt;rtre::rtr""^^ '- ^^^-^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^»'^

parts of tl ; iTv nl '""^ "°*^ sometimes on all
case« ^f o .: ^^'' "^""y ^^^ t>e ^o«nd in manv

ZTcVs\j r ■''' '^ ""^^' '" '"^^ °-ts, on the

Sttre ;\Min;. ^-^ ^-^-^^"--^^ ^'-- - -^v

treat the fowl but also the premises occupied by it

I '

u

22

because if we simply destroy tliose

that are on the bird they will return

again from the surroundings just as

Heas do. In treating an animal for

the purpose of destr»oying lice two

methods may be employed. We may

use substances that will poison the
lice outiight or we may use sub-
stances that are not poisonous in
themselves but which destroy lice by

obstructing the pores on the surface
of the insect and thus shutting off its
supply of air and suffocating it. The
latter plan is preferable in the case

of young and weak birds. Little chick-
ens but a few days old frequently

acquire lice from their mothers or
their surTOundings and are sometimes annoyed ser-
iously bv them. In these cases it is advisable to apply
a smalfquantity of bland oil, such as sweet oil or cot-
ton^seed oil, to the chicken's head and perhaps to the
sides of the neck if the parasites are very numerous, or
lard may be used for the same purpose. In the case of
older fowls sulphur ointment is a very efficient remedy.
It should be applied in small quantity about the head,
sides of the neck, beneath the wings and aronnd the
vent. Or insect powder {pyrethrum) may be blown be-
tween the feathers and this will destroy or drive away
the lice. If the fowl is to be liberated immediately af-
ter the powder is applied it is well to first dampen the
feathers so that it will not be at once shaken off. A
dust bath should always be provided, and this goes a
very long way toward keeping fowls free from all sorts
of skin parasites. It is frequently advisable to add in-
sect powder or sulphur to the dust.

The Long Chicken

LOUSR.

Liv^urus vai-iahilis,
Male.

23

Neuniaun records a case

wJiere a farmer took tbe plaster

from a building that was being

torn down and threw it into tbe

••oad so that it might be ihor-

onghly pulverized by passing

wagons. This powdered plaster

was thrown into a poultry house

infested with lice and a dust

h'Mh was made of it, with the re-

•'O'lt that the lice disappeared , „

..>mpleterr within a short time. Th. p... ch.ck.« lo.s.

Anotiier plan for removing lice -^^'^^^^ paimum, female.'

i« to place the Kn^T. ^* ^u ,,0^'^*^"^'^ ^^^ ™ost common
fowl i/ u ^ ^^ the^anety. 20 times natural size.

quicklT A waoi, „* aestro.y the lice very

or of w;ak cril n ,7' ^""'^ '^"''^"'^ ^'^^ ««'«tion
for th7sTuruot h.Tf" " ^'' "'^ **^^° recommended

take cold. ^^ *''■*' ^"^ ^'^""y P™ne to

be thorou.-hh LIkk , '"*''"**^*^' ^^^ ^^'«"« should
Hhou dX iii ^ "1 ''''''''^ ^^^"' ^he floor

which chloride of Mni/ "^*^ ^ withwash to

been add d Or prio^ t^TlV'' '^" ^^"^°«> ^««

-- V butnt%s:^r?i,^r:rr

!t

III

4i

24

crevices have been carefully closed. Kerosene emul-
sion is also hi-hly eitlcient as a spray for the interior
of an infested poultry house. The perclies and nests
should be scrubbed with a stronj,^ solution of washing
soda or lye or scalded with hot water. If this timt-
nient is carried out and if the poultry house is white-
washed two or three times a year there will be little
trouble in keeping the fowls free from lice.

3. MITES AND TICKS.

These parasites are usually, though improperly, de-
scribed as lice. They are exceedingly annoying to all
kinds of poultry and sometimes cause such loss of con-
dition that lice are suspected but none can be found.
TUK COMMON POULTRY MITE, the Dermmyssus
gallince, is a small, oblong parasite, about 1-32 of an
inch long and 1-70 of an inch broad. It it provided
with eight legs and each foot has two claws.

The abdomen is surrounded by short bristles. The
color is yellowish or brownish, but when the animal
is full of blood it becomes dark brown or dull red.
The back sometimes ^hows little white spots. This
parasite is one of the most destructive known. It af-
fects all varieties of domestic fowls and sometimes
when present in large numb<>rs passes to other ani-*
mals, cattle, dogs, cats, horses and some^mes to peo-
],le. One of the striking peculiarities in regard to it
is that it doe« most of its work at night. Upon the ap-

25

proach of day it leaves its victim and retires to a d.rk
scM^luded si>ot. A space beneath the end o the ^ ,h
or "iHler the nest or between the cracks of ^"S^

L The Red Poultry Mite.
^"'"«"''«*«'«^«««-Fema.e-«).«mes:n«tural8lzo.

o wall, umy sometimes contain a large number of
1 .0 paras.tes, both male and female, fogeth" wi
. luanl.ty of eggs and .vonng. They multh,ly so ra

uonltrv' '\ ' ''^ '""' ^^^° introduce? iJo th'"

Zv S I. " ''""" '''''^•''"^ «°d ^^^'»^^ to de-

out : ., '""" ''''' ^'''^ P'-^«<^''^-'^ --"ive with-

<Mit f,M)d for more than a vear

In contradistinction to the habit of the bird lice, this

If

I

I

!

1

f; !

Ril

ik

I

26

parasite sucks the blood of its victim and one of tliem
may remove quite an appreciable quantity. It is es-
pecially hard on young chickens and turkeys and on
Sitting hens. In the former case, by preventing rest
at night and by removing blood from the weak and
growing bird, it produces weakness and sometimes
death In the latter case, by constantly disturbing the
setting hen during the night when she should have per-
fect rest, the annoyance may be so great that she will
be impelled to leave the ne«t and allow the eggs to be-
come chilled or in her endeaver to relieve herself of
the parasites, the eggs may be broken. The remedies
to be employed to destroy these parasites are similar
to those employed for destroying bird lice. But in
this case the disinfection and cleansing of the sur-
roundings are of even greater importance. Special
]>ains should be employed to introduce whatever dis-
infecting solution is used into all cracks and spaces
where these parasites might lodge. Carbolic acid so-
lution (1 to 20) especiall valuable for this purpose, and
if a good ti^atment of the building with it is followed
by the application of whitewash the insets can be
thoroughly eradicated. - ' • -

The BIRD TICK (Argas margitMtus) is i" »""'*'
respects similar to the parasite above described. It
is confined to pigeons. It is of an oval shape, of a
VH-ownish color, and its head is located beneath the
bodv. It sucks the blood from its victim and some-
times occures in such large numbers that it destroys
pigeons in two weeks, producing death from exhaus-
tion. It is found most frequently about the neck and
beneath the breast, but it may also appear on other
parts of the body. Sometimes it pnsw^s to those who
have to handle infested pigeons, and in these cases it

27

rii

ay cause by its bite a very painful itching spot that

I

as to

2. ^

9 Q

■? i

ua

?

5

9

CO SI

s

B

It

o

D
O

t

1

00

S
■n

will remain sore for several Hiw. \\u .i

Sites a.e found adherent roleltn ^^:^ Z^

should be cover«i with oil or with ben.ine ^™; en.

t^Z 7h TV' ^^'"'^"' '"«^'"« »-^-"i '

suits ^,/, '""^ '" ^'"^'^'^ "ff « '^o'-e pJace re-
suit.. Tl,,. H..:,ns,ng ,„,l disinf.M-ti.,,, ,.f th, ni,.oo,>

"<>- .s Of the greatest importance and 1:,:?;:

28

carried o.it hi the most thomngh manner. The inte-
rior should be thoroughly scraped and scrubbed and
then fumigated or sprayed and whitewashed.

4. MANGE.

Mange of bk-ds is of two kinds: That affecting the
fea 1 ei^d parts of the bo<ly and that affecting the legs
and feet. Of the lirst kind there are two pi-mcipal
varieties, which have such prominent characteristics
'ha they can usually be distinguished without diih-
X Marge of the legs and feet is considered on
>a" 83, in coi.nection with the diseases of the legs
.nd'feet. Foiturately, mange of poultry is not «>m-
,aon iu this courlry, but as we are constant y impor -
in- fowls of all descriptions from all par s of the
world, and corstantly interchanging them, the disease
„uiv be introduced into any locality at any time, and
it is therefore important that it should be nnderstoo<l
so that its ravages may be checked before extensive in-
jury has beer, occasicmed.

M.XNOE OF THE I'.ODY.

The lirst varietv of body manye is caused by an ex-
ceedingly small parasite known as EpidermopUr Mo-
batus. The first indiiation of I his disease is the a).-

29

peai-ance of a bare spot about the neck or on the head.
Kie feathers become dry and brittle and either break
off or fall out. Then the akin becomes covered with
yellowish scales which gradually increase in thickness
as he disease advance.s until they sometimes reach a
thickness of an eighth of an inch. When old, these

i:

'^"'J^^''^"'°l^''^^'>'"^0'^ODY-UAmEOF FOWLS

BpuJermopfw hilol^tus. Female- 150 times act.mls^z*

IZt' \'5 .r'"'^' '"'' ^"'^'*^ '^' appearance of thick
En!!;,, ^^' ""'^ P""^ «*f ^t '« ^«""d that the skin
beneath is red and bleeds easily. As a rule these
ar.?a8 do not itcdi, but .^nietimes they do, and then the
bird sci^tches them vigorously. After becoming es-
tabli«hed about the head and neck the disease may
spread to the body and sometimes covers a ver^llrce
sur ac T,, ,3^ ,„,, ,, ,,,^ affection "rlS
those of favus so closely that it has been thought by

: . . • ' ' -i n ■ ' '*' \' -^

30

»oine tliat the disea^ is in fact produced by a vege-
table parasite, but as yet
this has not been proven.
The other variety of
body mange is caused by
a parasite known as
Sarcoptea Icevis. Of

late yeara ,it has been
common in Europe, and
has i^revaiied especially
during the siwing and
summer. It may begin
on any part of the body
and usually spreads un-
til file entire skin is af-
fected. When it has
reached this stage the
whole body is bare and
theonlv feathers that re- 1'
main are a few in the hxW and some in the wings.
The skin is healthy in appearance, with the exception
that it is devoid of covering. It is smooth, flexible
and normal in color. Inhere is no itching and the gen-
eral health of the fowl is usually good, although some-
times after having been afflicted for a long time it may
become thin and gradually waste away. When feath-
ers are pulled out on the border of the diseased area
it is noticed that the lower end of the aheath is covered
with scaly layers and the parasite can usually be dis-
covered among them.

SchaefCer has recently reported a case where this
disease appeared among a flock of 70 hens and nearly
all of them lost all of their feathers, with the exception
of those in the wings and tail. The parasite could

The Parasitz or One Form of Body

— MANOE of FOWTiS.

W\Kindern\nptes I)«oJ[>ntti8, male- 150 times
■^ actual size.

31

.■asilv 1„. found by j.ulling out a feather and exa.nin
niii .Is l.as... Thes.. fowls i,,,d bm, kept in dirty pen.

The Parasite of Onk Korm of;b,>dt-Manoe of Fowls
iam,p««, teui». male-200 times natural size

and weie also afllicted wid, maaige of tl,; le.^s The

rinHeHT-"""'*^''^ '"'^ '''^^""^^ ^""^ '""^ f«^vls were
sprinkled twice a week with a weak solution of creolin

Zf ""vi" '^T ''^'" ^ '^■^^^'-^^ P«t' ^i^h the result

J..fV\ 1 ''""' ™''''*^' ^^"^y J'«d recovered and
feathered out again.

The treatment to be employed in these cases is first
of all to isolate the afflicted fowls. Then disinfect
the premises that they have o<.cupic.l, and afterward

KM T/"^r''"'' "■"''"•™* '' '"^^y ^^' worth it.

ILrd ' •' r"* '""''"'' '° *^^ application to the
diseased skin of remedies that will destroy the para-
s.te producing the disease. One of the b^st applica-

32

tious for this pu.p<>«e - « so ut a ^.^ ^.^^ ^^

iu alcohol a part to 5). /^^J,^" /^ot only tiie

sponge oi- soft biu^b, an disi^ce ot

diseased area but the ^^f^^^^^ev efficient applica-
about an inch on all side«. Another e

tion is snlphux o>«*™7\ J ^^^TappUed ligMly
,a,. to 50) n.ay be "-^: ^^f/ J,,,,,! ^ freely o.
and not rubbed in, be ause it aiP
energetically it may i.oison the fo^^ 1.

.-). l>KOT<)'/t)A.

,,,„,a.d fo.ls, turUeys, ^^^^^^^^7^^
sometimes atfaCed by ^ J^^^^^ J Vl L b^k, the
That apiK^ars about the head tt.e base _^^^

''-''1 ttheU: rth w^gstri tl. general sn.
spreads to the base otT ^ ^^^^ ^^^

face of tlK. b«^J-^,J I":;,,.,;;, that frequently appear
smooth and resemble the ^^ arts tn. 'reading from

1 j„ TViev nve contagious, spu-u'i-uf^
on the hands. The> <Ui ^ sometimes

::^mal parasite belonging to tbe Pr^o-«^

^rhat the«e growths -^ ^^f^f "J^^**., ^,em can
quently proven by -xpenmen ation. One ^^^

,„ removed and a -« n>or ^n of . nb ^^ ^^ ^^^

scarified sUin of " ^^7';;;^^;7' ,,j,tible elevation at
days tlifc surface will sho>% a iki ^ ,

warty growth wm oe iinim.'

33

are not destructive (o the pigeon unle«« (hev are verv
numerous, or occur so plentifully about the eve« and
nose as to obstruct these openings, or spread fi-ou. the

Protozoa,:prom a Fowls Intestine.
Co,ccidiumperf(jram,

corners of the beak into the mouth. If thev are nun.-
erous in these localities they cause serious^ inconven-
ience the bird becomes thin and wealc and finally die«
Ihe Lnghsh poulterer sometimes refer to this disease
as a pox of the chicken but this designation is ver^-
misleading bt^cauae fowls do not suffer from pox in th;
sense that mamirals do.

The remedy for these warts is to remove all infected
birds fron. the pigeon h.ft. renew the nests, clean it

;:rj"; '^"t 'r^' "- '"^--'J"^' ^» fuming the wart
out with a hot iron or apply tincture of iodine or tur-
pentine. Cre.>,in is also efficient, but it is necessary

he nl^ , *"• '•'" ^"""^'^ ^^"^"'-^ ^'' ^"^d -ff before

end T/;" " 'PP""^' *•'''" ^•^' P'"*^'"^' « <J'-«P on the

three or t' T """^ '""*^^''"^ *^^ application everv
three or four days as long a. necessary, the conditio^

Zuut rr'"''""-' """'*'• '^'»^^"''' of iodine con-
st.tute.s by far the best remedy.

I-

3-1

34

» •• t

ft. FAVUS.

In some rcspn^ts thiB disease resembles mange. It
,« however prodnced by an entirely ditterent parasUe.
L on c o se exannnation it can be seen that the cond.-
Hot oMhe skin is different from that wlneh ex.sts u.
mange. The parasite
of favns is a vegetable
oTowth, known as Acho-
rion schorleinii,

Favus usually com-
mences about the comb,
head and neck. It causes
tlie feathers to become
brittle and break off and
fall out, and when these
are examined clcsely it

is seen that their interior

is 111 led with scales and

with brandling threads

cesemblino: minute roots.

These are the filaments

of the vegetable parasite ^ead and neck of a fowj^ affbctbd

ui Lii^ *^fe ^ j_i ^iTH Generalized FAVU8.

or

fungus. When the

WITH Generalized Favus.

combinnvolverit becomes swollen, its surface bo-
les sclly, wWtish and powderly. The eyehds are
frequently affected, and in some rare *=««- ^he f^^^^^
ered surfaces are involved to such an extent that the
;^ be^mes almost naked. Upon the skin there de-
velops a thick yellowish or grayish crust or scab in the
form of rather small, roundish disks, depressed at the
centre The odor of the diseased bird is peculiar and

35

disagreeable and resembles that of a mouldy or musty
grain bin. It becomes thin, weak, exhausted, and un-
less relieved it dies.

If a small i>oition of a crust or the contents of a
feather growing on the diseased skin is moistened with
a weak solution of acetic acid and placed under the
.n.croscope it will be se^n tlmt it is made up of cells

' f :

Pi^hf h '^'^l" -If'""'*"" *"«"'<:(» OF THB Favos of Poultry

from the skin ,„uong wlrieh (Invad-like branching flla-
'nents penetrate in all directions. There are also nu-
merous little round b,Klles which are the spore« or
see^ls of the parasitic plants. Favus is contagious
and si«eads from one animal to another. It is mare
apt to affect animals that are in poor health and weak
than those which are hearty and strong. It is also
more apt to start at a point where the stin is broken
than where it is intact. There are numerous observa-

36
^ «.hioh seem to indicate that favus may

be co>"'"""^^''^t,f "" rm this condition should be
tant therefore that biras m

handled very carefully. removed

The diseosed fowls -^""'f^.'^^'^'l^ns recognised.

from the flock as «c>on as th.s " «^^f ^.f „ 'g^^eerine

.Phen they n.ay be treated by applymg o 1 or S ^^^

t« soften the ^;^^'Z,lt:iT^^^^^^^ " "''

;,l,plication of creolm a P^^ to wa f ^^^^^

bolic add (1 part t^J^^^^"; ^f, t^'ure of iodine,
or the surface may be paintea win

or an ointment ««posed of ^--"^^^..^^^I'lrrubbcd
«oap, 20 parts, may be applied and thorougn ,

*m.

37

B. Those not caused by parasites.

I. lUUlTAT10^' OF THE SKIN.

Tt M>metime8 happens that when fowls are exposed

!r l,l\ ; Jl» Tills wnaition is ni)! very senous.
^rln iTle ..,n,.die. b, appl,i»8 .nill *.»7

■f.'

*

2. INFLAMMATION OF THE 8K1N.

The caiises of the previous affection when iinusuallv
severe, or when they continue to act for a considera-
ble time, produce not only the mild condition above
described, but also an inflammatior. of the skin that
is more or less intense. A similar condition may re-
sult from the accumulation around the posterior por-
tion of the body. In cold weather these accumulations
alternately thaw and freeze and pull upon the feath-
ers they are attached to, thus leading to an iuflamma
tiou of the adjacent skin that can be recognized by red-
ness, swelling, tenderness to pressure and discharge
from the surface.

The remedy consists in cleansing the skin by the use
^f soap and water, cutting off the feathers if necessary,
and then applying the ointment above mentioned.

3. DISTTJRHED MOULTING.

During the spring while fowls are shedding their
feathers they are in a delicate condition and are more
apt to become diseased ui)on exposure to deleterious
influences than at any other time. Their tendenies^s
and loss of vitality is shown by the fact that thev lose
their spirits and activity to some extent. Their ap-
petites are somewhat caTH-icious, and the production
of eggs falls off yerv greatly. If the loss of condition

I

?,8
retarfed and tlK M »«""» ^ „eaUier beaien ai.-

„,,,..,. thai nnnsuaM. n,Mn.,u. '""^ ™-^,„„„
,l,„,.<>„,,.l.v c,i..,...c^ H .'» "«X lieTair bu, tbev

,„„„ld »ls.. •«■ P'"",X.e Aoald bo hoasc^ earl.
„„,d ram. »n<l »''<■' ''3;'„i „,^„,, eithc-r ,a» or
ia the cvwing. A O'e* '""'" " ,. ,„. ,„„„Uins (owls.

Lf sulphate of iron in two gallons of water. One oi
of suipuait >j solution are placed in

two taWespcorsfnl (;f this soiui.
eac-H pint of the drinhinjj water, and the effect is at
of a Htle tonic. One should always pay particular
tiX lo the cleanliness of ^^^ V^f^^^^Z
inp the moult^^np season, because if I.e. o, "^'t*^ "^^
l^esent then they will do more harm than at other
times.

39

4. OBSTRUCTION OF THE RUMP GLAND.

There is a gland at the point of the rump that se-
cretes an oily substance that tends to keep the feath-
ers in this region oily and sleek. This gland is the
largest of the superficial glands of the body and some
times the orifice through which it discharges its secre-
tion becomes obstructed. Then the region of the
gland swells and becomes painful. It may swell to
such an extent that it reaches the size of a walnut.
This causes considerable pain, the afflicted fowl be-
comes sluggish and generally indisposed and when it
is caught and examined the local swelling can be
readily discovered.

If the gland cannot be emptied by gentle pressure a
sm^Il incision should be made into it with a sharp
knife and its contents removed. If, however, the con-
dition has existed for a long time, the gland may fill
with a thick, oheejsy-like material that cannot be
squeezed out. It then becomes necessary to make a
somewhat larger opening and scoop the anhstance out
with the handle of a small spoon or some similar ob
ject. Then Ihe cavity should be washed out bv in-
jecting into it a very weak solution of carbolic acid
n part of carbolic acid to 200 of water), or a solution
of boracic acid (15 grs. to the ounce). To prevent the
parts from becoming hard while healing an applica
tion of oil or cosmoline shonld be made.

a- 1

J :> 4

» 3 »

■J

0

'J
•>

3 (J 9

0
O .">

}
ill

) >

■> ^

.",

a )

1 >
)
> .<

> J
J

) > !

> , >

1 )

J ■)
■) 1

J >
) }

* > 4

) } ->
1 1

■> > »

CHAPTER II.

DISEASES OF THE BREATHING

ORGANS.

A.— Those caused by parasites.

1. GAPKt^.

Gapes undoubtedly destroy more young chickens
than any other disease. It is a disease caused by a
small worm that occnpies the upper air l>a«f 8^;. Th»«
rrm .as ft..t discovered near Baltimore by Wiesen-
thai in 1799. Sicce then it has been described by nu-
merous zoologists and is at present found in all parts
of this country and Kui^pe. All of the domestic fowls

Gape Wonu—Syngamas trachealiB,
Natural size and five times natural size.

are attacked by it and some of the semi-wild birds.
IH Euroi>e it causes great loss among the pheasants.

41

The worm is ku'o\in as Syngamous irachealis, is of a
reddish color and the female is about ome-half to three-
fourths of an inch long, while the male is about one-
fifth of an inch kmg. The male is conMamtly attached
to the female, the fumiel-shapped lower end surround-
ing a pore on the side of the female a little less than
one-third of the di««tance from its head. On account
of this pe(tuliar lii.ion a gape-worm is sometimes de-
scribed as a "branch-worm" and on account of its color
it is in some places known as the "red-worm." The
head is broad and flat and arranged for sucking. This
disc-like head is placed against the lining membrane of
Ihe wind-pipe at any point between
the mouth and the bronchial tubes.
ScMnetimes there are as many as 30

or 40 wonns in a single fowl, but
usually not so many. Three or four

of th^m suffice to destroy a young

chick but a greater number are nec-

essiirv' to destroy an adult. . .
When the worms are coughed out

other fowls eat them greedily and in .

this way they become infected in -

turn, because the mature females

are full of eggs. It has been shown

by experiment that after birds are

fed upon worms containing eggs

they may develop gapes within two

to three weeks. Another and per-
haps the principal way in which the

disease is spread is through the

agency of earth-wonns. Many of

the eggs of the gape-worm when a pair or gap. worL

thrown out on the ground gain ac- t"n of'wind pip^e'^

'; I t • t t

C "

♦ c ' c

0

• c

c t
c » «-

e « «

t>
r
c

Q

CO'

c »

(. <■ -■■

OS

* c

II c o
e •»

o «
o <•
(I
<
t

0 «

• . o « •< ** •
« « (•

»• » • f

1« «

0 -3 •

c o «

o » r •
„ n « f *

t « " K

c>

I •• .)

0 1V

r r

(5 «-

t» e o

o

e

V e

c
I

t, r ( ' '• '

* <■■■ - *

42
t„ fh*. iBterior of the earth-worn, then wheu the

eased, borne oi me h-v^ . ^jj^,,!,

up and theu 8V. allowed by the ^f ^^ '/^^/^^f , , ^jtb

its mouth frequer.tly aBd gaps, or gasps 2^_
This n>anrer of opening the mouth - ^^ *^f ""J^,,,
tic from which the disease derives its name incr

son" coughing accompanied by the expulsion of
frX slime Som^Hmes the mature worms are
iSed out. The afflicted bird loses its spin s, ,t
Indfabou with the feathers ruffled and head down
a??ntem»ls opening its mouth as though gasping f^
Sr If there is any doubt as to the nature of the dis-
use 1 ^xLnation of the throat should be made
TOs tr done by catching the bird and holding the
r^ut^ open by pressing with the thumb and finger <m
Tach^irof the beak. This forces the mouth open and
expo^s the throat. Then by introducing a small olv
STdepr^ss the tongue the larynx may be exposed
Ld the interior examined. Pressure upon the lai^nx
Tvcm below will far<;e it up into plainer new. D^th
eritst sc^ne cases quickly, from .u«ocation, and m
Ther cases slowly, from exhaustion and secondary di.
eases When this disease appears m a flock, rne
Xted fowls should at once be removed m order to
;^ve^ the distribution of the parasite. The worm.
caTfrequently be removed from the wind p.pe byj^
tro^ucing a loop made by doubling a horse-hair. This

*

43

when introduced and turned around dislodges the
worms and draws them out. Or, a feather fromi which
all of the barbs have been rom.oved with the exception
of those at the point, may be used for the same purpose.
Some recommend a timothy head from which the seeds
have been removed by rolling between the hands or
by shaking, but this is so large that it is difficult to
use it except in mature fowls. For chickens, the pro-
jections on the lower part
of the timtothy head may
be removed and only those
on the tip allowed to re-
main. This appliance has
the advantage over the
horse hair and feather
that its sharp spines or
hooks are more likelv to
adhere to the worm and
permit its removal. Some-
times oil or turpentine are
appjied to these various in-
struments before they are
introduced into the wind-
pipe. It is advised in soime
cases to cause the diseased
fowls to inhale the smoke
of tobacco. This is done
by placing them in a
closed box and blowing
smoke into it from a pipe.
The worms are in this wav
stupefied but unless care is
used the fowls will also ^thk wind pipe of a phkasant,

CUTOPENLONOITUDINALI>Y, SHOWING

be stupified and nerhaD**^^^" worms attached to its in-

«^ If" TERIOR.

. J

t' , .^rim'-

44
suffcK^ted. However, the fowl can staad u«>re to
raccTsmoke than the worm .o that -«- i*'^^^^ '
from the box it usually coughs up the weakened para-
2s. Powdered lime is also used for r---g the
gape worm by dusting it in sudh a way ttat the fowl
fs caused to ir^.ale some of the fine Partides ^me
times the fowls are placed in a box over which a sh^
f muslin is spread and lime is -"ed through tins
masliB top and the fowl is obliged to inhale the dust
This procedure is somewhat dangerous^ unless great
.are is exercised, and cannot be very highly recom-

'"in'^the wav of internal treatment, camphor, asafoet-
ida and garlic are all of value. Camphor f^xM he
given in pills of about one grain each. A^foetid^
ahould be given in one grain pills and garlic shonld be
chopped in fine pieces and fed with the food.

Thrtr.>atment of the soil over which the infected
fowls roamed is of great importance and especially if
they were kept in confined spaces. By treating the
soil with lime and spading or ploughing it up. fre-
quently the eggs of the gapoworm may be desti^oyed.
Or the ground may be thoroughly soak(^ with a solu-
tion of sulphuric acid (one part to one hundred). Tlie
water troughs and feeding places should all be thor-
onghlv cleansed and disinfected wilh copems solution
(one pound to two gallons of water). The bodies of
the dead fowls should be buried deeply at a distance
from the barnyard, or burned.

45

2. DISEASES OF THE AIR PASSAGES CAUSED

BY MITES.

There is a minute parasite similar to the parasite
of mange that infestsi the air passages and specially
the windpipe, the bronchial tubes and the large air
spaces in the chest. It is known as Cytodties nudtts.
Sometimes these parasites penetrate beyond the air
sacs and reach the air spaces in the bones. When
present in large numbers, they cause an inflammation
of the parts they infest, but when pre.«ient in small

Thi AiR-gAo MiT« OF Fowls.
Ci/toditeg nudw.one hundred times natural size.

numbers they seem to produce no disturbance. The
disease produced by them in the bronchial tubes is of
the nature of a bronchitis of a severe type and some-
times there is inflammation of tlie lungs, or pneumonia,

46

„.,, n^ese conrtitioBs are indicated ^^^^ <iifficult
as well, int&e i.*- v,„.„ ^vs bv a peculiar tone

and rapid b.oaU.ing and, ^"'^ ^J^. "J^^^jP ^^^en a for-
that is similar to that produced bj ^>J^ ^^^ ^.^^^

as to cause death. '^ - ^^ ^jj g^ti^f ac-

The treatment of these lases is ^^^

tory. so that it is «f ^^J ,*\Vcure them. Upon
afflicted fowls than to at emp^ o^c^.^^^^ ^^^ ^^,,.

r;r. - "^- «-"^-- - *" ^^"^;e

*'°"^* . t i» .ttemnted the inhalation of the vapor
thing.

3. PNEUMONl-V CAUSED BY MOUI.DS.

. /

sever., v.He.i.. .< .^e '«'^'-" "'^'Xl'lZZ Z

■ 47

wherever thej grow. Sometimes they spread out over
the lining membrane of the air tubes and cause a
diffuse inflammation and thickening that somewhat
resembles tht change that takes place in diphtheria.
In the lungs, the growths are characterized by the ap-
pearance of little round nodules, where the tissue dies
and becomes yellowish and of the consistency of
cheese. In old cases, these spots sometimes become
loaded with lime salts and then they are hard and even
stony. The pr-incipal symptom is difficult breathing.
The respiratory movements are rapid and accompanied
by a hoarse sound. The appetite is diminished, the
spirits are depressed, the bird is disinclined to move,
its feathers become ruffled, it loses flesh rather rapidly
and towai-ds the end develops a diarrlioea that hastens
it to tfs fatal termination. The entire course of the
disease is rather long and usually covers several weeks.

Treatment in these cases is not to be recommended
becausi^ the outlook for recovery is poor. However, if
anything is done the best results can be obtained by
causing the bird to inhale the vapor of iodine. This
plan of ti-eatment is carried out by mixing equal parts
of tincture of iodine and hot water. The steam as it
rises can ies the iodine vapor and by holding the vessel
beneath the bird's head it is obliged to inhale this
medicine. Iodide of potash may be administered in-
ternally in dose« of one to two grains twice daily.

It is far better, however, to prevent the disease than
to allow it to develop and then attempt to cure it.
When it is remembered that moulds occur principally
in damp, dark places, it will be seen that good drain
age, ventilation and light will prevent their growth
and thus ward off the disease. Disinfection and white-
washing are also of the highest value in this direction.

y

X

48

I . *•.»/«-•

■ - C . ' '■' r ->■ -*'

^■

B ThoM mi caused by parasiUs,
, CATARKH OF THE NABAL PASSAGED ;;P1P.'

cold easily when exposed in ^^«^PJ. ^'^'.^ ,^ ,,
,toov in the poultry house, Part-ulady .t P
drained, is a fruitful source of *=^'f ;^^^„ken

.tructed building, ^^^^'l':,:^^ ZZ:\^..o.g^.

window papes, pemitting a draUonYo

and strike the fowls while roosting at night,

mon cause of cold. well-known symptoms of

colds a--«thTnos'e sometL" also' f 'om the
discharge fiom the nose, »^"7 • ^^ gpirite,

.,,o„th, swelling <;!^2;f^''^rZnt acTi.ely,

^'Ted lis Si^tU " clLatL to stand in a warn,
marked loss ot -JPP^^^^' ^^^,^ and feathers

bright P^^f ' 7,^;,^^ ifa lavTng hen, cessation of egg

mav lead to diTuess and hardening of the tip ot tne
Zguo This condition is often de«<="*>^ ^^^ P/;";;,
ers i ''pip." and especially when young chickens are

'^'Se teatment is simple and consists first of all in
heuerinttbe conditions ^^ ^^^^^ --f.
lAPfod and thus removing tlie cause oi tn^
S«'ln 1 r». a.d .*s «< *« '.ulMings *ot„:^
m^tched broken window panes replaced, and if it is not
^Me I keep «,e floor o, ,1. P»"»;>^,J-« f:^:'
all times it should be removed to another location.
tL "wl should be placed in a warm, dry coop, where

49

the sun can shine in freely, supplied with small quan-
tities of tempting food and clean water in clean ves-
sels, to which may be added a small amount of chlorate
.of potash (15 grs. to the pint). A little onion or gar-
lic in the food is also of adA^antage. If the discharge
from the n^se collects about the orifices and obstructs
them, or if the eyelids are swelled to such an extent
that they cannot be opened, the collection of matter
should be removed by means of a sponge or soft cloth
moistened with warm water.

2. LARYNGITIS AND BRONCHITIS. SORE

THROAT.

If the cold is of an especially severe type, on account
of the fact that the exposure to which the fowl was
subjected was intense or of long standing, or if the
fowl is young or of a naturally w^eak constitution, the
membranes of the air passage miay become afflicted
with catarrh that reaches beyond the head into the
throat, and into the branching bronchial tubes that
penetrate the lurgs. In these cases, the discharge
from the nosie is more profuse, the depression of the
fowl's spirits is greater, there is considerable difficulty
in breathing, and in severe cases the bird may gasp for
breath very much as though its windpipe were ob-
structed by gape worms.

The general treatment in these cases is the same as
for pip, but more attention should be devoted to the
fowl because it is in a more serious condition. In
4-1 '

50

place of cblu.au. of potash iu .1.. d.-iukiug water it i«
better iu these severe cases to add s.uall quantities o
baking soda (bicarbonate of i»oda) and Glauber s aaJt
,1 drachm to eadi pint). It is also oi advantage to
give small do^es of sal ammoniac (1 grain) mixed with

Since roup, a very contagions disease of fowls, com-
mences in a similar way, it is very important to imme-
diately remove from the flo<^k all birds showing the
symptoms described above, because if it should prove
that thev were afflicted with roup the extension of the
disease might in this way be prevented.

3. LUNG FEVER OR PNEUMONIA.

If the exposure to which a fowl is subjected is of an
unusually »evere character, it may result that the bird
will develop inflammation of the lungs or pneumonia.
Symptoms of this very severe affection are at first sim-
ilar to those of the two preceding diseases, but they
rapidly become worse, and within a short time the
patient evirces great difficulty in breathing. It loses
all ambition and sense of fear, remains stubbornly in
one place and when caught and examined it will be
noticed that the mnscles in the lower part of the body,
those of the abdomen, contract and expand with each
respiration and in this way assist the muscles of the
(^hest to expel and renew the air in the diseased lungs.
Pressure on the sides of the bird will cause considera-
ble pain. If the fowl dies, and unfortunately most of

51

them do when afflicted with pneumonia, it will be
found that the lungs are very red and full of blood,
and portions of them when cut off and placed in a
vessel of water will sink instead of floating as pieces
of healthy or slightly diseased lungs do. The air tubes
are filled with a yellowish or reddish frothy fluid
which in some eases is expelled in small quantities
during life.

The treatnr.ent of these cases is not profitable, be-
cause so few of them recover. If, however, one wishes
to treat an especially valuable fowl, and will consent
to devote the time and care to the case that it requires,
go«>d results may follow.

Half a teaspoor.ful of whiskey in a little warm
water, together with from 2 to 3 grains of saltpetre
and ammonium carbonate may be administered at in-
tervals of fwm three to four hours. It is also well to
cause the fowl to inhale fumes of burning sulphur, but
this vapor should not be administered in a coneen-
trated form. The fowl must be kept in a warm, dry
place. '

^•1

.. r

CHAPTER III.

r ir-;i> "'?•

1 V i

^iii ^■■'

} , - - "1

l.t.

V'.

DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OR

GANS.

53

of death is disclosed by a dissection of the bird, it is
fair to assume that other fowls that present the symp-
toms shown by the dead one, suffer from the presence
of the same kind of parasite.

Of all varieties of poultry, guinea fowls and pea
fowls are least subject to the ravages of parasites. Of
the other vaneties, those that live on dry land seem to
be more troubled with parasites than those that swim
in the water, as ducks and geese.

.'jr

A Those cansed by parasites.

There are a great .nany parasites that infest the di-

lucre ail J' , «onie of these are of but lit-

^restive organs of ^^^^^^-^^^^^ -^ .^^n numbers and

tie moment, because ^l^^J^;^^?"!.'''^^^ ^ ^.^e greatest

do but little ham; while others ^^Jl' J-^i^ ,,. "

consequence because they f ^^^^^^^^fj^.^fhe af
numerous and seriously aitec^l^^^^^^^^

:;rso'n^: i:;:Xt ^^ w'SLt producing appre.
:jre'S:ln -.st^n.^-;-- in oth.. c.ses

n much smaller number of paiasites oi t

a mucn smai inconvenience but

species may not only cause great

^^+nr.v the life of the infested bird. So it is evi

bird affected /i i, +i,af ivirbor

"'"f ''■;,^.:\:r: I'dt'c— rMr'rr.

1. TAPEWORMS^-CESTODES.

4 . .

A tapeworm is a row of more or less distinct organ-
isms joined together in the form of a band or tape.
At one end there is a siomewhat coniciil or globular
segment supplied, at its free end, with four suckers,
and in the center between these with a crown of
thorns. This segment is usually tei-med the head of
the tapew orm, but in reality it is not a head for the
tapeworm has and requires no head. It has no mouth,
no eyes, no nervous system, no intestinal canal. It
derives its nourishment from the fluids surrounding
it by absorbing them through its outer skin. The first
segment, popularly tei-med the head, is known in scien-
tific language as the Scolex, and its function is to at-
tach itself to the lining membrane of the intestines by
its suckers and hcoks, and by a process of division de-
velop tapeworm joints from its other extremity.

■'K

.'>. .- J-

.t '<

,-f''-

54

The segments close to the scolex are
small and immature, further away
they are larger and more developed,
at the end of the chain they are ma-
ture or ripe. The ripe segments are ►
detached from time to time and pass ►
into the contents of the intestinal ^
cacal and escape from the l)ody|
with the faeces. These mature seg- ^
ments are provided with contractile ^
fibres in their walls and are able to g
move about. They contain eggs.^
Their life outside of the animal in|
which thev are developed is short, and|
when thev die and break open the |
eggs escape. If these fall in a damp |
place, they retain their vitality and 5
power to mature for a long time, m |
some cases many months. |

A remarkable and interesting fact|
in connection with the life history of |
the tapeworm is that the eggs will not
develop into mature worms in the
body of an animal belonging to the
species of the one in which they were
produced. It is necessary that they should first enter
the body of an animal of a different species and there
develop" into embryos, which pass through the walls
of the intestinal canal and penetrate to distant parts
of the body. There the embryos remain m a some-
what more' advanced state of development until their
host dies and is consumed by an animal belonging to
the species of the original host.

This can be illustrated by briefly describing the life

55

history of one of the common tapeworms of man
(Tcenia aoleum) usually called the "pork tapeAvorm."
The eggs from the mature tapeworm of this species
pass from the body of a person harboring it and some
of them are consumed by swine. They hatch out in
the stomach or intestines of the swine, penetrate the
intestinal walls and reach the muscular portion of the
animal. There, they constitue the so-called "bladder
worm" or "measles" of pork. '

The hog is slaughtered and if '
its flesh is eaten raw or imper-
fectly cooked, the consumer g*
swallows the living parasites B
which develop in the intestinal 9
canal into 'mature tapeworms, o
In the same way it is neces- >►
sary far the tapeworms of fowls o
to pass through the body of an ^
intermediate host before theyf
can reappear as tapeworms in w
fowls. It has been shown by g
definite experiments and numer- §
ous observations that the inter- o
mediate hosts in some cases are ^
small animals such as snails, ^

CD

molluscs, worms and insects?
and it seems probable that these ^
animals are the intermediated
hosts for bird tapeworms in all ^
cases. I

A single tapeworm in the in- *
testinal canal of a fowl mav do
no harm. But when they are
numerous symptoms of disease appear. Que* of tbe

i-t?

56

first effects is the irritation of the membrane lining
the digestive tract. This produces diarrhoea and may
Zlttl loss of iiesh. Zurn has observed tM owls af^
flicted with tapeworms have an unusual thirst and an
^IriildngL cold water of which they <irink large
au^ntities and he claims that this ^mptmn should
always be regarded with suspicion. In time, as the re-
suU of the continued irritation of the intestinal canal
and the fact that much of the nourishment that it con^
tains is diverted to the worm and lost to the fow^. be
bird become, weak and thin. Its droppmgs are f^-
nuently mixed with mucus and sometimes with blood.
[ close examination of them sometimes reveal seg-
ments of the tapeworm and a careful microscopic exam-
ination may reveal eggs in large or small quantities.
Sometimes the tapeworms indirectly produce an irnta-
tion of the nervous system that is characterized by fits.
If the afflicted fowl dies, it will be found that its
organs ai^ pale and contain but little blood. If the
intestinal caral is opened the tapeworms can be dis-
covered hanging by their thin ends to the mucous mem-
brane, with the rest of the body floating in the canal.
It is easiest to discover the worms when the intestine
is opened with a pair of scissors while it is held below
the surface of warm water. \.

Illinger has described an outbreak of tapeworm dis-
ease among geese that was so extensive that it be-

• came almost impossible to raise these fowls in a cei-
tain district. When the goslings reached the age of
ten or twelve weeks they would commence to become
thin, notwithstanding the fact thaf their appetites con-

' tinued good, and finally they would develop epilepti-
fom fits and severe diarrhoea and shortly thereafter

• would die. Death usually occurred within two weeks
after the appearance of the first symptoms. Upon

57

dissecting these birds, tapeworms (Tcenia lancolata)
were found in the intestines in great numbers.

As to the treatment of fowls afflicted with tape-
worms, a hii'ge number of remedies are recommended
and used with more or less profit.

One of the standar*d remedies among European i>oul-
terers is powdered bark of the x>omegranate root, of
which one teasipoonful is apportioned for the feed of
each fifty chickens. Powdered areca nut may also be
used in doses of from thirty to forty grains, mixed
with butter to form a pill. This quantity should be
administered to each bird, but it is not a good remedy
for turkeys. Dr. Stiles of the Bureau of Animal In-
dustry has recently experimented with the oil of tur-
pentine as a remedy for fowls and finds that the larg-
est safe dose is about one tablespoonful. This remedy
is very useful for the purpose of removing parasites of
all kinds from the intestinal canal of most of the do-
mestic animals and it is altogether probable that it
will prove of ('onsiderable value in treating fowls with
tapeworm. It should be followed by an equal quantity
of castor oil. As with most other diseases of poultry
it is very much better to prevent than to attempt to
cure, and knowing what we do with reference to the
development and life history of taj^eworms, it is quite
possible, in nost cases, to avoid their effects.

To prevent tapeworm disease among fowls it is im-
portant, first of all, to keep no birds in the flock that
are supposed to be infested by tapeworms. It is also
important that fowls should not be allowed to roam
where other fowls are known to have contracted or
carried these parasites. Especial attention should be
devoted to the removal of droppings of fowls that may
possibly be infested and the se drop]>ings should either
be destr-oyt'd or treated in such a manner that the tai>e-

If

58

wonii eggs ii! Ih«ui .nav be killed. This cau be doue
by disinfecting them with a strong solution of carboli.-
acid, quicklime, or as Dr. Stiles suggests, by keeping
them in a dry place for several months or through the
winter, for it is probable that they can not withstand

this treatment.

If fowls are raised on fresh uncontaminated land
there is but little danger that they will become in-

Dr. V. A. Moore, of the Bureau of Animal Industry,
has recently called attention io a peculiar disease of
chickens that is characterized by the development of
small nodules in the walls of the intestine. These
nodules ^ere about a sixth of an inch in diameter and
quite hard. When opened it is found that the larger
ones contain greenish pus. These nodules were pro-
duced by a small t/peworm recognized as DavaincB tet-
ragona. This dis ^.se has been recognized in fowls
from the District >f Columbia, North Carolina and
Virginia but has not as yet been discovered among the
[K>ultry of Pennsylvania. Tt is quite destructive. ;

2. SUCKING WORMS— TREMAT0DE8.

These woiins are of an oval shape, have rather
plump bodies and are provided on their ventral sur-
faces with suckers by means of which they attach
theniiselves to the part they are in contact with.

Tliere are several species that infest the domestic
fowl but it is not known that any of them are very prev-
al**nt or very destructive in this country. Their mode
of development is sintilar to that of tapeworms; that
is, it is necessary for the embryo to pass through an

59

intennedinir host, as a woim, before it ran develop
into a mature parasite in the body of the fowl The
syjnptoms occasioned by these parasites are similar to
those produced by tapeworm® but are of a less violent
and serious character.

The remedies and means of prevention are prac-
tically the same.

. 3. ROUND WORMS— NEMATODES. '

*" ' * ^ ..

The round worms are elongated and usually quite
slender parasites, mostly of a whitiah color and are
provided with a mouth and digestive oanal. When
present at all they are apt to exist in considerable nam-
bers, and sometimes occur in vast quantities. There
.8 one form of round worms known as Trtchosoma con-
tortum a little white worm from one-half to three-
fourths of an inch long, that has been found beneati
the mucous membrane lining the oesophagus and crop

ound m the oesophagus in a single bird. They inter-
fere seriously with the passage of food through this

\nl\fa *\' ''''""*^° '*"' ^P^«t« -^ -»^ was"
ng and .leaknese. At length, the oesophagus be-
comes engorged with food, it cannot contract ^pai
.t^ contents along and the animal dies within a Te^

Some species of round worms collect in the intestine
.n great nun^bei., in fact, as many as five hund edW
been removed from the body of a single fowl By thdr
presence they occasion a good deal of irritation of the
digestive tract,intrefere with nutrition. cause dfarrhoe!

a. s.;'bv'Z •''"' '^^•^'^'- «--^™- the diseas^
causcHl In thes. p;,n,.,.o. follows . long n.urse and

\

ill

V I

^t

rC

!' I

I ' nnmi." »

60

# ^\... fr^vvi 'uid the number and vaiiety oi lui. w
tire occlude the intestine, death is pioduced ye .

quickly. mteraUs maoulose,

Another species of round " «""' ^/'"^'T -^ ^^^m, is
has occasiored great loss among buds. This worn

white, cylindrical and
pointed at each end; the
male is about an inch
long and the female one
and a quarter inches.
Sometimes several hun-
dren of them are found
in the intestine of a sin-
gle pigeon. : .
: Birds with round ^ h(,„hi, worm or thb pioion.

worms may be treated Heferokte m«ctdo«.-Natural sIm. The

by administering the ----'''">°™/;."'^'' !•;" 1,
remedy recommeided by Baronio, consisting of equal
rtTof the root of male shield fern, tansy and savory
^b^h mixture one drachm is made into a tea with
1 ounces of wat«- and this ftuid is mixed with suffi-
cienrflou to form pills and these are administered to
he nfested fowls. Or, the powdered areca nut may
t given in doses of fiw thirty to forty grams for
chickens and fifteen grains for V^S^^^'

The prevention of disease resulting from tne pres
ence of the round worms may be accomplished by en-
forcing the general regulations reeonuuended above
in connection with the discussi.m of tapevvoi-m«. The
frequent removal and the care of the manure is very
important.

61

.Si

A. Those not caused by parasites.

•* «*

*u

r' • :, ]. CATAKKH OF THE CKO]'. , i.-u,,

' ^.

■i. '
» ■

When, for anv reason,
the contents of the crop
stagnate for an unusual
length of time it may
undergo fermentation,
just as food accumu-
lated in any other
warm, moist place
would undergo fermen-
tation, and this results
in the production of a
rather irritative eom-
•pound which, acting for
a more or less pro-
longed period upon the
lining membrane of the
crop, produces a superfi-
cial inflammation
known as catarrh. The
same result may occur
when parasites are em-
bedded in the lining
membrane of the crop
or when fowls eat irri-
tant materials.

This condition may be '
recognized by the ap-
pearance of a swelling
in front of the breast
which is soft to pressure

^:

lit

Digestive Apparatus of birds.

ulum; D, gizzard; E, liver; F, Kail blad-

iir^Jp.M^',^*! ^^»»*«e Intestine; M,
ureters; N, oviduct; 0, cloaca.

^2

c.vi.i.„l .1,.. I. '2'Z'fZ ,I« ,. moU, «• '«■«■•
lost or becomes abr.ormal, tue lowi i» m f ,

?r purpose of checking further fermentation or
L' drocZic acid may be given in one drop doses^^^^^
Inted with two teaspoonfuls of water. The fowl
Ihotld b^ kept from food for a da. or two and usually
this is all that the case requires.

2 OBSTRUCTION OF THE CROP.

If a fowl bas gorged itself with food that i« d^^;;^^!^
af digestion, such as old and dry grain or hard and m^
digestible substances, as straw, wood, stones etc., and
this material remains in the crop for several hours the
walls of the crop will become exhausted by the un-
usaal distention and then the fowl is unable to remove
the obstruction in any way. The recognition of the
condition is not difficult because there exists a large,
firm hard swelling in the region of the crop. Upon

;.•:.;■, 63 ■ . ' '

feeling of it, the nature of its contents can frequently
be determined.

If it is not possible to remove the contents by pres-
sure, as in the case above, and if it does not pass away
naturally within a day, it becomes necessary to per-
form an ojjeration for the purpose of emptying the
organ. To do this, the feathers should be removed by
clipping them off with a pair of shears from a vertical
line about half an inch wide along the most prominent
portion of the crop. Then with a sharp, clean knife
an incision about one inch long should be made
through the skin and down to the obstructing mate-
rial. This can then be removed with the handle of a
spoon, or with the finger, or with the loop of a hairpin.
When the crop is thoroughly emptied, its walls should
be united by sewing them with white silk. Care
should b(^ taken to avoid including anything besides
the walls of the crop in the first seam. After this is
perfectly united the other tissues and the skin may be
drawn together with a second set of stitches. The
Hewing should be done neatly and the tissues should
not be drawn together so that they pucker. The ends
of the first set of stitches should be left long and al-
lowed to hang outside of the wound. In five or six
days union will have taken place and the stiches can
then be removed by cutting through them with a pair
of sharp scissors and drawing them out. After this
operation, the bird should be allowed no food for
twenty-four hours, and only a small amount of water,
to which n few grains of salicylic acid have been added!

m

m

64

.1)

,,, ...K.Vj^v --\

* - '■.'•».

3. SIMPLE INDIGESTION AND LOSS OP APPE-

TITE.

These conditions result from such a vanetj of
causes that it is rather difficult to classify t^em as a
disease. Usually they are ™«-ly symptoms of d.s-
ease in different organs or of general disease _ If , aftei
a careful examination, no cause for loss of appetite
* aXdilcwred it may be that it merely results from
indigestion and will respond to appropriate treatnaent
for this condition. Bnt in all cases, a very careful ex-
amination should be made for other diseases^ Fre-
nuentlv, indigestion is produced by too rich food given
in large quantities and esi>ecially when the bird is un-
accustomed to it. Sudden changes of diet are also
detrimental and when birds are exposed to weakening
influences, such as sudden changes of weather unsani-
tary conditions, etc., they may find it impossible to di-
gest the food that they are accustomed to and have
been thriving upon. Or, indigestion may result from
feeding things that cannot be digested or that are di-
gested verv slovsly and ferment while passing through
the digestive canal. Putrid food of all kinds will come
within this class. Sometimes, foreign bodies lodge n.
the crop or gizzard or other iK>int in the digestive tract
and if they are sharp and cannot be digested or dis-
solved, they may remain stationary for a long time,
causing serious inflammation and possibly death. If
it ia discovered that substances, such as large pieces
of glass, or pieces of metal, etc.. are present, they
should be removed by an operation similar to the oper-

ation performed in impaction of the crop, provided
they are in the upper or neck portion of the gullet.

When the cause of loss of appetite is known the se-
lection of an appropriate form of treatment is a mat-
ter of but little difficulty. If it is decided that the
fowl cannot be cured it will be best in all cases to kill
it at once so that it may be saved for food. If the dis-
ease is allowed to go on until serious changes take
place it will not be safe to use the flesih. ^ ■ i-^--

It is well to begin treatment by giving two or three
teaspoonfuls of castor oil to empty the bowels and re-
move irritant substances. • . .... : .. - .

One of the best general remedies is hydrochloric
acid. This substance is very strong and must be ad-
ministered in very small quantities freely diluted with
water. The dose for an adult fowl is from one to two
drops given with at least a dessert spoonful of water.
Pills of either black or red pepper, are in high repute
among poultry keepers and are undoubtedly quite effi-
cient in stimulating the secretion of digestive juices
and in that way k^ading to restoration of appetite.
Chopped onion or garlic in the food are also good.

4. IRRITATION OF THE DIGESTIVE OANAL AND

DIARRHOEA.

t - ■

This subject has been considered in part in connec-
tion with the condition produced by intestinal wmms
and with the subject above. Similar irritations of the
membrane lining the digestive canal may be produced
5-1

f

66
bv other foreign hodieB in the intestine or, what
founts to thf ...e thing, by ^-f ^-f ^^-^X,
fectlv digested food that remains there for an unusual
\TXo^ time. The first evidence of irritation of the
d'gSve tract is loss of appetite and general deprj^
IT This is quickly followed by diarrhoea, and ^e
voTdmgs are sometimes mixed with mucus or, m bad
ases, with blood. When this symptom api^-^e
fowl loses flesh very rapidly, becomes weak and soon

, - . *• • ■•'•' , -

The first measure in the way of treatment is to place
the bird in a warn dry place where it will not be an^
noyed by its companions and supply it with sma^l
quantities of food that is easy of digestion. This
should be given in a fresh state in clean tr^Jg^s or
vessels and all of the surroundings should be kept
clean If the diarrhoea is severe, cooked food should
be preferred, such as boiled meal, rice or barley; oat
meal is also good. Small pieces of chocolate coBsti-
tute a useful remedy for this condition in cage birds.
Linseed meal is also good and the gelatinous substance
that separates from linseed when it is boiled is of
great value in diarrhoea. It is g<K)d of itself, and it
also furnishes an excellent medium for the administra-
tion of other more active remedies. Opium can usually
be relied upon to check this disease unless it has gone
so far that no treatment will avail. Opium is best
used in the form of the tincture, known as laudanum.
The dose is from five to ten drops. Tincture of catechu
is verv efficient and may be given in doses of five to
twenty drops with n little water for each fowl, or for
flftv fowls, half ounce in meHl.

rr. \ ■ .:*"*

5. CONSTIPATION.

Oonstipatioii is the opposite of diarrhoea, but it is
frequently produced by the same conditions. If para-
sites obstruct the intestinal canal, of course nothing
can pass and the result is constipation of a most ob-
stinate form. Sometimes the intestine becomes un-
usually dry, particularly after a bird has been afflicted
with diarrhoea for some time; then its contents accum-
ulate in hard masses and form obstructions. These
obstructions of dry intestinal contents may appear at
any point of the canal but frequently develop close to
the lower opening, in the diverticulum known as the
cloaca.

Constipated birds give evidence of the condition by
uneasiness, loss of appetite, frequent, unsuccessful at-
tempts and general depression. If the obstruction is
in the lower part of the bowel the treatment consists
in injecting small quantities of warm water by means
of a rubber syringe, or water in which linseed has been
boiled may be used for this purpose and should be pre-
ferred in cases where there is considerable irritation.
Sweet oil or glycerine may also be injected, all of
which tend to soften and facilitate ilie removal of the
impacted masses. When this treatment is applied to
hens, great care should be exercised to prevent the in-
troduction of the nozzle of the syringe into the open-
ing of the oviduct. Sometimes it is necessarv to em-
ploy a small blunt instrument such as the handle of a
small spoon to facilitate the removal of the faecal
masses in this location.

11

fi8
•1 \a a valuable remedy. I*
^"^"'•"""^'.' "TdoT s of two t aspooafnls; or, the
should be g.ven m ^^^tm ruav b. ad.niui.tered.
common comiKumd <^^'»t*»f ^'^^^ P'' ,. nm-oalive for fowls
^, . .1 i^ .,!«« a <'(i<id laxative or puisaiiM
Calo..u4 s -''^^ '-^ «' ^^,^^ „„e.half to (wo grains

and is given m dosts or iio

,ni.ed wUh -"'f-^ ,^:';^^";., ;I^ a^ala-tic pill,
cage birds should receive a fi a im."

the size dei.e.,ding upon the sue of the p

Kpsom salts are go^nl ^^^f f^'J^^^^^^.^^on.
fmvl is one tablespo(mfnl of a saiuiaitii

«. P0IS0NT>JC..

!i

^.1 K,. tiiA liinie chemicals aud
Fowls may be poisoned b\ the samt

ii.r,<- nninnn lartTcr animals,
agencies that p. son a J. ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^,^^^^^^.,^,

Pot«ont«^ t«t</^ ^^«««^<'^ numerous forms.

""'"'" -^ rr^ f eelv on flms for the purpose of
Arsenic is u»ed so Tuf i> ^ ^^

^^of.» i»n«T<5 vvorms that inies^i iic»-.o,
poisoiiinj.^ potat(. bujis, vvonu

"vomft an A, restlessness and diarrh^^a^ ^^or
death the bird may evidence considerable pain, bieatue
S di^culty, tremble and it may ^^^^^^

After death, the examination of the ^JSeetive
will «how that it is considerably ^^^^"^^^[^1
7m of blood and its contents, are mixed with blood
The trerm;nt to be employed when it is known that

69

fowls have been poisoned with arsenic is to administer
the white of an agg every hour or the thick liquid in
which flaxseed has been boiled. If possible, the chemi-
cal antidote, iron sesquioxide or dialized iron, should
be given. If there is much diarrhoea and pain tincture
of opium in doses of five to ten drops is useful. Pow-
dered chalk given in water is also good.

Poisoning with Salt. — Small quantities of salt are
very beneficial for fowls but large quantities may caus<^
serious illness or even death. From half an ounce
to an ounce of salt is fatal for a chicken. This quan-
tity will cause loss of appetite, great thirst, redness of
the membranes lining the mouth and throat, pain and
diarrhoea, and if the poisoned fowl is opened after
death it will be found that the intestines are in a con-
dition resembling that found when death results from
arsenical poisoning, but usually the inflammation is
not of quite such a severe type. Such substances as
mackerel brine, beef pickle, etc., are even more pois-
onous than pure salt and smaller quantities will pro-
duce the same symptoms.

The treatment consists in the administration of the
remedies recon.mended for arsenic poisoning, with the
exception of the iron compounds.

Poisoning with Mould. — When fowls are permitted
to eat food that has undergone decomposition or has
i)ecome very mouldy they are sometimes poisoned.
This subject has been referred to under the head of
initation of the digestive canal and diarrhoea.

■I

70

7. DROFHY.

linincr the abdoniiual cavity »ome-
The raembiaue lininn: me auu ^^omnl iniu-

"" r rr^f n S^ b 5v through the intestinal

usually the disease ,s of a ^--c^typ ^^^^^ ^^^.^ ^^

'""irt'ttme But oretiis it follows a chronic
rrs:nanr.%rolon.ed illnes. and in t^^e -.s,
fluid usually collects in the abd« cavrty^const^^
tutinc the c<indition known as ascites or aim
IroDSV The evidence of this condition consists in an
Sement o' the abdomen; it is distended in all di^
enlargcmeni downward and sometimes to

rections but particuiaiiy u . . .-l,^ h„ii,„ reaches

such an extent that the lower part of the belly. each^«
the cround. It is hardly necessary to say that in tnese

LT^e fowl is spiritless and ^f^^^^^Z^^^-
actively when it is caught and the swelling is ex
amincd bv the touch it .ill be noticed that it is so
and that bv pressing upon one side waves can be felt
'rthe other side indicating that it contains fluid.

,S. JAUNDICE OK THE YELLOWS.

When the action of the liver is interfered with the
bile mav not be poured out into the intestine in a nor-
u al manner and its retention leads to a yellow discol-

n

oration of all i>arts of the body, shown especially about
the comb, orifices of the nose and membrane lining
the mouth and throat. This condition is frequently
produced by parasites but sometimes it results from
too high feeding and too little exercise. In these lat-
ter cases, a dose of calomel should be administered; the
food, which must be cut down in quantity, should be
of a simple character and contain green substances,
and the fowl should be allowed plenty of exercise.

m

• • ■ }

CHAPTER IV.

DISEASES OF THE EGG-PRODUCING

ORGANS.

L"l

1. PARASITES AN!) FOREIGN BODIES IN EGGS.

The egg i« produced as foUaws: the yolk develops in

ine egg i» p conglomerate mass, the ap-

the -7' 7^;trm, ?e <^Lired ronghly to that of

'ZZ^ o ;'! o7diff erent^ si^s. When the y^lk

:retu: ^^development i-his --^^^^^^^

,....e containing ^^^ J^^tuTt it be-
the oviduct. In passing im ^ ,„ 4-hp white of

oomes surrounded by -'^-^^%XJlZZ requires
the ecg The development of the albumin requ
the e«g. i ^j ^jjg oviduct, it

abou «-^ '^-^^/^^f^J.f^^r hours and during this
remains for about t>\enty lo ^^ ^ shell,

time it bewmes covered with a membrane an

If foreign bodies, or parasites of any kmd, are pres
eut in S oviduct, they may readily become incorpo-
:ld\^th the albumin and in that way become e^^
do^ in the egg. There are a number o parasite, of
poultrv that have been found encapsulated in this waj
E imprisonment of parasites in the egg is not a jer
serious matter, however, because it occurs quite m

(72)

73

frequently; but it is serious when the germs of decaj
are present in the oviduct and become imprisoned in
the eggy because this leads to the early decomposition
of the egg. The organism that may enter the egg in
this manner and produce decomposition are of several
kinds, but as their effects are about the same it is not
important to discuss them separately. They cause
the yolk to become light in color and cloudy and cause
the liberation of gas that is usually taken up by the
fluid parts of the eggy but escapes when the shell is
broken, and is of a most unpleasant odor.

These germs do not get into the oviduct by passing
into the fowl with its food, water or the air that it
breathes, but enter through the cloaca, and are often
introduced by the organs of the male during the act
of copulation. This condition may be avoided by the
enforcement of cleanliness in the poultry houses and
poultry yards. Hens and cocks should never be al-
lowed to go about with masses of fllth adhering to the
feathers about the vent nor should they be compelled
to roost in fillhy places or walk about and scratch in
masses of decaying and putrefying material.

Cleanliness and disinfection enable the poulterer to
avoid this infection of the egg.

VJ

I

'IS

f

ti

2. MALFORMED P:GGS.

One of the most frequent malformations of eggs is
the so-called "double egg,'' the egg containing two
yolks. Thes(^ eggs are usually of very large size and
develojy when two yolks reach maturity in the ovary at

,'n

74

the same time and are di.char«ed -*« "^ -^"^^
gether. Cases have been knawn in wh.ch thiee yolks
have been found in the same egg. ' .

Sometimes eggs of unusual shape are noticed th^
are pear-shaped, epherical, flattened, pointed at each
end or ben . Sometimes they contain projection
afsome point on the surface. All of these conditH>ns
result from accidental influences, and as a rule they do

"lit^ortant malformation, or rather lack of devd^
opment, corsists in the production of eggs w hout
Sis ^r with soft shells. This condition usua^y re-
suits from the fact that the hen which V^oM<^2.l
egg laid it before the shell had time to develop or that
sh" was not supplied with the proper kind of nourish^
mcnt, and therefore could not produce the lime salts
necessary for the secretion of the shell.'

The treatment in the latter case consists in giving
fowls ground oyster shells, broken egg shells or pieces
of p:roiinfl bone.

8. EGO HOUND.

Sometimes an egg becomes i-aught in the oviduct
and cannot be expelled. It may be that this comes
from the fact that the egg is too large or that irritation
or inflammation has caused a swelling that obstructs
the passage, or that the cloaca is obstructed with a
mass of faeces. Tn those cases, it is no<e^sary to aup^

•See Inflammalion of the Oviduct.

75

• ' . . ■: ■ . . ■ .- . > -■

pJv assistance. If it is found that the cloaca is ob-
structed, the faecal masses should bo removed in the
manner described under constipation. If the egg is
large, or the passage small, the injection of oil or
glycerine may enable the hen to expel it. If, however,
it cannot be removed in this manner an attempt should
be made to expel it by placing the hen upon her back
and pressing above the egg through the abdominal
walls and in that way forcing it out. If it canno-t be
removed in this way, the only alternative is to break
it and remove the shell piece by piece. The fragments
of shell should be removed with the finger or a pair of
forceps. When the ])ieces of shell cannot be removed
at once, sweet oil should be injected in order to lu-
bricate the passages as freely as possible^ and facilitate*
the removal of tl)e sharp, broken pieces.

4. INFLAMMATION OF THE OVIDUCT.

The oviduct sometimes becomes intlamed as the re-
sult of the manipulations necessary to overcome tho
condition of eggbound, and sometimes it becomes in-
tlamed from causes that are not understood. When
this inflammation exists, the hen makes movements as
though she were attempting to lay an i^gg, is very
uneasy, rubs the posterior portion of the body along
the ground, and in these ways indicates irritation of
that part. Sometimes tho first symptoms of beginning
inflammation of the oviduct is the production of eggs
with soft shells. This condition 1ms boon found not
5--I

0

it:

70

„,.„,.. ch,*..., ..... ...» » "^ ■"■•■'"■ «"».' "■"'

turkeys. . ^ ,.j.,.y satisfac-

jecting a weak solut.on of taumj. d ( P^^^^^ ^^ ^^
to which a sir.all quantity f'f^'Z^^ fluid should be
3 parts to ^^^^^.^^ JJ^ «-^^ ,^ ^,^,.
nuide warm before it is mjcctea, '^ ^^^

istered carefully and m «™«» ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,„ppUed

«vringe for this puriK.e is a boJ* - b^ bu PI ^^^^
with a hard rubber nozzle. Laxatnes, su

In or calomel should be ^f™--*-:;^^;;;;^^

cuantities to keep the bowel loose, f"^ J^^* 7"
bo non-stimulating, and given in small quantities.

n. PROLAPSUS OF THE OVIDUCT.

As a result of great straining to expe ^j^ «"»«"«"J
large egg, the oviduct may be turned inside out and

o'ect tom the body of the hen. It can then be seen
!.s a red swelling protruding from the ^l" P'^"^ « *^ .
body, the hen becomes very uneasy, and i is impossi
l.l/fm- lu-r to lay eggs while in this condition^ In ex-
amining these cases, particular attention «« ^e
paid to the color of the inverted membrane. If it is
verv dark, and of a purplish or bluish tinge, trea ment
sh,mld not be atten.T>1cd. for this indicates that gan-
5;rene is «bout to begin, and in these cases the f ow «
ran not be saved, so that it is better to destroy th( ...

77

while still fit for food. If the membrane is red, it
should be a\ ashed off with warm water, covered with
a thin coating of vaseline and i)ushed back very care-
fully. If it is expelled again it should be again re-
turned and a small piece of ice placed in the opening.
This will usually cause the parts to contract to such
an extent that thev will not fall out. Prom the be-
ginning of the treatment, the hen must be kept in a
quiet place and allowed very little food.

CHAPTER V.

DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND EYE.

I. CONGESTION OF THE BBAIN.

Con.e«tion ol tbe brain may be caused by extreme
excSent, by blows on the head or sunstr W • I .«
eharacteri^ed ^^ J^^^!^:^; .^in a ci.
T"'" ":\":nr^r'u,ar movements with the wing.

:,';;,"», ...d .«<">«« "'^-^ sf:: '."ari^a

•J «/MTi«finif»s the bird wUi i^ni ^" **^°
':l ^SSm .3 w«h it, fee. ™d Win.., a.

'';t.;:.re':°c::.i."° " "u. .^^ ..i.a, p..

fectW %; c^ h/a dark place, the administration of laxa^
vef suras two teaspoonfuls of castor oil or one and
l;:SaK .rain doses of calomel, and the application of
(^old cloths or ice to the head.

•J. EPILEPSY.

EpiUMmv is not a very common disease amon^^ pnnl
try, but still it is met with from time to time and

(78)

79

among all varieties of barnyard fowls. It is character-
ized by the occasional occurrence of tits which do not
terminate fatally, dis4ippear after a time and leave the
fowl in a normal condition. During the fit, the fowl
will make beating movements with its wings, its legs
will draw up and it will fall down, sometimes turn over
on its back, or it may stand upright with its legs apart,
head turned backwaid and the mouth and eyes open-
ing and closing spasmodically. Epilepsy is sometimes
caused by intestinal i)arasites, and is cured by the re-
moval of these worms. It is claimed that bromide of
potash given in quantities of a few grains each day in
the drinking water is of value in these cases, but it is
not probable that treatment will prove to be at all
profitable.

i

I

A* I

m

i;'\

:i FEATHER EATIN(4.

This habil is classed ainoug the affections of the ner-
vous system because if it is not nervous disease it is
such an overpov^erlng habit that it can scarcelv be dis-
tinguished fmm the disease.

Where this habit is prevalent in a poultry yard, the
fowls present a most untidy appearance, the feathers
about the neck and upper part of the breast are
plucked out, and sometimes they are partially removed
from other parts of the body. If the flo<>k is watched
for a little while it will be noticed that the birds pluck
the feaUiers from each other. This habit usuallv
starts with one fowl and spreads by force of (example
to the others.

80

f if a fowl that is noticed pluck-

I, o.de. ^"^'--VV't once moved from the tlock

iug feathers should be ;^t ""'^ ^^^ ^abit. «

before the o^^ersM.^^^^^^^^^^^ ^,,^,^ ,,,,ral

it is not desirable that toe on u j^ j^ ^it

methods to.. P--*;;^^^;:rnr\tane is to
,,e recommeuded Ihe best ^^^ ^.^^^ ^ ^^^^ .

rtle away the '.'»' "^/^^^^^^.^ ,hut leaves a space of
will not close t.t'htlj, ^";^^'\^' j, ^^t the bird

about one^enth of an .jK-h^ .th sufficient force to re-
from grasp.ng ^^e f.^ her w t ^^^^^^^

""V ViT ha Cn suggested is to place a piece of
remedy that has txen su^s, ^^ ^j.

«o that they may have plenty of exercise.

81

The treatment in these should be to remove the bird
that spreads tht habit a« soon as it is detected, or if this
is not done, and the habit becomes well established, a
special forai of nest sfhould be used which permits the
egg to roll out and escape from the reach of the hen
as soon as it is deposited.

5. TUMORS OF THE EYELIDS.

Sometimes wart growths appear upon the eyelids and
they may Ix^come large enough to interfere with the
vision or by pressure upon the eye balls destroy the
sight. Not only warty growths appear in this region,
but also other tumors of a variety of kinds. When it
is evident that they are becoming large enough to be-
come harmful, they should be snipped o-if with a pair
of sharp sciss-ora, and the wound cauterized with lunar
caustic.

-V?

■Is

4. EGG EATING

This is another habit that spreads from fowl i^
similar to the above. If eggs are ^^^--'^J^ J^J^'
too lonff in the nests so that they become broken, oi u
:^t Sl^gs are produced by any of the hens .n he
nock some of the fowls may get into the -^^ ^^ ^/^^
them, and the habit once started ^P-;^^^^J;^^^^^;^^^^^^^^^
bird until in some cases it becomes almost mipossibie

to secure any eggs at all.

(>. INFLAMMATION OF THE EVE.

Inflammation of the eye is sometimes caused by par
asites and sometimes by mechanical irritation such as
blows, wounds receive d in fighting, etc. Or, the eyes
may become inflamed as a result of taking cold. These
inflammations are of different kinds and different de-
grees of severity, dependent upon the part of the eve
6-1

litii

82

r *i iniinv In most cases,

rr:;^ .: ::. «... « ;-r ";:"ri.:t

„„e ,,., ,„. » not ,.n "«"»" "^ »J ^' .^."^^ ,,„„;, to

lowed plcr-tv of ^^^\-^^''' ^'^.e.-^^ be

su;tce ar.d .eveatJn, the application once da,lv a«
Ions as neeessarv. ^^..,^,,

A Mnm;- sulntion ol cMnn.oi. salt is a ^o i .

lor simple ironhles.

CHAPTER VL

DISlEASES OF THE LEGS AND FEET.

A. 2^086 caused by parasites.

MANGE OF THE LEGS AND FEET.

Marge of the legs, or chalk legs, is a contagious dis-
ease caused by a parasite known as Sarcoptes mutans.
It it conflned exclusively to the legs and feet and never
extends to other parts of the body.
When the i)arasites of this disease
are placed on the legs of a healthy
fowl they work their way under the
large scales on the front of the leg or
on the upper part of the toes. They
multiply rapidly and within a short
time it may be noticed that the scale
commences to rise and a little yellow-
ish crust forms about its edge. In
time, other scales become involved,
the crust increases in thickness and
scurfy, powdery material piles up in thb parasite or

., ,, ^.^ \., . ,, Mange of the Legs

considerable quantity until in old andFeet.

cases the entire feet and legs may be ^S^i^i^m^^'ifaTJ^ai
involved and to such an extent that ^*^-
they seem to be several times their normal thickness.
When this thick crust is pulled off it is found that the
surface is raw and bleeding. The interior of the crust

(83)

5»-I

m

84
f niin.bor of small cavities
i, hollowed out by -^g^'^^^X^ cavities will show
and a close examination of t^^- ^ ^ ,,,uy will
that they contain pai-as.tes. Y.^^^rimmber of young,
.ontain an old female and a^lai^^ J ,

The^ young are born ;^-| ^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^hed and the
in the scabs unless a female has been
,.<.« have escaped from her body.

In time, the disease be-
comes so bad that the bU'd
cannot walk. It lies on its
breast, hops about from
place to place, becomes
thin and at last dies from ,
exhaustion.

It is not very ditticult
to cure this disease, pro-
vided careful attention is
devoted to it. The first
thing to do is to remove the
disi^ased fowl from the
ilcck, disinfect the poultry
house, the nests and
perches. The treatment of
the individual begins with
the removal of the scab so
that the parasite may be
reached and destroyed.
The scab may t>e removed
bv soaking it with oil,
either swc^t oil or cotton-
seed. This should be ap-
plied froelv and allowed to
remain for twenty-four
hours, after which larj^^
sections of the crust may be taken a^aj wii i

THE Foot of a Fowl Afkectbd

I BE roiri ^^^^ MANGE.

85

to the bird, or vaseline or soft soap may be used for
the same purivose. The action of the oil may be in
tensified by wrapping the legs in cotton after it is ap-
plied and binding the cotton on with a narrow band-
age or with a soft cord. Following the removal of
the scab, the legs should be treated with a solution of
balsam of Peru in alcohol, equal parts. Or strong sul-
phur ointment or ereolin solution one part, water, ten
parts, may be applied once daily.

B Those not caused by parasites.

1. CORNS.

As a result of standing on too sharp or too narrow
perches or having to fly from heights on to a hard
floor, the feet of fowls are sometimes irritated in such
a way that the skin becomes thick, hard and painful.
These thickeninp^s constitute corns and occasion some
lameness and when the bird is caught and examined
closely the cause of the trouble can be recognized with-
out difficulty. ^

The treatment consists in paring the elevation off
with a sharp knife, painting the surface with tincture
of Iodine and removing the cause by making the
perches wide and smooth or lowering them, as may be
required.

I

86

± BUMBLKFOOT.

•.*"

■■■»

fi.«t nrcvduce coius sviU, if of an espe-
Tbe causes that P'^^"^V.„ , _rious bruises of the

dally severe type, cause ^^^'l^^^^^^^s are followed
pint, of the f-t and ic^- .^f ^ Ltsbecome very ten-
by swellings of ^^e \<>'-^«' ^^^^^^.^.^^ ,,, ^Ue bird to

der and sore so that i ^'f^^. foot may become very
walk. The principal joint of the foot may

....U enlarged so that the f^^^^y^^JZio. will
a considerable distance. A ^^^^ ^^^ nressure and
«Uow that the swelling -/^^/^f^^^^^f:: termin-
is sometimes ^^rish -d soft^ ^^^^ ^,,

ate within a short time, f^'J^^ ^he leg

rr trs^eLH- ^-esT and ^metimes

^;::::r'X^^ -t, or applym. an o^nt^;
Lde of creolin and --'intone prt>^^^^^^^^^
the swelling becomes soft, so that it is e
it contains pus it should be opened bv making
an incision into it with a sham l-ife and s
contents should then be syringed out with a soh
tion of cr(K.lin and water (one part to fifty). In th.
Zre severe cases, accompanied b," the fo™«tion j
large abscesses of grangrene, no treatment can be sue
eessfnl Scin, cases of bumblefoot develop to a cer
a , extent and then continue in the same condition
for along time, leaving the fowl with a .-hronic de^
o mit "; the feet. These old cases are best treat.
Tainting th,. enlarged ^.ints witiriodine or by o^^^^^^^^^^^

ing the swellings and appl.ving iodine to the.r mtn...-.

87

3. GOUT.

Fowls of the heavy breeds, when kept in a high con-
dition and allowed but little exercise, may develop a
disease that is practically identical with gout in man.
It usually develops rather slowly, beginning as a some-
what indefinite lameness that might be mistaken for
rheumatism. But shortly the joints of the feet and
legs, and sometimes of the wings as well, swell, be-
come painful to pressure, the bird becomes disinclined
to move; later, little tumors, that are rather hard, ap-
l>ear about the affected joints and still later the skin
covering these enlargements becomes dry, brittle and
breaks, exposing a yellow or grayish crumbling, chalky
mass which is composed principally of uric acid and its
salts. Sometimes, the toes dry up, lose their life and
fall of. The general spirits of the fowl are, of course,
Jepressed, because it is difficult for it to get around.
It becomes feverish, loses its appetite, wastes away and
toward the end develops a diarrhoea that hastens
death.

Treatment of gout consists in removing the enlarge-
ments by scraping Ihem off with a blunt instrument or
cutting them away with a knife, and, in+ernally, bicar-
l>ona1e of aode should be administered. This can be
supplied by adding it to the drinking water in quanti-
ties of about a tesspoonful to the pint.

f';|
;■.-■

88

4. FREEZING.

The feet, ccvmbs and wattles of fowls -^P;>f^^^;;;^™^;

r^ frost with applications of snow or cold water.
^L thl frozen parts with cosmoline or camphor-

,n,.istened with the appUc-ations mentioned.

CHAPTER VII.

m

DISEASES OF THE BONES.

i

1. RICKETS.

Ricketb is a disK^ase of the bones that prevents their
becoming hard and stiff as they should, thus allowing
them to bend and become deformed under the weight
of the fowl. The bones that are most frequently sub-
ject to defoi-mity in cases of rickets are those of the
legs and the breast bone because these carry tbe most
weight. Rickets usually results from' improx>er feed-
ing. A growing fowl should not only have food to
maJve flesh but also to make bone, and unless this is
supplied in sufficient quantity and in an available
form, the imperfectly nourished bones develop the con
dition abcwe desc^ribed.

The treatment consists in giving sufficient food of a
proper sort, snch as grains of all kinds, ground bone,
ground shells, Avallplaster from old buildings, broken
egg shells, etc. A composition in high repute among
the poulterers of England is Parrish's chemical food.
Phosphate of lime, w^hich is the principal and most
valaable ir.gredient of Parrish's chemical food, can be
administered in doses of two or three grains per day
to each vourg cbi<*k that is notic<d to be ricketv in

the least degree.

(SO)

IH)

•J. FUACTUKH>

Fractures of the leg« and wiug« are uo ^-^frequent

AB a rule, it does not pay to ^''-^t^^^^Xfe i Ts
i8 unusually valuable or a cage b.rd th«t the^e « «8
necial reason fw- saving. Fractures of the legs can
suanv be splintered and the bones kept m position
^dth iittle difficulty by applying a spl.nt of cork
leather or quill. The leg should be wrapped n absor^
toit cotton the bones placed in a proper position, the
^Snt applied and then wrapped with soft wool, yam
or with'a narrow m.slin bandage. After splmtin j
the bird should be kept as quiet as possible. If it is
a large adult fowl it may be necessary to place it ma
small box or basket for from two ^^^'^^'^'^''^'./'l
the expiration of this period union h^s usually taken

''^Fractures of'lhe wing are somewhat more diificult
,« treat, because the muscles .and feathers interfere
with the application of a bandage, so that the best
...ethod is merely to fold the wing in its natuml posv
tion against the side of the bird and hold it there by
a bandage passed around the l>ody. until the fracture
has nnited.

i

.-' 1. '

CHAPTER VIII.

'S-- ;e.%ii.fit:

■» , • -J-

■':;r-

':'jy-

-7.'«,'

CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

S. !<

h

.fil

^ ^> -V

.9 '-r-

1. DIPHTHERIA OR ROUP.

Diphtheria, croup or roup, is a very common dis
ease among poultry, and undoubtedly destroys millions
of dollars worth of fowls in the United States every
year. There are two forms of roup, one caused by
bacteria and the other by protozoa, but since the symp
toras, remedies and means of ^ '

prevention are very much
alike in both cases it is not
necessary that they should
be considered separately in
this report.

Roup is, in all cases, a
contagious or "catching''
disease. It spreads from
one fowl to another and
may be carried from flock
to flock by the interchange
of birds. It is thought by
some that roup may be pro-
duced by exposure,* and that
it is merely a severe cold or
catarrh, but careful observa-
tion shows that this view is
not correct, and t^hat roup

(W)

Tub Floor of ihe Mouth of
A Fowl, Showing Diphthe-
ritic Patchep.

f

*>'

92

can only be V^o^^^'^^^^^^^'Z^Z^^-

disease. It i.' undoubted y t-ue that u

fluences, svch as th- that aus -^^ p^^^^.^.^^

poultry to roup and '''^^-J J'^;;' ,, when- expensed to
that they are more ^P* ^^^^^^^^^.^ ^f the disease in

,, and ^-^^l^^ZT.ZtZm have followed a
a severe and fatal form wnei ^^^ ^^t ex-

.nUd course if ^^^^^^^^:;::::ZXX^U in poor
isted. Young fowls, tender DreeQ,
condition, and especially tbo«e that are po J ^^
for, are most predisposed to roup '^^J^^ ^^g,

Sfarutl^^-rUen leribed among Wild .
''te Characteristic ^y-^P-^-m wM^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.trrs:.rrmt::^TJ;rtr=---
f f err i^. L^ti^r i^r c.

develop on the bkm, m t resemble a

'^.I'^'^'Td^^X^^rof the pitch is indefinite and

^^'t Tstne in o ndividuals. It may be very
never ^^^^ «''"^^;" \^„^ ,,,,. t„o entire lining mem-
Z^ : he moulhlsometimes, it appears first on
tr^ides of the tongue, sometimes on the r^f of the
1th, soar.etimes in the throat or abou^, m. t^^
nose or eve, on the skin of the head, or in the clt epe
"rts of n.; l>odv. At first, the fowl does not «how
n u h inconvenience. As the patch matures i be-
"les vellow. its borders dry and adhere closely t
the mucous men.brnne. and if it is large enough, M
mav Ob t -t the air passages or the mouth and cause
Trious d fficulty in breathing. At this stage of the
di ea e th^' fowl refuses food, becomes sluggish and

D3

presents the usual well-known appearance of a sick
chicken. The patches sometimes putrefy and become
exceedingly- offei-sive. When they are scraped away
it is noticed that the tissues beneath are raw and sore.
The interference with breathing may be so serious that
the bird will hold its mouth open and struggle for air
like a chicken with gapes. The entire face is some-
times covered with patches of false membrane, the
e\e may become affected or destroyed and the air
passages may be completely obstructed so that death
is caused by suffocation. The comer of the mouth
seems to be a favorite seat for the development of diph
theritic false membrane. -^.tv,

The disease usually follows a chronic course lasting
several days or several weeks. In some outbreaks,
however, the germ of the disease seems to be more
virulent than in others, and in these cases the birds
may die after the lapse of but a few days. In strong
individiials, and especially where the general type of
the outbreak is not of a very virulent character, the
tendency is toward recovery, but the disease is never
thelesis destructive, because recovered birds are fre-
quently thin and unproductive for a long period. The
fact that fowls suffering from roup do not show evi-
dence of general disturbance until the local changes
are quite obvious, is due to the fact that roup is es-
sentially a local disense of the mucous membranes,
and general disease does not result until the air or
food passages are obstructed or interfered with by the
patches, or general infection takes place.

The treatment of roup must begin with the isolation
of the afflicted fowl and thorough disinfection of the
poultry house and yards. This disinfection shonld be
carried out with great care, and should be preceded by

m

■A'l

if

/

m

I

94

. thorough elea..n. of the ^^^^.J^^^
should be sprinkled with hme, ^e 2';>'^^/ ,„^ t^e

be scrupulously cleansed ^^^J'^^^^^.n order to
water supply should be looked ^o ca ef^Uy,
avoid possible impurities or contamination,
that die should be cremated
or deeply buried at a dis-
tance irom the poultry
grounds. The individual
patients need not be de-
stroyed, as is sometimes
done, because it is fre-
quently possible to save
them by means of very sim-
ple treatment. It is impor-
tant to place them in warm,
dry quarters, and feed nu-
tritious, attractive food.
Douglass mixture, referred
to on page 38, is useful. The
diphtheritic patches should
be removed by scraping
lightly with a blunt metal or
wooden instniment, or by

rubbing them off with a „..-... . ^.

swab made by wrapping a «'-'"/'»^f^^;' ;",,

ton ibout the end of a toothpi.k. -^^^^'^J"^^

Te r m^U. the raw surface thus exp-ed shou^

Z treated with an antiseptic, for the purpose

^ deCtg the disease ge.^s that -ain- 0„-f

the best applications for this purpose '-^Jl^^'lH;.

s..,n.ion of nitrate of silver, to be «PP |f /«;*;^;^i^

and in sn.all quantities, with a camel s h^'^ brushy

Or a 2 per cent, solution of creolin or carbolic acid

Thk roof ok the Mouth ok a

^KOWl!. SHOWING DIPBTHEKITIC
PATCHES.

1)6

inay be used. A solution of corrosive sublimate (J part
to 1,000 of water) is also sufficient, but must be used
with great care. Twersen recommends petroleum in
this disease, and advises that a drop of this substance
shall be placed in the nasal passage of the diseased
fowl, and that the diseased membranes be treated with
light applications applied with a small brush. Tf the
nose is stopped up, peroxide of hydrogen, diluted with
an equal amount of water, may be injected with a glass
and rubber medicine dropper. If the dropper has a
bent point, the medicine may be squirted into the back
of the nose through the openings in the roof of the
mouth.

Roup or diphtheria may be prevented by avoiding
unsanitary conditions, by enforcing cleanliness, disin-
fecting frequently and preventing the introduction of
foreign fowls into the flock until they have been kept
isolated long enough to make sure that they are
healthv.

Cases have been reported from time to time in which
it has been claimed that diphtheria of fowls has been
conveyed to people and vice versa. Recent investiga-
tions, however, indicate that this disease in man and
birds is caused by different organisms, and that the
F)robability of transmission is not very great.

With reference to this matter. Dr. V. A. Moore
writes as follows:* "Altho-ugh the number of reported
cases of the tranemiss^ion of diphtheria to the liuman
specic^s and v)ce versa is small in comparison with the
extent of the disease in poultry, the evidence that sucli
a transmission is possible is quite sufficient to discour-
age the careless handling of diseased fowls. It is
quite a common practice, usually in the rural districts.

♦Bulletin No. 8, TT. S. Departmpnt of Agrriculture. 1895.

96

-here the ehiKlreu ot th ^"'^^ ,,,t wben

fondle tlu'in a1 will. \\'^°*^' .„;t„. ^he number af
thiB disease is tboron^hly '^'^^^J,,,,, ^, found
eases of dheet infection from «^ ^ ^ ^^. Until
to be much larger than -^^^ 'J^,,,^ the in-
such investigations are sah^fa^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^

cMBcriminate '-;J'>f;^";^,tf ^^ owls to the infection
bv children, and the oxpobure , v^^. t^gv may

become carriers of tJu Mni^,
avoided."

2. FOWTi cholp:ra.

te«tioii» di6oa«-s of poo trj, no

Thp fowl cholera Inat occuis m ^ ^m-pp

ine lowi '^^ , , , .X ovmutoais do not ajpee

fections known as fowl clioieia is ^^.

shaped bacillus that is ^^^^^^'^^^^^^^^ ,n i>ro-
^remes of temperature, and can probablx Ine 1
tected places for a lon^c peru>d.*

97

The »viuptcms of Anicuican fowl cholera were first
described by Di. Salmon in 1880. They include the
voiding of faeces of ^^ hich the part that is normally
white is yellow\ The white part of the faeces is ex-
creted by the kidne\ s, and the yellow discoloration of
this excrement is nsually the fii^t indication of dis-
ease. Shoi-tly thereafter the droppings become thin
and fluid, they are voided frequently and envelop by
a layer of thin mucous. The fowl becomes depressed,
it stands still or assumes a sitting posture, goes into
a sunny, warm place if possible. The plumage be-
comes ruffled, the head is drawn down, the comb be-
comes pale and bloodless, and the appetite is depressed
or lost. The depression and torpidity of the fowi in-
creases until it seems to become unconscious and can-
not be aroused by objects that usually frighten it. The
bird becomes thin and weak and sometimes passes into
a stupor and dies. In other cases, it may have convul-
sions prior to death.

The symptoms of the European fowl cholera, which
may also occur in this country, although it has never
been proven definitely, are in many respects similar
to the above. In many cases, the disease runs such a
vei-y short course that no evidence of illness is dis-
covered until the bird tumbles over in convulsions and
dies. Sometimes, the course of the disease is so rapid
that more than half of a large flock of apparently
healthy chickens will die during a single night.
Usually, however, the disease lasts from one to three
days, and is evidenced by loss of appetite, depression,
ruffling of the feathers, hanging wings, inclination to
uet away from the flock, high temperature, discharge
of mucous from the mouth, diarrhoea, thin faeces, that
are at first slightly yellowisli, but later on greenish and
7 T

98

Uon of the comb, and 'l-«' ^^^/^ ,"', „ Action of
,eded by c(...vul8.ons. Afto. death ^^^^^^^

the bird reveals -'""'^■•'•''^ '•'^'. J' J," The luugs
organs and ^^^'f^l^JZX^t.e. is full of
are congested, '"-J' /"" « „^" ^^, ^be blood itself is
rrrdSrrS:i so.eti.es contain a

red mass o^f^^'f^''^^ ,^,„,i,y i,eluded with fowl
Another disease that is usua j chickens,

cholera is a form of \f «<=^'""f^;"f' ^ j^^^els that is
which consists in an inflammation of the bow ^^

disease described a^o^^tlv described an outbreak of

^^^'^^^^'^^tite^rSt wa ch1racteri.ed by an
disease among tmke^s hat .,,,.dium. The

found that was in many respects -^ ":;"^,, "/j;;,,
of fowl cholera, but presented points of dj^^^H "cej
were suffici. ntly well marked to enable him to classify

" -^prr d/sX has been discovered among
chickerfm du'cks and reported upon by vetennanan
tf number of places. The disease begins as a
marrhoea, usually attacking young J^^;;^;- ^«;; ;
There is depression, chilliness, ruffling of the plumag ,

99

loss of appetite, gradually becoming nuH-e intense until
the animal dies, during the second week of the attack.

All of the above conditions are popularly known as
fowl cholera, and, moreover, the term as commonly
used, undoubtedly includes a number of other diseases
that are not contagious at all. When fowls die in
large nun bers it is usually said that the disease affect-
ing them was fowl cholera, although it may have been
produced by mismanagement of almost any, kind.

The treatment of individual fowls afflicted with such
a highly contagious disease as true fowl cholera is not
to be recommended, because in the first place, so long
as the infected fowl remains around, there is danger
that its poisonous products may be carried to healthy
birds. Secondly, there is little chance of curing it
and it is hardly worth while to try.

The imp^ortant point in this connection is the pre-
vention of disease, and fowl cholera can usually be pre-
vented by preventing the introduction of fowls suffering
from it or that come from infected localities. If the dis-
ease is once introduced, the most stringent measures
should be enforced as regards cleanliness, disinfection
and the total destruction of the carcasses of the dead
birds. The birds that are still healthy should be re-
moved from the flock and placed in a wholesome local-
ity. The droppings from the diseased fowls should be
burned or thoroughly disinfected by mixing with a ten
per cent, solution of sulphuric acid or with a quantity
of lime equal in amount to the manure. The building
should be disinfected by cleaning it very thoroughly,
flushing the floor with a saturated solution of copperas
and spraying the interior with a 5 per cent, solution
of cnrbolic acid followed by white-washing. Tf the
pens and runs can be abandoned for a year and grass

100

sible to do this they ^J '"W 5*^;^:^,^ Hme scattered
,,orou«h.uss as i;.^-f ^ «f ^^ .^ould be plowed.
„ver the su.face ol <1'*^ '-""^•;^" „^ .^^ of fowl-
It should be -"-.-;;7f J^;^.lthe!-sNo that a pei-
cholera n.ay be earned n tJ^J^^'j^^,^ flock, may

fectly health, fowl, -«-f ^^^ fong L*-- '^^'■
,an.y the disease to tmothc ^^f^^^'J ^^^ ^^,,, and
These germs may also be ^^"^ ?" ^ ,„iee, or they
clothing of persons; by vermm as as or m ,

niay become attached to '^^'^'^XtlZ If the dis-

n^S;rtr^r;o":i: r^rtater course,

Xr^rX^he stre... m^^^^^^^^

with their water supply. tSo, wnentvei

;!evails in a locality, one cannot ,uard h.s fowls too

crtrefiilly.

, mArKHKAL-lNFECTIorS INTF.RO llEFA-

Trn>5 OF TURKEYS.

«..« (•■illed to it some f.'w years a!,'o b> Mt. t>amn^
was (aiKu Agricultural Experiment

' ihrditase is ealU^ "blackhead" becau^ in some^

the turlceys afflicted2^ithU^^^^^

'^,^;;;;;;;;;7^^^ no. 5. Bureau of Ammal industry. IT.
S. Department of AKrlcuUure.

101

dark. The designation is not a good one, however, be
eaiise this discoloration of the head may come from
other causes than this particular disease, and some-
times in this disease the head does not become dark.
As yet, a good popular, descriptive name has not been
suggestd.

Infectious enteio-hepatitis is caused by protozoa,
minute animal parasites so small and simple that they
can scarcely be distinguished from some members of
the vegetable kingdom.
These gain access to the di-
gestive tract of turkeys and
enter the caeca, which are
two prolonged pouches
springing fr.om the union of
the small and large intes-
tines. Within the caeca,
the protozoa of this disease
irritate the mucous mem-
brane and cause it to be-
come thickened and ulcer-
ated. The caeca also be-
come distended and some-
times extraordinarily large.
The protozo-a penetrate to
the liver and cause there the
formation of yellowish spots
resembling small abscesses
fllJed with cheesy pus. This
appearance results from the
death of localized areas of
liver tissue. The surround-
ing j>arts of the liver are full
of blood, and the eutire organ is fou«iiderably enlarged.

CMC A or Healthy Turkey.

The central tube is the small in-
testine, the food passini^ down-
ward in the direction of the arrow.
At the junction of the caeca with
the intestine, the food is drawn
Into the cneca by suction. The
thickness of the cflBcal wall is
shown in a. One-half natural
size (Moore).

10*2

th.. ,..incii.al ffat.nos reveaU-d l.v a poBt
These an- f»'^l""^ "",... svmpto.ns are rather in-
,„oHem ^'-'•'"'^'•'•;*^ ',. ;',Vd«er not foUo.- a regular
aeiinite ^---^'^^ Effected turkey may present
course, so that a sii„ni ^ advanced stage

certain symptoms, wlule one '^J^^^^^,,^, «y,up.

of the disease -J J>- ^^^^f ^^ ^^ the first that no
=;r a^hetses won. he suspected hy
au ordinary observer. It
has been noticed by those
who have investigated this
disease, tiiat turkeys fre-
.uiently appear to recover
from it; this is, after having

been afflicted, sometimes
,,„ite seriously, they pick up
in condition thereafter and
apparently recover, but si
post mortem examination of
these fowls will show dis-
tinct evidence of the disease.
'Hie walls of the caecum are
still thickened, the spots in
the liver remain, and a mi-
croscopical examination of
the contents of the caecum
reveal the living parasite of

the disease, so that these ap -^^ „» protozoan ...«r,«="
parently recovered birds JX"rfr'ec« t a^^J
continue as sources of infec ^^,^,^Ti££^
tion and can convey the dis {Si ^'ff^^ ^cMf {J-"
ease to other fowls. ^je^}^; one-«-<. -a.ura:

Cjkca of Tuhkey Sbowino Ef

^CTOF PROTOZOAN iKfiKASK.

predisposed to the disease. VVlieu it is severe, tliev
lose condition, develop diarrhoea, become thin, weak,
ragged-looking, their heads sometimes become dark,
and they gradually die in an emaciated, exhausted con-
dition. The disease can be recognized positively after
death by discovering the conditions described above.
Blackhead has been discovered among turkeys in
eastern New York, and although its presence has not
been demonstrated positively among the turkeys of
Pennsylvania, it is quite pos-
sible that it exists here and
some outbreaks of disease
that have been described
closely resemble blackhead.
Our knowledge of this dis-
ease is so recent that as yet
it is only possible to experi-
ment with remedies with a
view to curing the affection.
Dr. Smith suggests the use
of quinine and it may be
that salicylate of soda, creoiin or calomel will prove ad
vantageous, but as yet the use of any drug is purely ex-
perimental.

It has been shown by Dr. Moore's exeperiments that
rhe parasite of the disease exists in the droppings
from afflicted fowls, and that it may be transferred di-
rectly to healthy birds by keeping them where these
droppings have been allowed to accumulate. The mal-
ady has also been |)ro<1ncod in healthy turkeys by
feeding the diseasf-d or<»ans of its victims. These in-
vestigations are ven iin|>ortant, Inranse they indicate
a means of avoiding flie spread of the disease. Old

LivRR OF Turkey.

Sbowiner eflPect of protozoan dis-
ease. One-third natural size.

I' <

104

^^.i.,\ f-irnis shonia he dispoBed of
t.ukcys on aftected farms . i..>o«tin«

whether they appear to be ^""^^^^' "*^;,„ V ^, should
place should be thoroughly cleaned dioppmg

be collected and disinfected ""<^, ,^^*^ J°" ^^j^^^e by
«Uould be disinfected as thorouRl. y - ^^fj^ J

Kpraym^' -'*'' ;";^", ''J„rate<l solutions of copperas
Moors and earth with Batura.eii ^^

nnolons of a new and sound flock ma> 1

4. rrr.KUCULOSis.

Tuberculosis, or ecuisumptiou. Is a very cominc^ d s -
.a e au.on, people and amon, several species of mn
dlme^tic anhnals, particularly cattle and -me Ms
al.o found, although con.parative y ^^^y;^J^^
other species of the don^cstic animals. J^T^^
fowls are frequently found that are -«^-^;fj;!^ \;^^^^
disease. For a long time it was tho-ught ^^^^^^^^^^
»,,en acquired through eating the expc^ctoratmns of
..erculous animals or man, or feeding -^2:^t
eulous organs of slaughtered annuals, ^ut re en n
vestigations have made it Practically certan.thatu
berculosis of fowls is not the same disease as tubei

1 1)5

culosis of the hig'her animals, and although these are
similar it is caused by a somewhat different germ, and
it is not probable that it is ever acquired from the
higher animals nor that the higher animals can acquire
tuberculosis from fowls. The principal symptoms c-f
tuberculosis are tho«e of a lingering illness that grad-
ually becomes more severe. Sometimes, tubercles ap-
pear as hard and horny or as soft and cheesy swellings
on the skin or about the joints. There is wasting, the
comb and the membranes of the head become pale, the
strength of the fowl is gradually lo«t and finally it
dies, after having shrunken to* a mere mijss of bones,
skin and feathers.

After death, little white or yellow tubercles which
contain cheesy matter may be found in the liver and
spleen. About half of the fatal cases of tuberculosis
in birds show tubercles, which appear as rather dense
round masses, in the walls of intestine. Thev may
also be found in some cases in the peritoneum, the
membrane lining the abdominal cavity, and in the
lungs. Many of the birds in Zoological Gardens die
of tuberculosis, and it is very common among cage
birds. A number of cases in parrots have been seen
at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Penn-
sylvania. Tuberculosis of ])arro<ts differs somewhat
from that of chickens, in that it may be caused by a
germ identical with that causing tuberculosis of man,
and may be derived from or transmitted to people. So
that tuberculous parrots are a menace to human
health.

There is no cure for tuberculosis, and the most effi-
cient means of preventing it consists in killing and
burning fovls that nmy be suff.ering with it and thor-

lOfi
o„„.,v .lisu.fe.-1iu, .h. ,.n.nu..s previously .r.u,U.^
by theui.

107

aud disinfected in reference to this affection, and if
pigeon fanciers will notify the Btate Veterinarian
when outbreaks appear they will be investij^ated with
a view of discovenng the exact cause and the measures
to be taken to cfre or prevent it.

rj. (Ji)lNO LU5HT.

l>igeon fanciers speak of a disease of PJ^^-^^J^^;;;;^^
JZm<' mtr which means that the diseased birds

rr\,^ flA^iLrnation is applied so genei
XZ ?:: .V Z U ,r;ot ... pLib.e to attaC.
fdetoit< meanm,' to it or discover that it relates to a
;iS disea e. An ontMeak ..f disease among pigeons
:f;i; Studied .y n. Moore, who fo-^ tlu.t a ra^^^^^^

chronic wasting disease was ^^'^^^'^'^ ^^^ ^"^^ll^l
n some respects resembled the germ that causes ho^
;;rr "Joing light" might he defined ^--^J-
,9 i Chronic, wasting disease of pigeons, that is due to
Tclu e tha is uLknown, but which is probably of an
tn Xis nature. In some of the o«tbr.Ocs^the ,s-

-- runs a ™';;\— 7;t. ■;;:^ TlZ:'^,
in/1 i^nimes death witiiin a u ^> ^"v^*

eou .is quite prolonged and the bird sometimes
ZoZ. If treatment is employed it should cons.s
in\he admii.istratKm of general t-ics such as qui-
nine in one grain do.es twice a day. cod liver o,l one-
hau'teaspoonful. ^ or i times daily: reduced iron in the
food. Warm, well ventilated, comfortable surround-
h,.^s. and nourishing and attractive food must be pro-
viii^d. The pigeon loft should be llmroughly cleans,>d

I

lOS

1
; I

nBSCHIPTlON OF OPPOSITE PIRATE.

1 ^Dlnous process ol ine
K.-om A to B, cervical vertebrae. 1, spin^^ ^^ ^^^

»,„d vertebra; 2, nfer.o '^f «^^^„,,,,,e process o£ the
3 styloid prolongation "^ '"« game; 1'. 2', 3',

«amef 4 vertebral /--■;;:^,^^'' -enebra. From B to C. dc.-
4,, the same parts in ^^e twelfth ^ ^_,^^^ j^^^^d by

sal vertebrae; 6, spmous P'^'^^^^Jl' prom D to K, coccy-

the union of the other spinous P'«>^;;^^^^j ^^^,^^, 9. foramen

leal vertebrae. F, G. head; • '"\"°'''^,blts ; 10, premaxlUary
rcommunication between the two orb ^^ ^^^^^^^^
^„„e; 10'. external opei>ings of the ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^,

..uadratum; 13, malar •^""'^ ' *';„^ '^ ^"eral process; 17. lateral
5 eplsternal process; 16. '"'*'"^'. -i^ses the internal notch.

external process; 18. --"^"^ ""^ ^ \ eL. superior ribs, 20,
,», membrane of ^h; e^.ternal notch^ . ^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^_

posterior process of t^e fifth. J. in ^^^^^^es; N. hum-

'coracoid bone; M, f^-^^'^/ ^n^ ot carpus; Q, Q'. bo-^

erus; O, ulna-o. '"'^'l'"* • ^J. ^^ „f t^e large diget of the wing,
of metacarpus; R. first phalanx of the 8 ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^
, second Phalanx of the -me^ f. pHa>an_^ ^^ ^^^^^^_^ ^^^,^
s.. ischium, s- pubis n^ scla ^^^^^^ ^^^^ „, ^

T, femur; U. patella. \' "'''f^;''' ,^« represenf.ng a unlt.d

:;.aTr,rn% :1; Prrl supporting the claw; . etc., digits.

— Chauveau. • ^

SKKLETON OF A FOWL,

(109)

I t

no

■■ DESCRIPTION OF OPPOSITE PLATE.

sternum, heart, trachea the Sweater P ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^
all the head except the lo'^^f^ j^^' ^ ^ j^e entrance to the

these ^--;;'^^^:^^Va,y 19 left lo^^^ of t^e liver; 20, ri^ht lobe;
17. ^""«'J«' r ,ri JrUm^^ the pancreatic and biliary
,1, gall-blaaaer. 22. ^^^^^^^^.^.^'^^^^./^i^ ^ ,tate of atrophy);
ducts; 28. pancreas; 24. lung. ^5. ovaiy vi
26. oviduct.— Cbauveau.

GENERAL. VIEfW OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS OB"

A FOWL.

(Ill)

INDEX

I

it

• • r

(112)

A.

I*age.

Air-sac mites 45

Appetite, loss of, 64

Arsenical poisoning 68

B.

Bird-ticks, 26

Blackheads, loo

Body-mange, 28

Bones, diseases of the, go

Brain, congestion of the, 78

diseases of the yg

Bronchitis, 49

Bumblefoot g^

C.

Catarrh of the crop gi

nasal passages, 43

Causes of disease , jq

Cholera g-

Constipation ^

Contagious diseases, 9^

Corns " g^

Correspondence with the State Veterinarian 14

Crop, obstruction of the, g.,

D.

Diarrhoea «_

DO

Digestive canal, irritation of the ^

organs of the ' gg

Diphtheria

Disinfection

T>ropsy 70

Dysentery, contagious ^

»7

< 11.-? >

8-1

I

I

I i

SI

i

lU

B. Page.

74

12

KjfK bound. •• • • -••;

contamination of iht . • •• U

development of the. 80

72

e&i^rig, •• ,i„„ges of the. .„

producing organs, diseases o 73

TTp-irs malformed, ii' i„ ''^

bigSB, !"«• frtrplirn bodies In 70

parasites and foreign 00 ^ 7s

— 7g

Epilepsy,

Eye, diseases of the - 81

inflammation of the. • gl

Eyelids, tumors of the.

F- 34

70

Favus

Feather-eating, »3

Feet, diseases of the. 17

90

Fleas, ' •

Fractures, ' "

Freezing,

^' 40

_ „ 10

G:rerk."t;.atn;ent of sicU fow.s ..........■••••••■•••• ,^

Going light 87

'

Gout

^' 64

Indigestion, simple • ■' 37

inflammation of the skin ^^

Irritation of the skin

^' 70

Jaundice,

^ 49

Laryngitis, 83

Legs, diseases of the • gs

scaly 83

and feet, mange of the ' ^

Letter of transmittal '.''.'''.'.'.......• ^^

Lice ;; ; 9-112

Losses of poultry annually •••••• ,^0

Lung fever.

"^a a ^

115

M.

Mange,

Medication

Mites

Moulting, disturbed,

a

Oviduct, prolapsus of, ...
Inflammation of. .

Pearson, Leonard, Report of.

Pneumonia

caused by moulds, . .

Post-mortem examinations.

Protozoa, . .

P.

••*••■•••

• • • •

R.
Respiratory organs, diseases of the

Round worms,

xVvl %A^f ••• •• •••••• •••• •••« •• •• •• •• ••

Rump gland obstruction

Salt poisoning

Scaly legs

Skin, diseases of the, . . .
irritation of the.

Sore throat

Statistics

Sucking worms

Symptoms of disease, .

Tape worm,

Ticks

Tuberculosis,
Turkey disease.

Paffe.

. 128
14
24
37

76
7.5

9

48
50
46
68
13
7
32

40
89
59
91
39

69
83
17
36
49
9
58
11

53

24

101
100

^^ Paife.

20

Unknown diseases,

' "■ V. 41

Vomiting

^' 32

Warts • *'

^' 70

YellowK

I

'>^-4

Hii

PART II.

Enemies of PouLtry.

BlRDvS OF PRKY, OR THE BUZZA.RDS, RAGLRvS, HAWKvS

AND OWLS.

CROWS, JAYS AND RAVENS THAT DEVOUR POULTRY

AND DESTROY EGGS.

FOXES. WILD CATS, MINKS,. WEASELS AND OTHER

MAMMALS WHICH FEED ON DOMESTICATED

FOWLS, WILD BIRDS AND EGGS.

SOME FISHES THAT PREY ON DUCKS AND OTHER

FEATHERED SPECIES.

LOCALITIES WHERE MANY OK THESE ANIMALS CAN

BE FOUND.

TAPEWORMS OF POULTRY AND THE DESTRUCTION

OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS.

By B. H. warren, M. D.,

Zoologist Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture ; Ornithologist F^nnsrlvanio
State Horticultural Society: Associate Member American Ornithologist's
Union; Corresponding Member of the Linntran Society of New York City;
Author of the Birds of Pennsylvania, etc.

[Published by Authority of the L.egislature.]

.>,

ILL US7 RA TED,

;:

H>>^"-

..<;-

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

MISCBLiLANEOUS INTRODUCTORY NOTES.

The Value of Pennsylvania's Poultry — The Value of
Fowls and Eggs in the United States— Loss in Penn-
sylvania from Predatory Animals — Trap or Shoot the
Troublesome Hawks — Keep Your Eye on the Crow —
Herons, Blackbirds and Jays — The Jays — The Jay
Killed Birds and Squirrel — Jays are Notorious Nest
Robbers— Save the Birds— 20,000 Birds in Four Years—
A Protest from the Bay State — Save our Song Birds —
The Snarer in Evidence In Pennsylvania — Bird Butch-
ery in Pike County— Bird Exterminators in Nebraska
and Georgia— Passing of Familiar Birds— The Pennsyl-
vania Audubon Society — Insect Ravages — Pennsylvania
Loses $5,000,000 a Year— The Loss in Other States-
Tree Inhabiting Insect Pests— Birds and Mammals as a
Class are Beneficial — The Snapper and a Brood of
Ducks— Odd Traits .of Animal Character— Fishes that
Catch Ducks and Birds — Mud Hens are Caught — The
Voracious Pike— A Red Squirrel, Sparrow and Hungry
Chub— Forest Fires and Wild Animals— Forest Fires
Increasing— Serious Loss in 1895— Of Great Interest to
Farmers and Sportsmen— Great Destruction of Wild
Animals— Locomotives Not the Chief Cause of Forest
Fires— Railroads Adopt the Best Preventives Known—
A Common Cause of Forest Fires— Careless Sports-
men—For the Commonwealth's Weal— Will Suffer for
our Blunders— Turkey Buzzards Slain— Nighthawks
and Whip-poor-wills Killed— Shrikes and Weasels-
Contains an Abundance of Instructive Data— Foolish
and Expensive Legislation— A Serious Blunder— Don't
Advocate Unwise Bounty Acts— Birds of Prey as a
Class Beneficial— Only Five Were Detrimental Spe

(III)

IV

eies-Nalled on Barns-Other Birds Etc:-Incr^^^^^^
Destructive Rodents-Vultures, Eajles. Havsks an^
Owls-The Buzzards, Eagles and Hawks-The Owls
pub ic sentiment in Favor of Bounties-Reports of

Counties-They Favor Killing ^^^ H^-^^^^/"^^, ^^^^e
Start a Campaign of Popular Education-No More
Chickens* Heads for Hawks', pages

1-48

CHAPTER II.

TESTIMONY FROM FUT.I.Y ONE THOUSAND OBSERVERS.
General Remarks-What Farmers say about the Loss
of Poultry-Estimates of Damage by Hawks. Owls and
Mammals-Adams County-Allegheny County-Arm-
strong County-Beaver County-Bedford Co^^^y-
Berks County-Blair County-Bradford County-Bucks
County-Butler County-^Cambria County-Carbon
County-Centre County-Chester County-Clarion
County-Clearfleld County-Clinton County-Columbia
County-Crawford County-Ctimberland County-Elk
County-Erie County-Fayette County-Forest
County-Franklin County-Fulton County-Greene
County— Huntingdon County— Jefferson County--Juni-
ata County— Lackawanna County--L,awrence County-
Lancaster County-Lebanon County— Lehigh County-
Luzerne County— Lycoming County— McKean County-
Mercer County— Mifflin County— Monroe County-
Montgomery County— Montour County— Northampton
County— Northumberland County— Perry County—
"Philadelphia County— Pike County— Potter County—
Schuylkill County— Snyder County— Somerset County-
Sullivan County— Susquehanna County— Tioga
County— Union County— Venango County— Warren
County— Washington County— Wayne County— West-
moreland County--Wyoming County— York County-
Other States— Observations of Farmers and Sports-
n^en— What Farmers say of the Crow— Other States,
pages 49.13n

CHAPTER III.

BIRDS OF PREY.
American Vultures^Turkey Vulture— Devoured Grass-
hoppers and Beetles— A useful Bird to Mankind— Its
Distribution in Pennsylvania— Its Northern Breeding

Limit— Black Vulture— Feeds on Carrion, Not Poultry-
Well Treated in the South— Hawks, Falcons and
Eagles— A Valuable Group of Hawks— Detrimental
Species— The Cooper's Hawk— But Few Insects— The
Goshawk— Swallow-Tailed Kite— Does not Molest
Poultry — Vilews of Variouje Writers— The Nest and
Eggs— Its Flight Easy and Graceful— Mississippi Kite-
Feeds on Insects— The Nest and Eggs— Not a Shy
Bird— Marsh Hawk— The Nest and Eggs— Feeds on
Mice— What Various Writers Say— Feeds on Reptiles
and Insects — Protects thie Crops — A Friend of the
Farmer— Sharp -Shinned Hawk — The Nest and Eggs —
Fond of Poultry and Song Birds — Kills Game Birds —
Some Small Birds it Devours— 'Cooper's Hawk — The
Nest and Eggs — An Audacious Poultry Thief — A bold
Act — A Mixed Diet — Destroys Quail — ^Feeds on Domes-
tic Pigeons — Kills Grouse and Other Game — Birds —
Mammals — At Least One Good Trait — Goshawk —
Breeds in Sullivan County — Goshawks and Wild
Pigeons — What Goshawks Prey Upon — The Destruction
of Poultry — An Enemy of the Wild Fowl — A Successful
Grouse Hunter — ^Ptarmigans are Elasy Prey — Red-
tailed Hawk — They Battle in Mid-air — Handle a
Wounded Hawk Carefully — ^When Red-tails were abun-
dant— Mice Destroyed the Grape Vines — The Nest and
Eggsr— How they Catch Squirrels— Will Take Chick-
ens— Red-tails are Good Mousers — Red-Shouldered
Hawks — The Nest and Eggs — Does Not Prey on Chick-
ents — Eats Frogs and Insects — ^Broad- winged Hawk —
The Nest and Eggs — Is an Unsuspicious Bird — Food
of the Broad-wing — ^What Other Writers Say about
its Food — Rough-Legged Hawk — An Error Corrected—
Subsists Mainly on Field Mice — ^Destroys Enemies of
the Orchard — Golden Eagle— The Gulden Eagle as a
Pet— He Devoured Thomas Cats— Would Seize Grim-
alkin by Neck and Back— Food of the Golden Eagle-
Eagles Destroy Many Lambs — Adult Deer Attacked—
Bald Eagle— The Nesti and Eggs— The Bald Eagle and
Osprey— Sometimes Fishes for Himself— Kills Pigs and
Lambs— How they Capture Geese — ^Will Sometimes At-
tack Mankind— Destroys Poultry and Game— Duck
Hawk— The Nest and Eggs— Kills Domestic Fowls-
Played Havoc With Terns— Kills Wild Fowls— They
Prey on Birds— Devours Many Beneficial Birds— Views
of Different Writers— Sparrow Hnwk— Nest, Kgs» and

A» I

^1
I I

m

■m

■.'4C-;

1S;J

i

\k

VI

Young-protect the Sparrow ^-^''''^^^^^l^Z :'•
Writers Have Observed-Grasshoppers a Favorite

Food-Feed Mainly on Mice and Insects-F.h HawK--
The Nest and Eggs-A Good Fis^erman-^hey I^^^^^^^
Fish-The Owls-Mice Devouring Spec^es-The Barrea
j^isn xiic v/vY Thplr Own Food— Barn

or "Rain" Owl-Prefer to Kill ^^^\^Zr_ciy,nrt Eared
Owl-The Nest and Eggs-Feeds on Mice-Short Eared

owl-Killed to satisfy Vanity-They ^^vo^^ ^^^^^^^.^ .
of Noxious Rodents-Long-Eared Owl-Desirable Vlsi-
torf-The Nest and Eggs-A Beneficial Species-What
Different Writers say of its /ood-Barred Owl-The
Nest and Eggs-Mice and Small ^^^^^-f;;^" ^^
Fishes-Great Gray Owl-Its I>ietary-Acadian Owl
Hides in Rocky Places-The Nest and ^^^^"^^^^ ;
Lived m Harmony^Screech Owl-A^ a ^^^-f ^^J;^
About its Habits-Fixing Breeding Places for Owls-
^ts Beetles and Grasshoppers-Kills the Feathered
P^ize-Fighters-Great Horned Owl-The Nest and
Egg -Its Flight and Weird Notes-What They Uve
Upon-Snowy Owl-Its Manner of Hunting-Hawk
Owl-Its Food and Habits, pages • ^^^-^•-

CHAPTER IV.

SOME OTHER BIRDS.

The Raven-A Wary Poultry Thief-They Destroy ^gs
and Nestlings-Capture Rabbits and Grouse-Will
Speak as they Pass by-Attack Lambs apd Fawns-
Ravens a Quarter of a Century Ago-Would Attack the
Deer-Reliable Informants-Are Enemies of Small
Birds— They Consume Many Insects— Eat Berries.
Nuts Frogs and Snakes-They Sometimes Prefer
Carrion— The Fish Crow-The Common Crow— What the
Crow is Charged with-Results of Critical Analyses-
Do Trivial Damage to Fruit— Devour Legions of Bee-
tles and Grasshoppers^The Crow Destroys Army
Worms-Crows and Blackbirds-Farmers. Praised
Them-Some Bad Habits-They Eat Grubs and
..Bugs"-Sometimes Steal the Corn-They Devour Eggs
and Nestlings— The Jays-The Blue Jay— Distribution—
Sometimes Seen in Flocks— Its Economic Relations-
Mr Beale's Summary of its Food— What Audubon
Learned-He Hunts Methodically-Why Do They Do
This?— They Know Their Enemies— Is Mr. Jay a

VII

Feathered Jekyl and Hyde?— More "Like His Dad .
Every Day" — They Are Omnivorous — Shrikes or ...
Butcher-Birds— The Northern Shrike— An Improper '
Name— A Beneficial Species— The Loggerhead Shrike—
A Summer Bird Here— Feeds on Insects— Sometimes
Try to Kill Chicks— Northern Raven— ^Must Watch the
Fox— The Nest and Eggs— They Raise One Brood— Like
One Nesting Place— Left in Sorrow and Disgust—
"Quoth the Raven, Nevermore"— Its Distribution in
Pennsylvania — Common Crow— The Nest and Eggs-
Will Eat Eggs and Poultry — Fish Crow— Breeds Near
Philadelphia— Will Take Ducklings— What Audubon
Says of Its Food — Blue Jay — The Nest and Eggs — Suck
Hens' Eggs and Kill Birds — What A Massachusetts
Naturalist Says — Statements from Other Observ-
ers— Its Vegetable Food — The Shrikes— Great North-
ern Shrike— ^Loggerhead Shrike — The Nest, Eggs and
Young — They Squeak Like Mice — ^Where They Watch for •
Prey— The White-rumped Shrike — Blackbirds^Com-
mon Crow Blackbird^Lead A Nomadic Life— The Nest
and Eggs— Select Different Nesting Sites— Food— They
Hunt Beetles and Grubs— They Eat Some Fruit— A
Thousand Stomachs Examined— They are Fond of
Larvae— They Catch Grasshoppers— Will Eat Wheat,
Oats and Corn— Will Eat Birds and Eggs— They
Sometimes Eat Fish— The Bronzed Blackbird— The
Herons and Bitterns— Great Blue Heron— The Nest and
Eggs— Dangerous When Wounded— Its Flesh is Quite
Palatable— What Nuttall Says of its Habits— Green
Heron— The Nest and Eg-gs— Eats Fish, Insects, Frogs.
Etc.— Stomach Examinations — Black-crowned Night
Herons— They Breed in Colonies— Fond of Goldfish—
They Subsist mainly on Fish— American Bittern— Has
a Loud Voice— The Nest and Eggs— Its Food, pages,.. 264-31C

•

CHAPITER V.

MAMMALS.

"New Faces Will Meet us"— Valuable Fur-Bearing
Species— Disturbing Nature's Balance— Great Errors-
Insectivorous Birds Driven Away— Has Apiculture
Profited?— Danger of Importing Foreign Species-
Some Troublesome Pests— Mother Eve and Her Suc-
cessors—Expert in Eluding Observation— Some are

VIII
«.„nfl Sleepers-Abundance of Some Mammals-The .
WorK o'^o "rappers-A Wyoming County TraPPe -
Sorts from Some Fur I>ea.er.--Mr^ I-ew. of .e«er^

run^-'^l.rwen.^rcrer run. SKU.^.

Skunk^Dr. Merrlam's Observatlons-Sometimes Dis-
tresses Other Night Traveuers-lnteresting and ™^
ble Contrtbutions-The Sneaking Cat and Cunning
Rat-They Catch Beneflclal Insects-These Farniers
Sefenr Skunks-Skunk Farmlng-The /arm-Thelr
?:od-Thelr Nests-ln Slaughtering Season-What
Farmers Poulterers and Sportsmen say About
SkuX-Reports by Counties-Red S<»"i-'-™:
,«m-Hls Last Chicken-Destroys Many Bir-i-A^di
tlonal Evidence Against Hlm-Some of His Pursu
erridrtlonal Facts of His Life Hlstory-Some-
times Active at Night-He seeks the Fenee Rails-
Keeps Just out of Reach-The Gray Squirrel s Foe
Opossum-Why De Ha'r Is Missln--3,500 a year in
S"teTcoTnty-May Eventually Get to Klondlke-A
Night Prowler-Its Nest-Hunts A Tree when Pur-
sued-A Veritable Curiosity-Wise Provisions of Na-
ture-A Prolific and Rapid Breeder-An Omn yorous
Animal-Some of its Enemies-Red Fox-Plentiful in
Many Farming Districts-Some Hunters Worried-
Some Things They Dld-A Diversion Enjoyed by
Many-They Say He Does Much Good-Sheep-klUmg
Dogs and Foxes-Some of His Numerous y'ctlms-
Some Animals Foxes KlU-Blrds-Mammals-Foxes
Love Lamb Chops and Pork-Where Pheasants
Thrived-Foxes Did It-Talked About Foxes and Got
Some Votes-Tho Weasels-Good Foxes Are Dead
Foxes-They Couldn't Understand Valuable Informa-
tion-Andy, it was Strychnine not Disease-Birds In-
crea«ed-How to' Fix Them-What a Chester County
Parmer Believes— Hawks and Owls— Weasels. Skunks
and Mlnk-The Fox a Terror-Everybody Killed
Foxes Then— He Plead and Almost Cried For Foxes-
Hounds and a Bobtalled Horse-How He Behaves
Across the Ocean-They Do Far More Harm Than
Good— What Farmers. Poultry Raisers and Sportsmen
Say about Red and Gray Foxes-Gray Fox-He Circled
and Turned in and Out-Rare. It Found At AH In Some

IX

Counties— They Take to Trees— He Loves the Wood
and Underbrush— What Gray Foxes Live Upon— Com-
mon Weasel— Its Many Names— The Image of a Ser-
pent—Two Species— The Least Weasel— They Change
Their Ooats— Hunts His Prey By Scent— Destroys Poul-
try—His Food— Feeds on Rats and Mice — A Rabbit
Hunter— He is Well Acquainted With Weasels— He
Kills But Don't Disfigure- A Very Restless Animal—
Where He Prefers to Live— Will Suck Its Own Blood-
Will Help Each Other Out of Traps— Attacked this
Bunny in the Rear— The Young— They Have Many
Changes of Dress — Destroys Great Numbers of Young
Grouse— Kills all the Quail— The Weasel Pulled and I
Pulled — What Farmers and Poultry Raisers Say —
Food of Weasels — Wildcat — A Variety of Common
Names — Acquire More Knowledge — The Wildcat's Fav-
orite Haunts — Wildcats Increasing in Scune Places—
They Pursue and Kill Deer — Many Kinds of Birds
Slain — Mammals, Eggs, etc, are Devoured — Hunts the
Quillful Porcupine — Methods of Catching Game —
Cowardly Animals — Treed Her Lover — ^Where the
Young Are Found — What Farmers and Hunters Tell
of Them— Mink— Fond of Brook Trout— Chickeae
and Ducks are Favorite Food — Kill Pheasants, Quail
and Rabbits — A Muscular Animal — Fish Oil Allures the
Mink — The Mink as a Destroyer of Poultry and
Game — Additional Notes on Food of Mink&— The Mink
as a Fisherman — Raccoon — A Poultry Thief — Feasts on
Corn — As a Fisherman — Feeds on Birds' Eggs — An
Enjoyable Recreation— Hunted for Both Flesh and
Fur— What Farmers and Sportsmen Say About Rac-
coons, pages

CHAPTER VI.

317-484

LOCALITIES WHERE POULTRY-DESTROYING ANIMALS

ARE FOUND.

Miscellaneous Introductory Notes — A Convenient Class-
ification—A Grand Field for Scientific Research—
The Mecca of Naturalists — Over 30O Kinds of Birds —
Species New to Science — Fine Territory In Winter —
Winter Birds — Some Animals Which Have Been Ex-
terminated—When The Flint Look Was Emnloyei—
Killed Forty Deer In a Day— A Menance to Life and

1

S

r I

XI

t"^nerReZi"-F ny sTJL Of Mammals-^me "
Many Yet Remain riity J' Beaver— Beav-

'l^La" County-stuld Such Practices ExlstT-Wolves
Tioga couni> rpp-ror to Sheep Owners— Pol-

Were Bad Neighbors— A Terror lo °""= *- T^^-npr-

!. « =„ Rpines— A Doctor's Terrible Exper-
lowed Human beings A u ^^j^ „„ ^j.^

ience-Wolves on His TraU A ^^ ■^^^^.

^n^tTs'^les' Whi?h aTe 4^-The Pine Mar-

!:' The^d meon-The Sauirrels-Eat Eggs. Birds.
ten-The^iid^g ^^^ squirrel-Where

T , in PenZlvanL-The Chlclcaree-The "Rab-
b^^s" or Hares-"ottontalls"-Don-t Use Snares
or Ferret Jpoxes-The Wlldcat-The Racc<,on-The

^t^r Th« Virginia Deer-Wlth Proper State Aid
Otter— The Virginia. , ^ Bear— The Bat's Wln-

Dppr Will Increase— The BiacK ±se<«.i j.">=
?»r Home-The Opossum-The Porcupln^The Musk-
rt-Th"^Tp-unk or Ground Hackey-Kats Galore-
The cave Kat-The Flying Sauirrel-Skunk^-The
Most useful Mammals-They Do Good Servlce-Le
Te Millionaire Help the Poor-The Woodchuck-What
L Practical Farmer Wrote-They are Goodi for Pood-
The M^e-Mlce. Hawks and Owls-Flshes-Eastern
Pennsylvania. New Jersey, and the Delaware and
^rginr Peninsula-principal Kinds of Game-Mam-
rals-Blrds-Prlncipal Kinds of Fish-Salt Water-
Presh Water-Rabbits-Squlrrels-Raccoons-Foxes-
Deer-Blrds-Quall-Wlia Ducks-Pheasants-Reed

Blrds-Snlp«^-Rail Blrds-Woodcock-Geese-Doyes-
Poter-Marsh Hens-Fish-Salt Water Fishing-
Fresh water Fishing-Bass-Perch-Plke-Trout-
Carp-Catfish-Rock Fish-Sun Fish-Central Pennsyl-
vania west of the Susquehanna River and Its Tribu-
taries' and East of the Summit of the Alleghenies-
Prlncipal Kinds of Game-Mammals-Blrds-Principal
Kinds of Fish— Fresh Water— Rabbits— Deer-Squlr-
reis— Bears-Foxes — Raccoons— Wildcats— Pheasants—
Quail— Wild Turkeys— Ducks— Woodcock— Geese— Rail
Birds-Snlpe-Reed Birds-Fish-Brook Trout-Bass-
Carp— Perch— Pike— Salmon— Rock Fish— Sun Fish—
Catfish- Western Pennsylvania, West of the Sum-
mit of the Allegheny Mountains— Principal Kinds of
name— Mammals-Rabbits- Poxes— iSqulrrels - Deer-

Bears-Birds— Pheasants— Quall—Wi id Turkeys-
Ducks— Principal Kinds of Fish— Trout— Bass—
Salmon— Carp— Perch-Pike— Rock Fish— Cat Fish,
pages *86-6«

CHAPTER Vn.

TAPEWORMS OF POULTRY.

A Report upon the Present Knowledge of Tapeworms
of Poultry— General Discussion— Table of Tapeworms
Recorded for Poultry— Life History and Source of In-
fection—The Relation of the Tapeworms of Wild
Birds to Those of the Domesticated Fowls— Symptoms
and Pathology— Tapeworm-Infected Fowls as Food—
Prevention— Treatment— Classification— Analytical Key
to Families and Genera— Family Bothriocephalidae—
Subfamily Bothriocephalinae — Genus Bothriocapha-
iijgf^Bertken's Pigeon Bothriocephalus — Genus Both-
riotaenia— Subfamily Ligulinae— Genus Ligula— Family

' Taeniidae— Subfamily Mesccestoidinae — Genus Mesoc-
estoides— Subfamily Dipylidiinae— Genus Amabilia—
Genus Hymenolepis — Genus Dicranotaenia — Genus
Dicranotaenia — Genus Davainea — Genus Echinoco-
tyle — G^nus Ophryocotyle — Idiogenes — Addendum-

Explanation of Chart — Description of Plates, pages, .. 549-667

: ' CHAPTER vm.

SOME EGGS.
Plate I— Plate II— Plate Ill—Plate IV— Plate V. pages... 658-669

CHAPTER IX.

THE DESTRUCTION OP NOXIOUS ANIMALS.

General Remarks — Some Bounty Records — The Bounty
Act of 1885— Scientific Men Protected— Others Lab-
ored to Repeal It — Their Efforts Were Successful —
Why it Should be Repealed— Why the Act Should Not
Be Repealed — Where Skunks Were Paid For — A Few
Wolves— Crawford's Enormous Outlay — Official Re-
ports of Animals Killed In Different Counties — The
Scalp Act of 1897— An Act— Methods of Capturing
Birds of Prey— Shooting— The Grass Suit— When Snow

V 1

XII

Covers the Ground-Shooting Hawks from Blinds-
Shooting Hawks at Roosts-Trapping Birds of Pre>-
Methods of capturing Mammals-To Trap a Wild-
cat-To Catch a Mink-How to Trap and Kill Wea-
sel«-How to Poison Weasels without Danger to
An^imals-How to Catch Weasels in Summer-Great
Increase in Game-To Trap the Skunk and Raccoon-
Some Methods of Destroying Rats-Shooting-Strych-
nine and Arsenic-Traps-The Wire Noose-The Milk-
Can Tran-The Barrel Traps— Owls do the Work
Well-The Great Horned Owl as a Ratter-The Barred
Owl and Rats-The Screech Owl and Mice— Some
Methods of Trapping Foxes-The Trap and Bed-
Heads— A Feathered Pest— Want Bounties for Numer-
ous Animals-A Bad Class of Cats-History of Heads
Shown on Plates— Opossum. Rabbits, Wild and Tame
Cats— Squirrels and Weasels— Dogs and Wolves-
Feathered Heads— Turkey Buzzards and Sparrows-
Sea Gulls, Cuckoos, etc., pages 660 731

LISr OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The name Fisher, which appears after names of different
birds of prey, indicates that the illustration has been repro-
duced from Dr. A.K. Fishers report. Bulletin No. 3, United
States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, entitled
•♦The Hawks and Owls of the United States," published in 1893.
This document, prepared by Dr. Fisher, one of the foremost
Ornithologists in the United States, under the direction of Dr.
C. Hart Merriam, Chief of the Biological Division of the Na-
tional Agricultural Department, deals fully with the birds of
prey in their relation to agriculture. It is, without doubt, the
best work on this subject that has been published.

The name of Ward, which follows names of different animals,
signifies that the specimen from which the illustration was
reproduced was furnished from the valuable collection of
Messrs. H. A. and F. A. Ward, of Rochester, New York, pro-
prietors of one of the largest and best equipped natural science
establishments in the country.

The name Audubon, placed after a few names of birds and

mammals, shows that the illustration has been copied, with

some minor changes, from Audubon's "Birds of North America,

or the "Quadrupeds of North America" by Audubon and Bach-
man.

The remainder of the illustrations have been made especially
for this work from specimens.

CHAPTER III.

American Hawk Owl (adult)— Ward.
Bald Eagle (adult)— Fisher.
Bald Eagle (young) — Ward.
Barn Owl (adult)— Fisher.
Barred Owl (adult)— Fisher.
Broad-winged Hawk (adult)— Fisher.
Cooper's Hawk (adult)— Fisher.
Cooper's Hawk (young)— Ward.
Duck Hawk (adult)— Fisher.

( XIII )

-i ■

I

XIV

Fish Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Golden Eagle (adult)-Flsher.

Goshawk (adult)-Fisher.

Goshawk (young)— Ward.

Great Gray Owl (adult)-Ward.

Great Horned Owl (adult)-Fishei .

Long-eared Owl (adult)-Flsher.

Marsh Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Mississippi Kite (adult)-Fisher.

Pigeon Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Red-shouldered Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Red-shouldered Hawk (young)-Ward.

Red-tailed Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Rough-legged Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Rough-legged Hawk (young)-Ward.

Saw-whet Owl (adult)— Ward.

Screech Owl (adult; red and gray coats)-Fishei

Sharp-shinned Hawk (adult)-Fisher.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (young)— Ward.

Short-eared Owl (adult)— Fisher.

Snowy Owl (adult)— Ward.

Sparrow Hawk (adults; male, female)- Fisher.

Swallow-tailed Kite (adult)-Fisher.

Turkey Vulture (adult)— Ward.

CHAPTER IV.

Blue Jay (adults)-Audubon.
Black-crowned Night Heron (adult)-Ward.
Crow (adult)— Ward.
Crow Blackbird (adult).
Green Heron (adults)— Ward.
Great Blue Heron (adult)— Ward.
Great Northern Shrike (adult)— Ward.
Northern Raven (adult)— Ward.

CHAPTER V.

Black or Silver Gray Fox (adult) .. Audubon.
Ermine or Large Weasel (white coat)-Ward.
Ermine or Large Weasel (brown coat)-Ward.
Ermine or Large Weasel (mixed coat)-Ward.
Gray Fox (adult)— Ward.
How to Fool a Fox.
Mink (adult)— Ward.
Opossum (adult)— Ward.
Raccoon (adult)— Ward.

XV

Red Fox (adult)— Ward.
Red Squirrel (adult) — Ward.
Red Squirrel (albino).
Skunk (adult)— Ward.
Wildcat (adult).

CHAPTER VI.
Along Penn's Creek.
Along the Juniata.
Along the Susquehanna.
In Clinton County.

The Narrows, Pennsylvania Railroad.
Where Foxes Rove.

CHAPTER VJI.

Plate I.— Cotugnia digonopora.
II. — Cotugnia bifaria.

Amabilia lamelligera.
HI. — Dicranotaenia coronula. ,
Dicranotaenia aequabilis.
Dicranotaenia furcigera.
Taenia conica.
IV. — Dicranotaenia sphenoides.

Drepanidotaenia lanceolata.
v.— Drepanidotaenia lanceolata.

Drepanidotaenia fasciata.
VI. — Drepanidotaenia fasciata.
VII. — Drepanidotaenia fasciata.
Drepanidotaenia gracilis.
VIII. — Drepanidotaenia gracilis.
IX. — Drepanidotaenia anatina.
X. — Drepanidotaenia anatina.
' Drepanidotaenia sinuosa.
XI. — Drepanidotaenia sinuosa.
XII. — Drepanidotaenia sinuosa.
Drepanidotaenia setigera.
Taenia Krabbei.
Kowalewski nee Moniez.
XIII. — Drepanidotaenia sinuosa.
Drepanidotaenia setigera.
XIV.— Drepanidotaenia tenuirostrls.

Drepanidotaenia Infundlbullformls.
XV.— Drepanidotaenia infundlbullformls.

Davalnea proglottlna.
XVI. — Davalnea proglottlna.

Davainea clrcumvallata.

fii

r.i f

XVII

XVI

XVII.— Davainea cesticillus. , ..

Davainea echinobothrida.
Davainea tetragona.
XVIII.— Davainea tetragona.

Davainea Friedbergeri.
Davainea crassula.
XIX.— Echinocotyle Rosseterl.

Ophryocotyle proteus. -r

XX.— Taenia contaniana.
Taenia Delafondi.
Taenia Delafondi.
Taenia imbutiformis.
Taenia megalops.
Taenia nigropunctata.
XXI.— Taenia malleus.
Idiogenes otidis.

Taenia sp.

CHAPTER VIII.

The following named illustrations of eggs. -;^"-^/^^;'^^^^^^^^^
been made from carefully selected specimens in the collection
of Messrs. Ward, of Rochester. New York.
American Crow.
Bald Eagle.
Barn Owl.
•Barred Owl.
Blue Jay.

Broad- winged Hawk.
Cooper's Hawk.
Duck Hawk.
Goshawk.

Great Horned Owl.
Long-eared Owl.
Marsh Hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk.

Red-tailed Hawk.

Saw-whet Owl.

Screech Owl.

Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Sparrow Hawk.

Turkey Buzzard.

CHAPTER IX.

With the exception of those after whi-h the name Ward ap-
pears the heads shown In this chapter have been reproduced
from 'heads sent to the Sm'.thson'an Institution. Washington.

D. C, or to the office of the author for identification. These
heads, with numerous remains of other birds and mammals,
came from county officers in Pennsylvania, who believed the
birds to be Hawks and Owls; and those of the quadrupeds to
be one or the other of mammals, viz.. Wolves, Foxes, Weasels,
the Wildcat or the Mink, which were all mentioned in the
Scalp Act of June 23, 1885.

HEADS OF BIRDS.

American Herring Gull.

Cooper's Hawks — 'Ward.

Cooper's Hawk (downy young).

Cuckoo.

Domesticated Hen.

English Sparrow (adult).

Fish Hawk.

Goshawk — Ward.

Marsh Hawk — Ward.

Nighthawk.

Pheasant or Ruffed Grouse (adult).

Red-shouldered Hawks — Ward.

Sharp-tailed Grouse (adult).

Turkey Vulture.

Whip-poor-will.

Wild Turkey (adult).

HEADS OF MAMMALS.
Black Squirrel.
Chipmunk (partial albino).
Flying Squirrel.
Fox Squirrel — Ward.
Gray Squirrel — Ward
Jack Rabbit.
Opossum.

OTHTCR TLMJSTRATIONS.

A Grass Suit.
Waiting for a shot.
To Trap a Fox.

.« - M .

«

IM

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

11

i'

( xvm )

Department of Agriculture,
Harrisburg, Vk.,June 15, i8gy.

To the Hororable Senate and House of Representa
lives of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania:

Gentlemen: In compliance with the following con-
current resolution, I have the honor to transmit here-
with Part II, entitled "Enemies of Poultry."

B. H. WARREN.

In the House of Representatives,

March 1, 1897.
Resolved (if the Senate concur), That there shall be printed
at the earliest possible date, in pamphlet form, fifteen thousand
copies of Bulletin No. 17, of the Department of Aigriculture,
entitled the Diseases and Enemies of Poultry, with such addi-
tional matter and changes as the authors may deem necessary
to more fully explain this important subject; five thousand
for the use of the Senate, and ten thousand for the use of the
present members of the House of Representatives: Provided,
That the authors shall receive no extra compensation for pre-
paring, writing, editing, proof reading, revising and indexing
this pamphlet.

A. D. FETTEROLF,
Resident Clfrl< of the House of Representatives.

In the Senate. March 2. 1897.
The foregoing resolution concurred in.

E. W. SMILEY.
Chief Clerk of the Senate.
.Approved— the r»th day of March. A. D.. 1Sf>7.

DANIEL H. HASTINGS.
( XIX )

:J

PREFACE.

(XX )

Unfortunately, ij»norance conceining the true worth
o.f numerous species of wild birds and other feral ani-
mals is so widespread that it is frequently impassible
to present in public documents the requisite informa-
tion which will be of real service to the citizens — es-
pecially farmers and horticulturis-ts — who should be
fully and correctly informed of the economic relations
of the different forms of animal life which have such
an important place in nature's garden.

This ignorance is not by any means confined, as
many would have us believe, to those in bumble walks
of life. The merry, light-hearted and active picca-
ninnys of the south watch with especial interest birds,
ma^amals and insects in their chosen haunts. Such
ob8*>rvers, without books or educated instructors, have
learned from the great book of nature truths which
would make the hearts of naturalists throb with de-
light; and, if placed on record, some of these observa-
tions would, no doul)t, materially add to scientific lit-
erature. Again, we find a class of stalwart, rough
bat ingenuous mountain(K?rs and woodsmen who,
from their early boyhood days, have been obliged to
struggle and labor incessantly to maintain themselves
with the necessities of life. These men, good-hearted
and true that they are, have not had the advantages
of education; thev do not, of course, know the latin
names of the wild creatures which a Wise Creator has
placed in the ample field of nature, and in many in-
j^tances they do not even know the proper common

(XXI)

m

ill

*

I!

XXll

■- - --.."".Mrs !:.'crs:

and ;iace in the political field, and speak o the vmpor
tnnce ves the dire necessity of issuing at public ex
pTnse SoLs on natural history topics, and in the ma.
Pv S instances you .viH find they ^ecry such prop<.
itio;s «as a useless outla,, of public funds' Dunng
th^ nast ten years the time of the writer has oeen
arily occ^^^P^^ in preparing books, reports papers
nd tlltSn! for gratuitous distribution^ By such
work and an -tensU. experience ^^^ f^
it has been learned that to meet wiui f i'
and have books, etc., read by the average citi en one
xnust eliminate in his writings all tech-cal ma«er pos
Bible and at the same time embellish with numerous,
wen'dTsigTed and truthfully executed illustrations,
^e natSist who prepai^s books or other documen «
which the average school child can read intelhgentty
will do mv-ch more service to the P>-««^°\«°J,f*:r
generations than the one who P^-^P^?^ «*"f ^ *^J^,
^ical matter that can only be perused by tie general
; ader with the aid of dictionaries. In fu ure ye^r^
when the hand that pons these lines is still in d^th
or has returned to mother earth, the great ™P«rtance
of the many truths contained within the pages of this
work will become apparent. This «tate™«° . . ^
made is given not because the writer is so egotistical

II

XXIII

a» to believe tlial Part 11 of this report is au able pro
duction from a literary standpoint, but because he is
well aware that unless a strong public sentiment is
not soon created to cx>rrect unjust prejudices which
exist against many of our most serviceable birds and
other wild animals, these creatures will soon be ex-
tenninated if reckless scalp acts, which so many favor,
are enacted and hat-bird hunters pursue their nefari-
ous trade. Should such a condition confront the peo-
ple of this Ocmmionwealth it will be found, when too
late to remedy, that the annual loss from innumerable
insect foes would be very considerably in excess of
the enorn'ous loss we at present suffer yearly in Penn-
sylvania.

Entirely iiidependent of the data which the writer
has accumulated during many years of active field
work and incoriorated in this volumn, Part 11 con-
tains much matter of especial value from the pens of
some of the highest zoological authorities in the coun-
try. All this, together with the notes and field obser-
vations of hundreds of intelligent farmers, horticul-
tudsts, poulterers, sportsmen and naturalists through-
out the State, will tend to make this document a stand-
ard work in the somewhat limited yet exceedingly im-
portant field it so fully covers. In conclusion the
writer would extend his most cordial thanks to his Ex-
cellency, Governor D. H. Hastings, for his wise ap-
proval of the concurrent resolution which provides for
this publication. Ex-Govenior Beaver approved two
bills authorizing the publication of the Birds of Penn-
sylvatia. These approvals give conclusive proof that
Centre county has furnished executives who, by their
signatures, have done more to create popular sentiment
in behalf of zoological matters than any of their pred-
ocw^ors.

M

• . ;i

VC

POULTRY AND ITS ENEMIES.

CHAPTER I.

M

MISCELLANEOUS lNTRODUCyiH)HV NOTES.

THE VALUE OF PENNSYLVANIA'S POULTRY.

It is estimated that the value of poultry of all kinds
and the eggs produced in Pennsylvania last year was
about 122,000,000. By these figures it will be seen
that the industry is one of great importance; in fact
it is one of the most important branches of agricul
ture. as statistics show that "the annual poultry pro
ducts of the United States are equal in value to the
wheat crop."

THE VALUE OF FOWLS AND EGOS IN THE UNITED

STATES.

Pennsylvania, one of the leading Statt-s in the Union
in the production of poultry, has, it is stated, about
275,000 persons engaged, on a more or less extensive
scale, in the poultry raising business. My esteemed
colleague, Dr. Pearson, says, basing his statement on
a recent estimate published in the American Agricul
tnrist, that

"According to a recent estimate of the American Agricul-
turist, based on th<» last oensus nnd on an extensive Inonirv

I--M n) ' •

( XXIV )

Zse produce l.^WOO-""' ^00 OOO o" There are in this State
of both amounts to »343 000 OOD.OO. ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^,„

15.b74.000 fowls of all ^"'V^'^^'l'^^lfei'uce 68.818,000 dozen of eggs
valued at IS.23^00 and the e produc^^^^ ^^ . ^^^_^^^ ^^^,„^ ,

each year worth, at ^O J^ f^ 2,000,00O"-Pearson. •

total value for poultry -'^''°^''. ^^„^g, tbrOUgh di8

The loss to poultry, b«f ^^^^^^^/J.^ J;eH that, at a
ease is considerable. Dr. 1 ^^^ ^^ ^^^ poultry

very conservative ^^"^^^^^^^^year, carried away by
of this Gommonwealth is each ye ^.^^ ^^

disease. However, as th^J^"^^ ^^^j ^re carefully
e^edies for ^^e -e, o^ do.^^^^^^^ ^ -^^^

d.scussed ^" J';^ J^^^ r^f^^rence to diseases which an
'^'f-Mndtanre 0 success in poultry-raising, and
such a hindrance to » nromptlv and intelli

which, sometimes, destroy, ''J^'ll^\,\^, poultry
gently treated, the entire population

yard.

«^T«VTVANIA FROM PREDATORY ANIMALS.
LOSS IN PENNSYLVANIA ^"

Bulletin No. 17, Uept. oi J^h ni,g„thered Enemies

Of Domestic iowls, i wa ^ ^^ yalu-

eient data, (which with a --^^ ^^^^^ ^, ^,,^,,,

,Ue papers f "«^>"%'^X,^^ thrown away by som.
and myself had b en car^e-^^^ ,,„„t a closet

workmen who were mab.i ^

p...i„,a.e„ -7«^::rl%t* :,' «" »^ pre....-,

I II

of a flock of barn yard fowls, keep any record of thr*
loss of poultry or eggs which are destroyed in the
course of a year by any of the wild animals which it is
well established subsist in part, at least, on young or
old poultry and eggs. However, through the aid ot
circulars and postal cards making inquiries as to prob-
able money loss annually sustained from the visits of
foxes, minks, weasels, wildcats, rats, certain species
of hawks and owls, crows, etc., it is learned that the
yearly loss in Pennsylvania is probably about
$750,000.

This sum is a large one, and, perhaps, to a pei son who
has given litlh* i bought and attention to the matter,
it will appear to be excessive. Such, however, judging
from ilie answers received at this oflfice, does not ap-
pear to be the case, as may be seen by consulting the
replies of faruiers and poulterers, which are given in
full on succeeding pages of this work. Well informed
jrentlemen, who are thoroughly familiar with the poul-
try business, and the losses effected by the depredations
of th(^ various animals commonly included under the
caption "PJnemies of Domestic Fowls,'' claim that the
average loss yearly to each individual farmer and
IK>ultry-raiser throughout Pennsylvania, through the
depredations of the many species of birds, mammals
(4c., which kill poultry or destroy their eggs, is fully
five dollars.

If there are, as it is claimed, 275,000 poultry raisers
in this State and they each sustain an annual loss of
five dollars, the aggregate loss would be $1,875,000.

No doubt, there are hundreds, yesi. thousandsi, of
farmers and other persons who are engaged in rearing
I)oultry who, individually, and perhaps yearly, suffer a
much greater loss than five dollars, as can readily
he seen by consulting reports uiade to this Department

%:\

succeeding pages, ^uch caBeB ^^.^^^^^^

quite numerous couWnot^-«^ any dj^_^^^^^^^^ ^^ _^

be used exclusively in maKi u), uj

when proper care is taKen ii i „,iiiy can be

furred and feathered ^^'^^^^^Jv poultr,

very materially 1««^; . ^;^\ ^^e tSr poultry safely
raisers 7.ho make no ^ffofs o have the p ^^^

housed at night time, ^^^''''^'^''''^^^^^^^^ ,mnks.
attacks of nocturnal mara,^.-el^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^

weasels, opossums, rats, tlu \'' avo\&ei if

These losses, frequently, could e^^ly ^e aj« ,

proper precautionary uu^"--^

..ho reside in sections "J^ ^'^' ^ten suffer very grea. .
districts, streams and y«"*;^7\ .tjcular pains

losses from P-dato.>-mms unless pa^.^^^^ J^ ^^^.

are taken to guard the fowls ana e ^^^per's

raw-.:. 'iXoZ .»i< .."".• -::r::::-rz;

compelled t.. o uu ^^^^ ^^^^ ^.„ ^„ „„

been known to ^ isit a sinj, _.^^^

average, five or six young chuUens dailj . 1

..von,, •>«P '" 7'j::;:;r,"'^r>,° "•*; whe„ ^re^i
r*» r t w7X-er. h, and. n. »b»ndanc.

,„„, „obU. .a., .,rd .,,0 K';-^^' «■• „„:r,., ,„,
riawk, a summer r<-si(1ent, m a Te>A

Htate, also, at tiiiu's, destroys some poultry, partieu
larly ducks.

TRAP OR SHOOT THE TROUBLESOME HAWKS.

When the poultry raiser discovers that a hawk or
hawks of any species are paying regular visits to his
poultry yard, he should, at once, begin an investigation
and learn, if possible, where the nest or nests of such
unwelcome visitors are located. When this informa-
tion is obtained the bold feathered depreaators can
usually be shot or trapped at their nests. When this
is done the nests and young should be destroyed as no
humane person would want to leave the young hawks
to die of starvation, as is so commonly done by the
heartless and money loving plume-hunters, who have
pn'acitically depopulated the .southern states of the
beautiful herons. The hat-bird and plume-hunter, ii.
the pursuit of his nefarious business — one, kind reaaer,
which has been made possible bec^ause our mothers,
sisters and sweet-hearts, seem determined to decorate
their headgear with showy feathers — visits the breed-
ing places of the herons, egrets, etc., and shoots the old
birds from the nests. The clamorous young, by thou
sands, in some large nesting places, have been left by
the heartless wretches, to die by the tortures of starva-
tion, as the carcasses of their parents, denuded of the
showy feathers, lay rotting on the ground.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CROW^.

Frequently it happens that a pair of crows will set
up house-keeping in a woods in the neighborhood of
the farmer^s chicken coops, and if left undisturbed they
will pick up a good many young chickens, and steal
all the eggs they can find. A visit to the woods will
generally enable you to discover the home of these

t-

:l

I

t'y. .

black:coated poultry thieves, wWcU. of ^^^
.lestroved, together with the old birds. Should you lai
to find the /est of the crow, you cau easily dispose o
LX drilling an egg, in-t a little ^tJ^J-^ ^ ^
hole and place the deadly bait in a nest he has been
robbing or in a conspicuous place where he will be
iSv to see it as he comes spying around after the
Sing oTsm-ing of the fussy and ever solicitous old
htn X ofTen penned up in a coop or fastened by a
long lord and one leg to a peg in the gi-ound, is ever on
guard to shield her family of youngsters. ,

' HERONS. BLACKBIRDS AND JAYS.

several species of the heron tribe occasionally de-
vour the young of duclcs and other bu;d« wh^ch ai^

found about streams, ponds ^^\^^'%^\^^^^J^l
quented by these long-legged waders. Of late yeaxs
Jowe^r the herons and bitterns have so greatly de-
re'ed in numbers, that the damage they do^ d.
stroying the young of ducks or other kinds of buds

''''fZ blackbirds are abundant in this State and if
tUese birds were as much given to preying on youn
diickens and destroying the eggs of domestic owls^^a
thev are to devouring the young and eggs of differen
peciL of small insectivorous birds ^'-^ -uld no
doubt cause considerable loss annually. Fortnna^ b,
ivowever. the habit of H-eding on the eggs of domett c
fowls and their young seems to be ;'«"fir^- f ,^^^,' .'^
,uv observation goes, lo individual l;'««l^^"-f ^. ^ *- ;
sheep," so to »peak, which appear here and theie i
mever^ communities. Blackbirds which have acquire
•m appetite for the eggs and young of d.miestic fowls
'..an Sly be destroyed, but when this is done it would

not, in my opinion, be a wise procedure for the farmer
to place all blackbirds under ban, because of the mis
ileeds of a few individuals which may have developed
a taste for forbidden food. Although blackbirds, un-
doubtedly, destroy the homes of a good many small
wild birds, the fact seems pretty well established that
these birds, during the summer season, are much more
beneficial than harmful to the farmer. Nine times out
of ton an investigation will show that when crows and
blackbirds visit the corn fields, when the young corn
blades are an inch or two above the ground, that they
are there, not to destroy the corn, as many suppose,
but lo feed on the cut- worms which are often so abun-
dant as to ruin entire fields and render a replanting

necessary,

-»..■■

• - THE JAYS.

The "Scrub" or Florida Jay (Apelocoma floridana) is
greatly detested in some parts of Florida where they
are plentiful. The enmity to these birds, known
locally as "Scrub Jays'' because they are found in
a thick undergrowth, arises from the fact that they
desti-oy the eggs of chickens. They come about build-
ings and destroy the eggs, and they will also, I am
infoinied, sometimes attack and kill young fowls as
well as dillerent species of wild birds which they can
master.

In attacking the 3^oung of chickens or other fowls,
the jays, it is asserted, always strike at the head, and
with a few vigorousi strokes of their bills, soon per-
forate the tender coverings of the brain. Usually when
not disturbed the jay will eat the brain matter, pick
out the eves, and leave the rest of the fowl undih
Inrbed.

The habit of destroying eggs and poultry must De

I

M»

..aCLc. .o.un.:.n witU iL. specie- ^-'^.j;^^^^
as I found, in 1885, at several localities which weic
visited in Orange and other connties along the St
Johns river, that special efforts were made by the
residents to destroy these birds, on account of the
reasons narrated in the preceding paragraphs.

The Florida Bine Jay, a local race technically styled .
(Cyaru>ciUa cristaia florincola), is a little ^m.nerjni
U-I less white on tips of secondary and tail feathers
than the Blue Jay (CyanocUta cristata). It is also in
bad repute with Florida farmers who assort that 1i
sucks the eggs of chickens.

THE JAY killed" BIRDS AND SQUIRREL.
- . „ t« th» Blue Jay Audubon wrote: "It robsevery nesi
. ""inCd sucks the eK^UUe the crow, or tears to pieces and
,1 can find, sucks t"^ ^KS mounded a grouse

Sra L'^JSarirtitfd.rect.on wMcH U .Uowed
hut had not proceeded two hundred yards In pursuit when he
helrd something fluttering In the bushes, and found his bird
b:rabored by two blue Jays who were picking out Us eyes.

The same person once put a flying squirrel '"'""^e /^age of
one of these birds, merely to preserve it for one "'Sht but on
looking into the cage about U o'clock next day he found the
mammal partly eaten. A blue Jay at Charleston <!- -y-d a„
the birds of an aviary. One after another had been kUled, and
he ^fs were supposed to have been the culprits but no crevice
could be .een large enough to admit one. Then the mice
were accused, and war was waged against them, but s ill the
birds continued to be killed, flrst the smaller, then the larger
until the Keywest pigeons, when it was discovered that a Jay
which had been raised in the aviary was the depredator. He
was taken out and placed in a cage, with a quantity of corr.
flour and several small birds which he had Just killed. The
birds he soon devoured, but the flour he would not condescend
to eat, and refusing evtry other kind of food, soon died^

In the north It Is fond of ripe chestnuts, and in visiting the
trees is sure to select the choicest. When these tail it attack!.
,ho be^ch nuts, acorns, peas, apples and green corn. In Lo..-
isana they are so abundant as to prove a nuisance to the
farmers i.icking the npwiy planted mm. th^ peas and xweel

i: . i^ i.-. '.

■1^:

potatoes, attacking every fruit tree, and even destroying the
eggs of pigeons and domestic fowls. The planters are in the
habit of occasionally soaking some corn in a solution of ar-
senic, and scattering the seeds over the ground, in conse-
quence of which many Jays are found dead about the fields
and gardens."

JAYS ARE NOTORIOUS NEST ROBBERS.

Although Blue Jays have decreased greatly in manj^
sections of the country since that able naturalist.
Audubon, penned the paragraphs last quoted, they have
not by any means deviated, as far as can be learned,
from the thieving practices of their loquacious an
cestors.

The Blue Jays of the present day have had trans
mitted to them the same carnivorous tastes which yearn
of observation in the woods and chosen haunts of the
jays, prompted the gifted Audubon to write so posi
tively about their pernicious habits.

Every farmer's boy who is familiar with the gar
rulous and inquisitive jays, is well aware that they an-
especially fond of eggs and young birds. Whenever an
opportunity offers, whether it be in woodland, orchard,
garden or bramble, these blue-coated robbers put forth
all their energies to steal the eggs and young of their
neighbors— birds which consume, during their summer
sojourn with us, myriads of noxious insects.

These numerous forms of insect-life, which are de
voured by the beneficial birds whose homes are so
frequently despoiled by the robber-jays, would, if not
kept in check by their natural enemies, bring about a
destruction of trees and other plant-life which cannot
he computed.

i*f ^

SAVE THE BIRDS

The absolute necessity of protecting in every wav
possible the benefinnl or the inseot-eating birds oannoi

r-iT

r

i/^-

tf

10

be too strongly urged upon a" cla^^ "iZm m^^^^
Farmers and fruitgrowers parttcu a^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^.^^
especial efforts to entourage the presen^^^^.^ ,^^^^^
birds on Ibeir premises. The ^ « ^ ^,

of Gaxne Commissioners assisted ^f^^^^^^^ ^,,^

the State BPO-^^^'^^X^h H ^J^^ '"

great care, a game b »- J^.^*^ \^ J^ ^.^sure becomes

the hands of the I^g^«^^*^'':,„" ' ^sectivorous birds
a law, it will afford Protection ^« msec
which has never before been g yen xnj ^.^^

If the section, as «"ginally fra^eo^^ ,,

wMch deals with "-■^'l;^::^ ^:^,Zt::U and re-
passes both branches of the Genera ^^^^.^^

^mLrt as they most as-edl^ f o^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The millinery t^^^^^^ Jovs have in the last ten
,ad, so common ^^Jl::l::ZT:^^.no. of bird-
or fifteen years causea .m eu

'^^®- ^ -1^ rpnnires bright-plumaged birds

The millinery trade requires ong V ^^^^

to satisfy its tender-hearted, charming an
tomers.

20 000 BIRDS IN FOUR YEARS.

TO m, the .*™ revived "- ^^^ ™wS.«-

chards, mountains and fleU^ m M ^^^^,^

tMs manner '^^^^^^^l^^ZTr^^^^^

as orioles, tanagerswarbleiBro^e ^^^^

cardinals, -^f ,Xretc' ^aVe^b^^^ slaughtered^
peckers, snow birds, l^J^^ ^^^;; ^^^^^^ermist in one of
Some few years ago I niot a taxiae ^^^^^ ^^

our largo cities, who, wjth ^^^^ \;^^.:"^. ,,, ,e em-
taxidermist) and several men and boNS, ^

11

plojed to shoot birds during migrations and in the
early summer, cleared over |3,500 in less than one year
by the sale of mounted birds for hats and bonnets. His
expenditures, he said, were about ?1,500 in the ten
months he was actively engaged in the business. He
sold the birds at prices ranging from one dollar and
fifty cents per dozen, for small-sized, dull-plumaged
birds, (song sparrows, hair-birds, juncos, English spar
rows, oven birds, etc.), to five, six, eight and ten dollars
per dozen, for male scarlet tanagers, red-winged blaek-
birds, bobolinks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo bird^
and bright-plumaged warblers such as the Black-
burnian, Kentucky, Yellow and Magnolia. This same
individual also, some years before, or when the craze
of decorating woman's headgear with birds first began,
in one season obtained from the coast of New Jersey
1.100 (erns, chiefly the Lesser Tern {Sierna antillarum)
and gulls, fo<r which he gave the gunners fifteen and
twenty-five cents apiece, and then stuifed and sold
them for hats at twelve and fifteen dollars per dozen.

Ouring the four years which this man engaged in
supplying birds to milliners he collected, mostly in
IV nnsylvania and New Jersey, at least 20,000 skins.

AVhy produce here these statistics of the hat-bird
taxidermist?

Thev

are

jiiven simply to call attention of the
farmers of Pennsylvania, for whose especial benefit the
legislators directed this report should be prepared, to
<me of the chief causes which has been in active opera-
tion for the past ten or fifteen years to destroy birds,
many of which rank among the first of all natuni/
agencies which the Wise Creator has placed in our
midst to keep in check ravenous insect hosts, that, if
inichecked, would soon lay our crops to waste.

I

vf

ill

^

12

•'■' :*

^ PKOTEST FKOM THE BAT STATE^ _ *

.MS wanton ana senseless ^^^^^^^^^
not by any means -^^-^^^Jre^quarters'of a miUio..
Massachusetts, where ^^^"^ *f "^^ng the past four
of dollars has been ^^P^^f ^fj/^i'^et foe-the Gipsy
or five years to repress a jngj^ ^n ^^ „^^

Moth-hat-bird huriters pro e«s'^n ^^.^^ ^^ ^^^

banters," and the f^^^'^^^.l .eaihered popula-

musket, are ^^''^'''f ^""^rZLx^^i^, and allowed to
tion, many of which, if "^^"'^^^^ undoubtedly be
follow their nat-aUncUna ons woul ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^

a potent factor to aid;;^^^fP';^encies which are rapid
Gypsy Moth. ^^f^^^^^^jZ,. of the feathered
ly bringing about the exte^m ^^^^^.^^ paragraphs
tribes in the Bay State I take ^^^^^^^^^ts Game

from the annual repoit oT tne
Commission, for 1896: ^^^^^^ ^^^^,

..Beports from our ^^'^J^^Xrl. B.peCaUy is tW.
a still further decrease m our gam ^^^ ^^^^^ ^j,, ,

true in the eastern '^"^^'"''^^'\'„a that most destructive of aU
pletion is due to over shooting and ^^^.^ ^,^,„ ,et

weapons, the snare. In some secUo ^^^ ^^^^^ g^„„,,.

t,y the thousands «""P'f^e V ^^^^^^^p,,, this finest of game
and, if this "«'^"°"%^°;'l''a It seems useless for the State
birds wni be entirely ^tft'^^^f ctlon of game unless this work
to expend --^^ '"^^'j^Crg snouid' be P-hibited, un^e,
can be suppressed. All f"^"]"" ^ ^^ both, at the discr -

severe penalty of fine °>; '-P^'^^game can be UiUed should
tion of the court. The time In whic s ^^ ^^^ ^^^,.

he shortened, and the open ««-«°" "[^^^ ^i„ he in the near

unless some «>-f;„^^-;„Vsana fields,
future no Rame in our woou»

SAVE OUR SONG BIRDS.

' ..^s to song and insectivorous ^^^x'^; :::::r^'z:z

vigorously enforced. Now, ^^^ .^°J/^^° ^^^j privileged to taK^
an Old SP-ngfleld n'-'^^^-^^;*;;", '''""" fogethe,- with .--
any wild thing he ^^-^ /"'^ ^. ^^f," ^,,j, ,^,„« and wings of
fashion of decorating ladles hats wU

13

(

birds, has led to the depletion of insectivorous birds to such a
degree that scarcely a crop of any kind can be raised without
spraying with poison to kill the insects which were formerly
kept in check by the birds. The penalty for this destruction of
the balance of nature is everywhere apparent, and the hor-
ticulturist and farmer are heavily taxed for want of foresight
in protecting their own interests.

"If the destruction of these birds cannot be otherwise re-
strained, let the law for their protection extend to 'the posses-
sion of their skins or any part thereof,' except for scientific
purposes."

• THE SNARER IN EVIDENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA.

During recent years it appears, from reports which
reach this office from various sections of the State,
that the snaring of birds has been carried on to a great
extent. This murderous method is engaged in prin-
cipally by a class of foreigners who are apparently
thoroughly acquainted with all the devices of the
poachers of the Old World. Ruffed grouse, in somo
regions of the State, have been almost entirely extir-
pated through this villainous practice. Although
Kuffed Grouse, undoubtedly, suffer the most from
snares, this method of capture is, unfortunately, by no
means confined to these game birds. These death-
dealing and cunningly hidden snares have, on several
occasions, been discovered in swamps and meadow
lands, places where Woodcock and Wilson's or English
snipe are known to frequent. Men who make a busi
ness of hunting meat or bird's skins for the market,
catch numbers of small song and bright-plumaged
birds by the use of birdlime and snares, the latter art-
fully placed about the nests.

A member of our State Game Commission in the
early part of November, 1896, visited the market stalls
of one of our large cities and examined forty Ruffed

u

Grouse; eight had been shot, the remainder had been
snared.

BIRD BUTCHERY IN PIKE COUNTY.

The following article from the pen of the Milf ord Pa.,
correspondent of the New York Sun, published Novem-
ber 15, 1896, will give some idea of the snarer s worR
in Pike county, and the same condition of affairs exists
in other counties of Pennsylvania: ^

•Hunters in Pike county complain of the scarcity of game in
certain sections where in years gone by it was -ry abundant
and they attribute the scarcity to poachers. It is true that
Targe bags of birds have been captured in the present season,
and these lead to the stories that game is plentiful.

" This' however, is not the case." said the veteran guide and
hunter/ Charley Mott. of this borough. "Nine out ot every ten
of the supposed large bags of birds are the results of from
400 to 600 snares, covering the choicest hunting grounds tor a
radius of live miles or more from the home, or temporary stop-
nine place of the poacher. The shipments to New York city
usually represent the fruits of the set guns of two or more of
the poachers, and are the result of from four days to one week
with the deadly devices.

-One week ago a shipper of birds was seen travelling in the
woods, not with dog £.nd gun but with a two-bushel sack
fastened over his shoulder and directing his course toward the
-rounds that a few years ago were the most famous to be
found anywhere for that noble bird, the Ruffed Grouse. What
manner of cover or grounds productive of birds can long stand
3U h wanton and i'l^gal destruction and continue to gve p eas-

ure to the sportsman? , . ,

"For many years," continued Mr. Mott. "I found great pleas-
ure and fine sport shooting on the grounds referred to. but the
wonderful scarcity of birds of late and the discovery as to
the cause of this scarcity have led me and sporting friends to
abandon the section as a shooting resort."

Mr. Mott is of the opinion that if measures are not taken
soon to protect young grouse from the summer woodcock
^hooters and to break up the marketing of snared birds, grouse
will be virtually extinct in Pike county in the near future.

15

BIRD-EXTERMINATORS IN NEBRASKA AND GEORGIA.
According to the New York Sun: "J. H. Den and three com-
panions are reported to have killed 700 wild geese and ducks
in the northern part of Nebraska on a recent huntmg trip.
Seven hundred such birds would weigh not much, if any less.

than a ton.

, H. J. Lamar. Jr.. and a party of hunters went to Leesburg
. Ga.. dove hunting. The amount of game that they killed
makes one think of the wild pigeons away back in the fifties.
The party killed 8.000 of the birds. The American Field says
of this kiUing that 'such fiendish work by men who claim to
be sportsmen makes our blood boil with indignaUon. • * •
Their inhuman greed was unsportsmanlike."

If this kind of work is allowed to go on for a few
years we will have no game of any kind to shoot.

PASSING OF FAMILIAR BIRDS.

The great value of insectivorous birds cannot be
overestimated. The fact is evident to all who have
given any attention to the subject that if the wasteful,
cruel and useless slaughter of birds is not soon checked
numerous species will be obliterated from regions
where in former years they were abundant. About
twenty years ago wild pigeons bred in immense num-
bers in certain sections of Pennsylvania; but they are
now gone. Why have they left? The reason is, pri-
marily, because they were so relentlessly pursued by
netters and market hunters, and, secondly, on account
of the destruction of the primitive forests where they
resorted to breed. Fifteen years ago the beneticial and
ehcwily dressed Redheaded Woodpecker was one of the
most common birds to be met with on a day's outing
in the rural districts. Now, it is rather unusual to see
one of these birds in sections where, in my boyhood
days, they were abundant.

What has been largely instrumental in bringing
about this change? Why, the love of pecuniary gain

I

Hi

aud the vauitv of the fair sex have iusiiiied the luili
uery taxidermists to slaughter, year after year, these
froliteome tenants of hollow trees; beautiful defence-
less creatures, whose livelihood was earned mainly by
destroying insects and larvae destructive of forest
shade and fruit trees. It is true this bird sometimes
visited the corn field or cherry tree, but the damage
done on such occasions was trivial when compared with
the good he did in the orchard or forest.

Men, we are told, particularly a class of miserly fel
lows who have bcou married for some years, are prone
to comment in no favorable way about the cost of
lovely woman's head dress. So far as the writer is
concerned he believes it is every man's duty, and if
he has the right Ifind of a wife, I know it would be a
pleasure, to assist, so far as he is financially able, in
obtaining the requisite head adornment for his better
half. I do not believe, however, that any man should
be asked or expected to encourage the decoration of
his wife's head with feathers which have been torn
from the bodies of mute and lifeless birds. The chief
objection Ihave to offer to this hat and bonnet business
is the persistence which so many ladies have for deco
rating their pretty heads witli beneficial birds' skins.
Do awav with such ornamentations, double,»if you de
lire, the amounts paid for feathers, add an extra quan
rity' of artificial flowers, vines and iridescent ribbons,
but spare, I beg of you, the harmless and defenceless
members of "the summer's tuneful host."

THE PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON SOClETt.

It is certainly fortunate in many ways that the
Pennsylvania Audubon Society, with headquarter* in
Philadelphia, has Intelr been larjjely inirtrumental in

17

arousing in different quarters of the State a stroDj,'
desire to protect song birds. The officers of this or-
ganization include a number of the best-know cili-
xens of Philadelphia. They are:

President.
WITHER STONE.

Vice Presidents.

MISS FRANCES E. BENNETT.

MRS. A. T. COPE,

MRS. S. C. F. HALLOWELL,

MRS. WM. FURNESS JENKS,

MRS BEULAH M. RHOADS,

MISS ANNE H. WHARTON,

EDWIN SWIFT BALCH,

BENJAMIN LEE, M. D.,

S. WEIR MITCHELL, M. D.,

HON. SAMUEL W. PENNYPACKER. LL. D..

RT. REV. O. W. WHITAKER, D. D..

WM. ROTCH WISTER,

MRS. RICHARD M. CADWALADER.

MRS. BRINTON COXE,

MRS. L MINIS HAYES.

MISS A. C. KNIGHT,

MISS M. CARY THOMAS,

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, M. D.,

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, LL. D.,

REV. HENRY C. McCOOK. D. D.,

J RODMAN PAUL,

JOSEPH WHARTON.

JAMES D. WINDSOR.

Directors.

MISS E. W. FISHER,
MISS ELLEN L. LUNDY.
HENRY C. MERCER.

Secretary.
MRS. EDWARD ROBINS.

Treasurer.
WILLIAM L. BAILY.

This organization of ladies and gentlemen publish
2-rT

i

•lit'

'lit

18

:^:i^=C: ^"" -a^- «--' ^^^ ""^'

The good work of the AuQud ^.^^.^

. popular vein as -^-^J-^^bout the first of .lanuarv •
, period of five ^^^-^'^^To^'^Z hundred ladies aud
of the present year, ;;^ j"" f^^^^ „„ ,^, membership
gentlemen have placed then names

• rolls of the society. ^ ^^j^ g^ciety

The earnest and co""^^''*^^^^)' .""'^4 and all classes
.annot fail to do a vast anjount o goo^ an ^^ ^^^^^
of our citizens should aid in th s new .^

1-1 if mrried to a successful ena, wm "
which, if carriea 10 a generations. No

calculable value to this and future ge ^^^^^^

class of our citizens ^^"^^/^^^'the farmers and
from the protection of birds than the la

fruit-growers. . j^. g^^te it is

regarded with disfavor Doca mistaken

of their t>eneficent service _ J^^^^ ^^ „, «,.

opinions are ^'^^^^^f^f.^^^^^^^^ am satis-

Audubon Societj is "^"^'JJf/^^^^onwealth will ex
fted that the farmers «! ^^^^^^^ional hat-bird

tend such «««'«^^f « Jf : ^^ter w 11 be forced to aban-
hunter, snarer, and meat-hunter, wm oe

don their nefarious trade. ^

19

influence to aid in staying the band which is too often
unjustly raised against birds and other wild animals
which are friends rather than enemies of the human
race. ^ :

INSECT RAVAGES.

The plum crop in many regions of Pennsylvania ;s
almost a total failure because of the ravages of the
curculio and the fungus known as black knot. Yet, if
orchardists would heed advice and follow the recom
mendations of scientitic men who give special atten
tion to the life histories of insects, fungi and bird>i,
plum culture could, no doubt, be conduct* d Avitli much
greater satisfaction and profit.

During recent years there has been a very great in-
crease both in number and virulence of the parasitic
fungi and insect pests with which the farmer and the
horticulturist has to contend. Besides these enemies
the cultivator of the soil has to combat certain species
of birds and mammals which annually do considerable
damage to the cultivated crops. The destruction of
forests, both by lumbermen and devasting forest tires
— especdally the latter — has caused many insects to
abandon their habitations In the forests and take up
their abodes in the cultivated lands.

PENNSYLVANIA LOSES $5,000,000 A YEAR.

Eminent entomological authorities assure us that at
least one-tenth of all the cultivated crops of this coun-
try are annually destroyed by insects, and that the ag-
gregate amount of damage done is between i|f2(H),000,0()0
and 1300,000,000 every year in the United States. Of
this immense sum it is a very conservative estimate to
state that l*ennsylvania's share, through insert ravages
alone, is about ^5,000,000 annually.

i

Ml.* Fine Balk beetle com-

some tou. ,ear« -^^^^l^^^em of SouthweBt-

fitted depredations m ^^^^ P^f .^^^ amounting to

em Pennsylvania and in West Vjg^^^f^ ^^^ ^sti-

fully $1,000,000, and last y^^l'^'^^^Zvm damaged
n^ates of our eorrespondentB the am^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^

famous Erie grape belt.

THE LOSS IN OTHEK STATES. •

^ 1- „ fh« insect hosts annually, it is
lu North Carolina, the "^^^^^ no ^^^^^^

said, destroy over one ^fj^'^^^^l^^f'^^^ loss from

worth o^«gric"ltu••al^^^^^^^ ,^^,, ,,

granary insects to the corn crop a

Laoama was claimed to be ?l'«^lf ^' ^"f ;en known
«tar State grain weevils a^'=«'-^'°/ ^^ ^^ J^/Jof over

Iv grasshopper which played such havoc w.th the
Sops that their depredations amounted to *45,000 0m
The chinch bugs were so numerous in Iirino.s m 1H<.4
.ul thlv cost the people of that State over $7.?,000,000.
Ind n M ssouHin 1874 the same voracious pests de-
v^ured agricultural products to the amount o fl9.
Zm In the cotlon raising States the annual loss
rS the cotton worm from 1864 to 1880 was esti-
mated at about 115,000,000.

X i .v,of. "TTjiph sDecles of plant on an aver-
Dr. Packard states that. ^*=^. \P"; ,„„„ta a„d numerous

„e supports three \-'° V'^^^eraf cuUWation afford Bub-
plants. particularly '^^^ '"/^^"^^^J, "^^^ich now attack gar-
r r^euXr^ r^- orvre^o:;: uvea . ... rore. on en-
tlrely different vegetable life.

■21

.,',;' TREE-INHABITING INSECT PESTS.

There is, it is said, not less than seventy-live kinds
of injudous insects inhabiting the apple orchard. Be^
fore the apple and other fruit trees were introduced
to America, many of these insect enemies lived on such
forest trees as the oak, elm, wild cherry, maple, ash
and willow. • . ». . ■ .

- -Forest trees are. as Dr. Packari states, -Darticularly Ua-
jToleSattons of Insects, certain species ot which attack
the roots, others the bark, some the wood, many the leaves

^ Th: "ak rrbot :e"twr 500 and ««0 kinds of Insects; the
hllkorlof afford maintenance to 140 recorded ^^^^^^^eZ
to over lOO species, the maple 85. the poplar 72, while the pine
yields nourishment to over 100 different kinds." ... ,^,.

BIRDS AND MAMMALS AS A CLASS ARE BENEFICIAL.

Thei'e is, however, no doubt that certain species of
birds and mammals are detrimental and their fondness
for domestic fowls and game-both furred and feath
ered-as well as various kinds of small wild song birds
is such that no one who is acquainted with their true
life-histories will attempt to defend them. The nun.
ber (species) of poultry and game devouring animals,
dressed either in coats of light-weight feathers or of
soft warm fur, is small as compared with the species
which are serviceable or neutral.

It is unwise to overlook the great benefits conferreo
by the majority of our birds and mammals in the
cultivated field, the meadow, the forest and the or-
chard, by destroying the troublesome rodents and mul-
titudes of insects, which, as Dr. Elliott Cones well
says- "singly are insignificant, but collectively a
scourge, which prey upon the hopes of the fruit grower,
and which if undisturbed would bring his care to
nought."

ii

90

THE SNAPPKR AND A BROOD OF DUCKS.

Sonic veins a«o a blacksuiitli residing near a small
a-eek on\lie ontskirls of the borough of West Chester,
had a Hock of about fifteen young ducks, which were
cared for by a cross old Brahma hen that always
scolded whenever her web-footed brood disported lu
the muddy water of a small dam which had been made
in the stream for their accommodation. The ducks
went there with great regularity, notwithstand-
ing the protests of their clucking, bad-tempered
and fussing foster-parent. Suddenly the ducks
began to disappear; one, and sometimes two.
were spirited away in a day. First the cats
were accused and they were promptly shot. Next
a frolicksome setter pup was whipped when he "stood"
the old hen and the surviving members of her palmate
family. The poor, misused dog immediately after his
castigation, was chained in the barn. The' death of
several cats and the confinement of a dog, whose lung
power, both in daylight and dark, furnished abundant
evidence of the entire absence of consumptive or asth
m.atic troubles, did not put an end to the thinning out
of the ducklings. There were no minks, weasels, or
foxes about the premises, and all the hawks and owls
for miles around, had Ix'cn killed for bounty. Sleek-
coated meadow mice, it is true, were plentiful about the
creek and in the tangled, matted grassy coverts ot
adjoining fields. But as these little creatures, which,
curious to relate, had multiplied with marvelous ra
pidity a few months after the hawks and owls had
been slain, subsisted on grass roots, cereals, grape-
vines, etc., such vegetarians certainly did not molest
the ducks. .\t last, viewing the matter from every
imaginable standpoint, attention was directed to a

23

certain small boy who played "hooky" to rob bird's
nests and went fishing when his mother sent him to
Sunday school. Because this mischievious urchin,
some days before, had been observed trying to catch
a snapper which he said "lived in the dam and killed
the ducks," ho was believed to be the aggressor. The
boy was watched, and yet the ducks continued to de-
crease. One afternoon, when all but two of the flock
had been stolen, the blacksmith who was looking at
the pair dabbling in the water, was surprised to sec
a large snapping turtle seize one and drag it to the
muddy bottom. This turtle, which weighed about
seven or eight pounds, and the dead duck were both
fished out of the pool with an iron rake.

ODD TRAITS OF ANIMAL-CHARACTER.

The totally unexpected discovery made; by the good
natiired .disciple of Vulcan brought about a great
change. The small boy was presented with a new fish-
ing line, treated to pie and lots of "taffy." He listened
with bovish pride and becoming modesty to such soft
phrases'as "Oh my! what a bright child," "Good boy."
"Fine little man," etc. Poor innocent little fellow:
he had not disturbed the old hen's brood, yet all the
time this "good boy" knew that he had, only the day
before, stood on guard, near the door of the old smith-
shop, while a companion had stolen a doz.en hen's eggs
and a lot of pigeons from the industrious and frugal
blacksmith's barn. However, this gave him no con-
cern as their rightful owner never learned the facts.

The slandered and howling setter was given full
liberty, and in less than an hour afterward, as if to
celebrate the happy event, Mr. Pup killed thre.-
chickens in a neighbor's garden, and, in an adjoining

25

24

yard, he lau down and mauled a kitt*'D W«aging to a

short-hau-ed, meddlesome old maid. ^' '^

This kitten, to repair its damaged anatomy, had to

retire the balance of the week to rest in swaddling

bands and arnica fumes.
Expressions of regret were also uttered on account

of the prematura and violent demise of the Thomas
feline group planted at the foot of a grape vine. This
shaggy-coated and crooked old vine had for years
served as a shelter and breeding place for several
generations of the sparrow kind, and when these cats
were buried at its base to invigorate the growth, there
was hidden in a thick cluster of large leaves and fad-
ing, whitish blossoms, the tenantless nest of a pair of
sweet-voiced Chipping Sparrows, that these same cat*
had destroyed the day previous to the commencemeni
of their unexpected contract to "grow grapes."

FISHES THAT CATCH DUCKS AND BIRDS.

The taate which birds, such as the herons, cranes,
kingfishers, certain hawks, owls and eagles, the mer
gansers and several kinds of sea ducks, gulls, terns and
other oceanic birds have for fishes is well known. It
does not, however, appear to be generally understooo
that we have numerous members of the finny inhabi
tants of our rivers, lakes and ponds which seldom
allow a toothsome young duck or other small-sized
birds, which they can capture, to escape.

Small mammals, such as mice, shrews and moles aro
also sometimes eaten by these scaled animal-catchers.
On the ocean, in salt water bays and large rivers, and
about the Great Lakes, numerous ducks, gulls, terns
and other swimming birds are gobbled up by hungrv
fishps. Sandpipers, the smaller herons and other birds
which wade about in shallow waters, are likewise oftf'ii

caught bj voracious pike or pickerel, bass and trout,
in ponds and streams. I have on two different occa
sions seen brook trout catch young birds — one an
Indigo Bunting and the other an awkward Maryland
Yellow Throat, which had accidentally gotten into
the water.

Pickerel which are plentiful and which grow to good
size in the numerous ponds or lakes in the northeastern
section of Pennsylvania, often, I am told, catch
ducks, sometimes when nearly full grown, as well as
other birds which get into the water intentionally or
otherwise.

Last summer I shot a warbler, at Lake Ganogo, a
very pleasant, healthful and romantic resort on the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, in Wyoming county. The bird
fell into the water of the lake, and w^hen I had almost
reached it with a boat, a good sized black bass seized
it and disappeared from view. ::

MUD HENS ARE CAUGHT.

1 have repeatedly been informed by fishermen and
egg-hunters along the Atlantic coast, in New Jersey
and Virginia, where the Mud Hen or Clapper Rail
{BalluB longirostris crepitans) breeds in abundance,
that eels and several species of fishes destroy many
of the young rails. In the Florida waters the gar and
some other fishes have such a keen appetite that adult
ducks are often killed or maimed by them. I once shot
a drake Wood Duck in Florida, which fell in the water
about seventy-five yards from where I stood. Prob-
ably ten minutes elapsed before I could get the speci-
men, which from the way it kept moving and bobbing
about in the water I thought was only wounded, but
so injured that it could not fly or dive. When the duck
was retrieved I was surprised to find that it had been

26

nstant death, its Dieabi - p„hinpt purposos.

„„+^,i tint it was valueless for caoinei pu i
lacerated that it was ^^^j, ^^ ^ ^^^.^

A guide who was with "^ „«^^J ^\;'^^ ^^^j^.j, ^ould do
black bass or catfish, all o which, he cia ,

«uch tricks. At f^^-th'rca y^r^^^^^^^^

Johns river, at a wharf where cat j^^t

small birds which had been too badly damaged by

,0 be skinned; the catAsh would^come to the .^ac^

•md cany them out of sight. The place, o

where tlL experiments were made - a k n^ o

feeding ^-nd -hi^\;,;;tr^^^^^^^^ -

been skinned.

THE VORACIOUS PIKE.

IMUe which love to hide in still waters ^^^^^'^^
.aV: ,• n ..raises and rushes grow, h.ve on diffoient
pads,, i.vii >,i.i.-* devour small bird*

^-B^k^gl" :or:ildfnrdome^^^ Uinds :..

ve^ riTntly, it is asserted, captured when dabblin,
In the water by numerous kinds of greedy fishes.

.. BED SaUXRHKU SPAUROW ANB HUNGRT CHUa

In mv school boy days when fishing on the historic

2T

canght the hungry chubs with grub-worms, grass-
lioppeis or mussels, in this tlieir favorite trysting place.
The birds' sharp and angry notes induced me to hurry
to the spot where I discovered a prying Red Squirrel
to be the originator of all the confusion. The squirrel
had detected a partly feathered young ground sparrow
and in endeavoring to catch it had knocked or scared
it into the water and it was struggling at the edge
of the pool when suddenly there was a splash, and the
bird vanished. A stone cast at the squirrel drove him
away as well as the birds he had annoyed.

I then directed my attention to fishing and cast my
hook baited with a "willow worm" into the pool, a
quick jerk and a taut line, told me I had a fish, which
when landed proved to be a sixteen inch chub. On
opening the stomach of this fish I found the young
sparrow which had so mysteriously, about fifteen min-
utes before, left the water's surface.

FOREST FIRES VS. WILD AND DOMESTIC ANtMALS.

The time is fast approacning when tne cirr/A-ua of
this gieal Commonwealth will be compelled to adopt
some stringent measures to prevent the destructive for
est fires which occur yearly, generally in the spring
and autumn, and often also dunng the dry summer
season.

FOREST FIRE^. INCREASING.

During recent years or since forest fires have in
creased so markedly in many of the mountainous por-
tions of Pennsylvania, there has been a greaft de-
crease in the number of woodpeckers, nuthatches and
different species of wood warblers, vireos, likewise the
sweet voiced tlirusluss, many of which subsist, to a
large degree, on numerous forms of forest-tree de-

28
'in»;^ rtius^nnearauce ol' avian lite is-
a« doubt, to be attributed, in part at least to the ttr «,
IL dJstro, so ,nany of these birds in tbe breed.nn
season.

4'VV

SERIOUS LOSS IN 1895.

F.om reliable statistics, on file in this l^e,artment
we find that in tbe year 1895 there --- «^«"t^;;^2^
acres burned over, occasioning -,f ^^^ U^^Hrl
timber, aggregating fully one '"^"^""/^^^^"^i",^,^^
In 1895 twenty buildings were destroyed, among
whTch were several saw-mills; two men and several
; "ses and cattle lost their lives in the fires w,nc,
also consumed a considerable quantity of cut and
Jawed timber. In the same y.ar the anners spent
$45,000 in wages alone, to pay men and boys to .ud n
ext nguishing the flames. Besides the great loss to out
lumbtrinterestsand to the farmers whose fences bmld-
ings and other personal property are contmua ly en^
diuigered by the flames' ravages, the reducing of th^^se
semiannual conflagrations, which in the majonty o
cases, are, from reports at hand, the result of eitliei
grossly careless or maliciously inclined persons, is
absolutely necessary as the continued destruction of
our timbered areas by the woodman's axe and the de-
vastating tlames, will before many yeai-« spnousb
nienace the water supply of our State. The restoration
of forest trees on thousands of acres of land, now prac
tically valueless, is a matter of the utmost importance
from a hygenic standpoint. The fact, however, re-
mains true that this can never be accomplished unless
some vigorous means, through legislative aid. are
taken to repress the forest fires.

29

OF GRKAT INTEREST TO FARMERS AND SPORTSMEN.

To farmers, sportsmen and naturalists the forest
fire question is one of great moment, as investigations
show that the amount of animal life, particularly birds
and mammals, destroyed yearly, is, in the aggregate,
very large. Persons who have followed in the path-
ways af the great hissing, crackling, smoking and
life-destroying flames, have found the charred re-
luaius of pheasants, wild turkeys, quails, rabbits,
fawns, etc.. besides several kinds of small wild song
birds, especially such species that nest on or near
the ground. Lasl spring and summer (1896) in almost
every distriel wiieie the fires bniiied over a large
acreage numerous nests of grouse, besides many
lurkevs. and ininiinerablf homes of small wild birds
were destroyed. '

" ' GREAT DESTRUCTION OF WILD ANIMALS.

Through the courtesy of Dr. J. T. Kothrock, Forestry
(:k)mmissiouer of this Department, the Zoologist has
been enabled to collect, from the district visited last
spring and summer by forest fires, a large amount of
vahiable data showing the great destruction caused hy
tht^se couflagrations to game of different kinds, as well
as to many species of small wild song and insectivoi*ou8
birds which haye their habitations in the forests, old
slashings, and bark ])eelings: localities that were
mostly burned over. . •

The ruinous fires that did so much damage to animal
life, occurred last vear much later than is nsuallv the
case, and the Injury to small wild birds and game,
both furred and feathered, was, according to all ac-
counts, considerably greater than is customary to Iw
noticed when tho usual ^'Spring Fires*' take placp.

n

30

A «rUh the greatest fury \n
The fires, last year raged with t^^^^^ g ^^ ^^^^^ ^^

eorgs or brood of young.

\.OCOMOTXV.S NOT TH. CHXKK C.UBK O. ^^

^- t>,at steam locomotives aie the tluti
The assertion that ^^^^"^ -^ ^^t, according to my

cause of forest ^^^J^^^^l daim proven by static-
observation, correct, nor is tne

tics of this Department. ^^ occasion to

My official duties «'-^f^\\\^,^ear through Penu-
travel at least nine -- f- ^^^^^^^^^^ l,e mountains
sylvania. Much of this time is p ^^ ^^^^

/nd lumbering operations whee f^e^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^

rp:r fr ::gir:i%team c^^^^^^^^^^^^

ZZt sS cauTes are rather exceptional.

«M.KOAUS AX>OPT BKST PHKVKNXIVES KNOWN.

It is also a fact that our ^^^^::!^^^
only use the most •™P™-^,;r;artS ts^^

engines, but ^^^l !^';;:i'Z":^^ ^^^^^ employ, to
to section bosses and tracK wai necessary to

adopt P-Ptiynch X^o iralo^g ^,,,,,, ,
stop any and all ^^^ 7'^™ ^^ „„ own personal
their respective systems 'l^™^ "^ ^ numerous

observation ^^\XZ^e^^^^^ ^^« ^^^^ '^^■
close observing and reliable ge ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^

voted much attention to he pu e a^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^
fires it has been fo^nAj^cev ^^^^ .^ ^^^^^^

many of the """^f .f^l^'^^pines. originated not
Cr ;:X;":non-- loco^motWes of tbe well.

31

equipped and admirably conducted steam railways of
our Commonwealth, but from the little (and in many
cases defective) "dinkey" engines, such as are in use
on many lumbering oi)erations. ' .

' A COMMON CAUSE OF FORB^ST FIRES.-

Another and very fruitful cause of forest fires is the
custom, as practiced in numerous regions, of setting
fire in the early spring to undergrowth, dry fallen
leaves, and dead wood, so that grazing and pastui-e
grounds will be furnished for cattle and sheep. The
people who do this work know it is contrary to law,
but they nevertheless follow it up year after year.
Instances are known where in order to escape detec-
tion, men have taken lighted candles and placed them
under piles of leaves and other combustible materials.
These candles in a few hours would burn out and start
fires when the men who had arranged the contriv-
ances would be many miles from the place.

Old huckleberry patches are often fired, so a new
crop of vigorous bushes will come up the following
spring. Thus, for the sake of a few bushels of berries,
men will start fires that destroy many thousands of
dollars worth of property and much wild animal-life.
Deer hunters oftentimes, in order to clear up un-
derbrush so they can get better shots at deer, will
burn extensive tracts of land.

CARELESS SPORTSMEN.

As many of the fires can be traced to the carelessness
of sportsmen, it would seem an awful lesson to them to
read what a frightful destruction to game xuese fire^
are. It should teach them to not only be careful
themselves, but encourage them to give information

^tv

>

.'11

I

:k2 .

Hon, aia con^uently th« pleasure of the true .poro

gating »r«.a-iten.s like tU, Wlowtag. wb.eb v...
dipped (rom a Uncaster coiintj paper:

-o. T...<..y . »»"■ "i"-'"' '".S"*!'^ ™.°"»S. m»

voung trees were damaged. j.f^^«i

The following extract is taken from ay^U-"'
published In the Philadelphia Press, Dec. 5, 1890.

.i„« Af forest Hres In this State appeals to many

'""""VZTot tLmare affected Indirectly by the changed
interests. Mo«t »« t^m are a ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^

conditions which the ^««'™*="°° , fl^es are of Immediate

TO all -°;;^--,nrrve y d^ructwe of game. As the

ramr«re orcIreTess^Portsmen are amon. the most Prol.flc
camp iirj ^ ^Q i^^o^ that they are

srr; JaC S owntterests. and. what t-<r shoot,„,

r^rc^used to .nu: t'ey woJd see this for themselves^ Jn
^^^^ causea B rtpgtroying flames in the spring and sum-

^" ra'y\eSrnr^frrrUUalns of many -oodln. h.rds

Tna youn. .ame animals. Is It too "'»f^^*°^J'°jf;^J\^\, ,te
knowledge of this will prompt some of them to have a utie
^ore care about the fires they build and a little less Ind ffer-
eTce t^the r^sslble re.ult. of leaving them unextinguished
when they break camp?"

An examination of ninety reports, on fr^me destrnc-

tion, received, chiefly from lumbermen, by my colleague

• and loral frioncl. l>r. L T. Hotbrorl<, shows an immon«e

loss of properly as well as great destruction of animal
life. These fires not only consume different kinds of
birds and other wild animals, but domestic fowls — tur-
keys especially — occasionally lose their lives by them.
The Oommissio'ner of Forestry, under the direction of
Secretary Edge, in July, 1896, sent out a circular mak
ing inquiry as to the extent of damage done by the
forest fires which took i>lace as previously stated in
>ray and June of last year. The information given on
destruction in the succeeding paragraph is a summary
of what was sent by those who kindly and promptly re
nponded to the"fire circular." These reports came from
twenty counties and they represent about one-half of
the counties of the Commonwealth which suffered from
the ruinous conflagrations which occasioned fully one
million dollars loss. Of the ninety correspondents all
but six testify to great damage of pheasants or Ruffed
Grouse, which in this State nest habitually on the
ground. Next in the list we find "rabbits" mentioned
by Mty contributors as having been destroycnl; 41, tur
keys (wild or domestic): 18, squirrels of different kinds;
14, quails; 9, other birds; 12, eggs and *\. deer.

FOR THE COMMONWEALTH S WEAL.

The preceding paragraphs on bird-slaughter, the mat-
ter relating to forest fires and the loss occasioned by
them to animal-life, together with the two or tliree
pages that briefly show the enormous amount of loss
annually incurred from insect enemies, although some-
what foreign to the subject matter of this book, havo
nevertheless indirectly an important connection with
the interests of the agriculturist and poultry raiser.

There are about 212,000 farms in rennsylvania, ani
probably every one of fhe individuals who residc^s on a

3-11

"1I

. extent in raising

domestic fowls. Th « be ug .^^.^.^^^^^ farmer's ad
importance, not only toi J ^^^ Common

vantage, but for tb^/7,7;„j7ieLade to correct th.
wealth, that every effort should be ^^ ^^^^^.^.^^

popular prejudice >-»?'^'^ J^ f ^^^red and feathered
against diiferent spec.es of oui f"" ^ ^

tenants.

WII.I. SUFFER FOB OUR BI.UNDEKS.

u , „b af urooer knowledge, as to the
However, the lackj piope ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^,,

true economic ^^.^^^^^"^ ;\ a.,icuUural people, as
„o means, restricted o th. a. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^

,.as been repeatedly ^^'^^^ f ^ ^, ^een placed, by

on several «<=«^«;°°«' ^^\7„ w

officials (no doubt well ™««" "^^ ^ffo^ts to educate

■'"^-•"-^^- ^".rdiSenl ' Ses of .he natural
the masses in ainert-m

sciences. ,„„,i,.,h »re manifest now, and in

The fruits of such blunl.H..e

,ea..s to follow ^ey -" J- - ^,^, ,,„., of the
I^borni,^ ui de ^ n u^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^,^ p,.^,„^^

most serviceable bu as too „ ,,,,„us an.l

"- '''•'''■•*'^;!%:^:er;h;;ra.e r^^^^ --^ -"- ^r

"^'^ *'' • T; : < b nls ..-.i. s, .bi-h an. sum.i..nU.v

'■"■" '"■ "' 'n the ^ a e to io serious damage to domes^
numerous in he State u» ^^^^^ ^^^^.^^ ^f

tic fowls and P;"- 2 whollv on different forms
..aptorinl birds ";;' f^''^ ^^^J„gi,. unknown to the
of noxious lnsec^hfe ,s - ^^ ^^^^^ ^.^^^

v-reat majority, and as a u.i ^^^„

;yed feathered ^-^^^f^^e ^tlnrki-foll^-
.est as «^r^;»^^\^P«;f;/„^rw?ich1'>- an insect diet.
The smaller ^^^'^'''^^^1^^,^,,^ bv scalp hunters
have, likewise, been hunte.l as ea). . .

"for the benefit of agriculture and for the protection of
game, within this Commonwealth,"* as that powerful
night-prowling poultry and game thief, the Great
Horned Owl. .■'': ■: • i ■ •;*>;-.-.■

* *• .

»*.

V ./.-*.

., TURKEY BUZZARDS SLAIN. .

Turkey Buzzards which subsist almost exclusively on
oarrian, and which because of their great worth as
scavengers are carefully protected in southorn States
by stringent laws and strong public sentiment, have
been wantonly destroyed as they were believed to be
"bad on chickens and young turkeys." Probably if
the facts were known the "heads and ears'' of these
dead vultures were worth at the office of some justice
of the peace — a man, perhaps, locally famous for his
profound knowledge of legal lore — fifty cents each to
the scalp hunter. In addition to the fifty cents bounty,
the wise (?) justice of the peace received twenty or
twenty-five cents for his services, but the elector in
whose presence "were burned," the "head and ears" of
the "bold, bad" buzzard, whose alleged deeds of rapine
had brought sorrow into numerous poultry yards and
many dollars loss to the owners thereof, got nothing for
his signature and trouble, unless, of course, he, and tb'.^
slayer of the predatory (?) bird had some private under-
standing not contemplated by the act of Assembly.

NIGHT HAWKS AND WHIP-POOR-KILLS KILLED.

These practical, blood-thirsty manifestations of ig-
norance and love of pecuniary gain, have not, by any
means, been confined to the noble and ignoble birds
n.f prey, and their nocturnal relatives, the owl. Night
hawks and Whip-poor-wills, birds that subsist upon
winged insects of most harmful habits, have been de-

♦Fn»m st'cHon 1 of "Scalp Act.'* approved .Timf 2S. 1885

36

u V tln,n'e8 One county commissionor,
«troyed a« po« .• '>oe . ^^^^^ of Uis wisdon. pru
thrice elected to the omc ^^ ^1,^ paying of

dential and <Honomical way «, «an ^^^ ^^^^.^

bounties for «'Sl^*awk s head. ^^.^^ ^^ ^^^^

sioner's attention was ea"ed to^>» ^ ^^^^^^^ ,j,,
payments he claimed ^^ J^-^J,^,,,,, ^^ would not
"blamed bird must be a navv

„uve been named as it x^'-^s ^^^ ^^^.^^^ «,„

Although the framer of tbt act ^_^ ^^^ ^^.^^^^^^^
be paid for every baw^flft ce , ^ ^^^^^ ^
,„ean to include "'gl^tha'. U pi ^ ^^^.^ .^^.^^,^^

to pay for them was «\"^ '> f "^.^^ i,„portance . f
aen'onstrated to the wn^i he gua ^^V^^^^^ ^^,^^

:;;r;7;;S rSa^ >^ ^^ t. appena^on "night-
hawk."

SHRIKES AND WEASELS. -^

„„.„ captured ...> -A »„„:,!'„„,„ ,.e «cat.;,r
f,„- premiums in sevcio ^^ ,.j^j„|^ „„,)

hawks. 1>»- ^- ^'^''^

Washington, T». C, says: ^^^ ^^^

..Tnere are Uvo Kinds o£ wea.o.s n t,. a ^^^ ^^ ^^,

..aUer U.na feeds ^"^'^"^^ Y^^^ralso preys n,a,n,y on mic-.
known to kill poultry. The 'a'-ser ^^^ ^^^ p„„,tr> .

-, r^ts but in addition sometimes Kins occasional

and rats, dui ,,,-„/i, of the farmers, tor tne octa

Both species are friends of t ^^^^^ compared w tl>

,o.s of a few chickens '^^^'^^^l^„,,,r.ny doinK In checKinK
the good that these animals aie c

the increase of mice." added to fnrthsr

.^<"""»"»' "!""": ;:;:::r„n, .,.,., '^

37

general uiiderslaiiHiiig of the economic relations of
birds, mammals and insects, and the important bearing
such facts have, so far as the farmer and poulterer are
concerned, but time and space do not permit.

CONTAINS AN ABUNDANCE OF INSTRUCTIVE DATA.

Part II of this volume has been prepared in a manner
which, it is believed, will prove in future .years, tha^
the money exi>ended for its publication has ueen well
spent. If this document reaches the farmers, for
whose especial use it has been written, and its pages
are carefully perused, they (or many of them) can be
enlightened in various directions. In addition to the
author's careful field observations, he has quoted freely
from numerous publications of the best naturalists^
as W(*ll as from written communications of hundreds of
intelligent and observant farmers and other persons
throughout this Commonwealth.

i «

.. FOOLISH AND EXPENSIVE LEGISLATION..

Prior to the passage of the famous and odious
bounty act of June 23, 1885, which provided for the
payment of bounties for the destruction of various
kinds of beneficial animals, clothed either in fur or
feathers, as well as some few species of both birds
and mammals, which investigations of economic
zoologists have shown to be detrimental to the game
and poultry interests, hawks and owls were much moie
numerous, both in the summer and winter seasons,
than they have been since this "Scalp act*' was in force.

A SERIOUS BLUNDER.

...■'•••■ ' . . .

The payment of nearly ninety thousand dollars in a
period of less than two years by our citizens for the
heads of hawks and owls was unquestionably a serious

li

}

i

3«

blunder aiid uue whicb ha* be«u Ibe iudiie.l ca..«e of
bluudei, aiiu o ,ij;,ieuliural interests ol

very couBiderable losb lo nie .ife ..,,,,.

our Ooimuou wealth. . - ^ • ■_• a •:-■-

DON T ADVOCATE UNWISE BOUNTY ACTS. '

Ourine the past ten or twelve years a large number

bMs ana 0th...- anl.nal., whl.h it wa. very g«oetaU,
':^;„°ea .uWsted ..m«.t whoU, ou p.aU.^ and |a-
..f Hiffprent varieties. Acts or Assemuij ^ , ,.

;Ln were passed and it was soon demonstrated after

hTy were i active operation, that the loss occasioned
b/ the killing of beneficial animals was much more

harmful than otherwise.

BIRDS OF PREY AS A CLASS BENEFICIAU

The note books of the writer who was author.i^d a
few yeafs since by Secretary Thomas J. Edge to m-
- ve^grte the economic status of the raptonal birds
"r whose luckless "heads and ears" a P-"-'";;;^^^
.cuts each was paid, show that of about 500 of these
b rds whose decapitated bodies were obtained from
justie- of the peace and magistrates, o-^J" ?>»^; j'
little less than one-seventh, were ^e "ment;,l kinds^ •
cooper's Hawk, 25; Sharp shinned Hawk ^^^JT'^'^
Horned Owl 13; Uarred Owl. 10; Duck Hawk. 2.
pTg^n Ha^ks, 2; and Goshawk, 1. :^^^
were species which post-morten -^--^^^^J^p^^,
demonstrated were of immense value to aid in keeping
tXck the prolific and destructive field mice a« well
;; several kinds of insects which do great injury to
cnltlvated crops.

3U

"^ ONLY FIVE WERE DETRIMENTAL SPECIES

lu a period of two davs the writer obtained from ont-
olticial fifty-two hawks and owls which had been
killed by two hunters in a week's time on the Brandy
wine meadows near the borough of West Chester, Pa.
In this lot were three Cooper's Hawks, one Sharp
shinned Hawk and a Great Horned Owl, or a total of
five birds, which subsist largely on poultry, small wild
birds and game. The remaining forty-seven birds were
all of the beneficial group, namely: Screech, Short-
eared, and Long-eared Owls, Red-tailed, Red-shoul
dered. Sparrow and Rough-legged Hawks.

NAILED ON BARNS.

During the winter of 1895 and '96 in traveling ovej
the State attending Farmer's Institutes, a record was
made of the birds of prey and the remains of other
animals to be seen nailed ou bams and other out
buildings and here it is:

BENEFICIAL.

Hawks.

Sparrow, 3.
Red-tailed, 21.
Red-shouldered, t>.
Rough-legged, 3.

Owla.

Short-eared, 9.
Long-eaied, 7.
Barn, 2.
Screech, 6.
Saw whet. 1.

DETRIMENTAL.

Hawks.

Cooper's, 2.
Sharp-shinned, 9.
Goshawk, 2.
Pigeon, 1.

Owls.

Great-Horned, 5,
Barred, 2.
Snowv, 1.

^

||!

40

Ml

iB.I:

OTHER BIRDS, ETC. • ' ^ " ' -'

I, additio. to the hawks and owls l-^^-";-)-^^;^
tho two preceding columns, the remains of the fol

hanging to the sides of barns, sheds, &c. .

Crows, 16.

Great Blue Heron, 4.
Blue Jay, 2.
Pish Hawk. 2.
Kingfisher, 1.
Green Heron, 4.
Foxes, 2.
Raccoons, 5.

Korthern Raven, 1. ,

Great Bittern, 2.

Grebes, 2. , . . . -

Night Hawk, 2.

Night Heron, 3.

Black Bear (Skulls or

paws), 8. - .

Woodchucks, 2.

||

Downy and Hairy Wood- Squirrels, 27

pecLr9,T. Pileated woodpecker, 1.

King Bird, 1. - Opossum, 3.

INCREASE OF DESTRUCTIVE RODENTS.

■ The marked scarcity in grass f ^'^^ »"f ^^f/J
lands during tlie winter season (-^-^J^ ^^ ^^if^./;, >
merlv were most numerous in the farmmg distucts
of R^d taUed. Ued-shouldered, Rough-legged and fepar-
; w haSs, and the Long-eared and Short-eared owl,
or several years past, has been the cause c.f conside.-
"le comment among thoughtful and intelligent fan.
ers who attribute the appreciable increase in hordes
ot rav nous field or meadow mice to the wholesah>
slaughter, as carried on under the Scalp act of ISS.,,
of their natural enemies, the hawks and owls.

VULTURES. EAGLES, HAWKS AND OWLS.

The following list embraces the rapacious bird,
.vhich are attributed to the fauna of IVnnsylvan .
T),is list includes species which occur here during all

41

seasons of the year, as well as those known as migrants
and "stragglers:"

THE BUZZARDS, EAGLES AND HAWKS.

Turkey Buzzard (Cathartes aura).

Bald Eagrle (ffaliceetuft leucocephaltis.) .. ,

Red-tailed Hawk {Buteo borealis).

Broad-winced Hawk {Buteo latissimvs).

Marsh Hawk (Circus hudsonius).

Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius).

Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus).

Cooper's Hawk {Accipiter cooperi).

Sharp-shinned Hawk {Accipiter velox).

Duck Hawk {Falco per egrinus anatum).

Osprey {Pandion halicetus carolinensis).

Red-shouldered Hawk {Buteo lineatus).

Golden Eag"le {Aquila chrysaetos).

Pig*eon Hawk {Falco columbarius),

American Rouch-le^i'Ofed Hawk {Archibuteo lagopus

sancti-johannis).
Mississippi Kite {letinia mississippiensis).
Swallow-tailed Kite {Elanoides forficatus).
Black Vulture (Catharista atrata).

The twelve first mentioned of the eighteen birds
named in the above column breed regularly in the
S^tate. Of these, some, for example, the Turkey Buz-
zard, Goshawk and Bald Eagle, are restricted to a
few localities or to certain sections of the Common
wealth, yet, nevertheless, they annually rear their
families within our borders.

The rest of this group, with, possibly, the exception
of the daring and little dove-eating Pigeon Hawk
{Falco columbariua), which, it is asserted, breeds occa-
sionally in certain of our remote and higher moun-
tainous districts, occur in Pennsylvania only, as mi
3» -II

r

I

42

j^panta, winter sojouruers or extralimitauts, i. e., birds
which have wandered far from their nsnal ji^eo graphical
range.

THE OWLS.

Great Homed Owl {Bubo virginianus).

Barred Owl {Syrnium nebulosum).

Barn Owl (Strix pratimola).

Screech Owl (Megascope asio).

Long-eared Owl (Asio wihonianus).

Saw-whet Owl {Nyctala acadica),^

Short-eared Owl {Asio accipitrinus).

Snowy Owl {Nyctea nyctea).

Great Gray Owl {Scotiaptex cinerea).

American Hawk Owl {Surnia ulula caparoch).

Of this list of owls the six species hrst named in thr
preceding column are common residents (i. e., are found
during all months of the year) in Pennsylvania. Audu-
bon once found the Short-eared Owl nesting in thin
State, and, probably, the species may still breed in
some secluded situations within the Keystone bounda
ries. The three remaining species of this owl-group
come to us at irregular intervals in winter time from
the dreary, cold and barren boreal wilds.

Few, if any. of the common and native birds are
better known to people in general than are certain of
these birds of prey, some of which are rather common
at all times or during some period of the year, in almost
every section of the State.

These raptorial birds are, with the few exceptions
previously noted, serviceable rather than detrimental
and their presence about our farm land should be
encouraged. There is unquestionably a strong preju-
dice in the minds of many citizens of both the city
und conntry flistriets aginst not onlv hawks and owls.

43

but al«o numerous other kinds of birds and mammals
which are friends rather than enemies of the farmers
and fruit-growers. To correct these popular and mis-
taken notions is highly essential. The Department of
Agriculture is now engaged in collecting reliable data
through competent scientific specialists and otherwise,
which when published cannot fail to be of great value
as it will show beyond all possible doubt what species
f>f birds and mammals are beneficial or harmful. Inves-
tigations in this line, however, are necessarily slow
as large numbers of birds and quadrupeds must be
collected in the field and the contents of their stom-
achs examined most carefully before positive conclu-
sions can be safely arrived at as to their true economic
relations.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF BOUNTIES.

In the early part of February of this present year the
Board of Game Commissioners distributed several
thousand circulars soliciting, by a series of questions,
information on different subjects relating to game, the
seasons for taking the same, violations of game laws, '^
etc. Among these queries the following concerning
bounties and the animals on which such premiums
should or should not, in the opinion of the corre-
spondent, be paid, appeared :

"Do you favor the paying of bounties for the killing of birds
and other animals which destroy g-ame and fish?"

"What species of hawks, owls and other wild animals do
you think should be placed on the bounty list?"

These circulars were mailed to State Grange offi-
cials and all subordinate granges in the State; a num-
ber of Farmer's clubs; to the various organiz^ations em-'
bracing the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Associa
tion, and to the numerous names of representative

44

farnieis aud sportsmen which aiipeared on lists that
the members of the Senate and House had Idndly seM
the Game Commission. .

At the jiresent writing', May 20, 1897, about 2,000 re-
plies have been received at the office of the Game
Commission. An examination of these answers on t^e
l)ounty subject reveals that, on an averaj,^e, about
twenty persons to a county made a reply, pro or con.
Two answers were received from one county, seven
from a second, and ten came in from a third; with these
and perhaps a few other exceptions, the answers
returned from the counties, ran in about the following
proportions: Adams, :;0; Ih'adford, 22; Ch<^ster, 25;
Delaware, 10; Erie, 27; Fulton, 20; Clearfield, 2:5;
(^rawford 35; Sullivan, 22; Mifflin, 20; Lancaster, 25;
Luy.erne, :)0; Westmoreland, 28; Lehigh, .'^o; North
ampton, *'>7, and Tioga, 37.

The i)ercentage, however, in favor of bounties, as
Hhown by the following columns of iigures, is v(»ry
gr(»at, and in view of this sentiment it is not at all
surprising that a bounty act recently passed the
House of Representatives with but few negative votes:

REPORTS OF COUNTIES.

Pfrctntafje lyrcenttifff

'•-'"^^ j,Zf,. srJX.

Adams, .TT7T77. t)0 10

Allegheny 84J 15i

Armst rong 75^ 24J

H(>aver 75 25

Uedford, 100 0

Uerks 75 25

Blair ^^ 9

Bradford, S^ m

nucks 80 20

•> ". .^
45

^^^^^^'y V. . . '. . . /. . ../...,, saj

(Cambria, i^^^

Cameron, | q^

^arbon,^ :......:..... 100

Ontre, YOii

Chester, gQ

Clarion, _: 9^

ClearHeld, ^qq

Clinton, j^

Columbia, gg

Crawford, ^^i

Cumberland, jj^^q

Dauphin ' ^j.^

Delaware, ^^

j;^^" ':'::::::::::::: 85^

'^^^^^^ 75

Fayette, j^

^'^'•^^^^ ••• .'.' 100

Franklin, ^^^

^'^^^^^^" 100

^'i*t^(*ne, g^

Huntingdon, q^

l^^liuna, ^or

•lencrson, ^^

'luniata, ^'

Lackawanna ^^^j^

Lancaster o^

^ Jio

l^awrence, ^^

Lebanon ^JJ^

\'^'''^^' y^'''y.y.y. 78*

^^n-M^vno j^^^

I;^^?'^^^^^ ''.y'.\ im

11'^^'-''' 100

y^'*^^^ 90

•^^^^- 98

0

0
0

0
20

Hi

0
24
11
501

0
12!

;u»

14^

-•-^ ..

.*^o

.0
0

10 .

5.
Hi
15

1

0

4
75

0
2lf

7*

0

0

10
o

t

4«

Monroe, ^^ ' '' ^*

Montgomery, »'^* ^^*'

Montour, ^^ ^

Northampton, ^"^^

Northumberland, ^^ ^

Perry, • •• 100 ^ 0

Philadelphia, ^31 161

Pike, 100 0

Potter, ^^ ^^

Schuylkill, 100 0

Snyder, 100 0

Somei^set 100 0^

Sullivan, ^^ l^'*

Susquehanna, ^^S •^^i

Tioga, 80i 191

Union, 100 J)

Venango, ^^ -^

Warren, ^2 18

Washington ^^* ^^*

Wayne, 03 37

Westmoreland, 85f 14^

Wyoming, 1^^ ^

York, 70 30

By these answers it will be seen that from twenty
three counties not a negative reply on the bounty ques
tion was returned. In this connection, however, It
should be stated that over one hundred circulars, a
Qumber of which contained much interesting, and, in
some cases, very valuable data, were received at the
oflBce of the Game Commission, with no names to indi
cate who had sent them. Such anonymous communi-
oations, as in well-regulated newspaper offices, were
oonsigned to the waste basket.

The counties, with few exceptions, from which over

4?

ninety per cent, of the answers are in favor of bouu
ties, have considerable woodland and mountainouh
territory or wildland, where the predatory animals
are usually much more numerous than in well settled
farming districts. Only two counties — Crawford and
Lawrence — show a majority of answers in opposition
to bounties. The citizens of Crawford county during
the active enforcement of the odious Scalp act of 1885,
paid in a period of about two years about ^10,000, three-
fourths of which, it is reliably stated, was for **hawks
and owls.'' This expenditure of the county funds
created a strong feeling against such laws, as it is as
serted that much of this money was obtained for skins
of red squirrels and chipmunks which were called
"minks'' and ^'weasels" and by divers other sharp prac-
tices successfully employed to fool officials who were
unable to recognize "heads" and "ears" of the genuine
or pseudo kinds offeredby the scalp-hunters or ingenious
scalp-maker. As nearly all districts along the border
lines of the State were made the dumping grounds to
pay tribute for the victims of scalp-hunters in neigh
boring States, it is likely that on account of such
practices the greater portion of the negative replies
(75 per cent.) were sent from Lawrence countv.

THEY FAVOR KILLING ALL HAWKS AND OWLS.

A careful examination of the answers favoring .m
bounty on birds shows, I regret to say, that not over
ttfty, of fully 1,300 persons, seem to be able to distin
guish the beneficial from the harmful species of hawks
and owls, and as a result of this want of knowled;;v
or perhaps it may have been, and no doubt was, so far
as some individuals were concerned, carelessness, an
overwhelming number of replies say, '^bounty on all
hawks and owls."

II

\

48

40

START A CAMPAIGN OF POPULAR EDUCATION.

Here again we have another striking example of tUd
urgent necessity for Pennsylvania to begin, not in
coining years when our beneficial feathered friends
are wiped out of existence, but NOW, a campaign of
popular education which will correct erroneous ideas
so generally cultivated about the raptorial birds as
well as many other wild animals.

Since going over the bounty data from all counties, I
feel it to be a public duty to prepare a report on these
sorely abused birds which will enable every fair-
minded individual who comes into possession of this
document to be able to readily distinguish every spe-
cies of the raptorial bird-kind credited to the fauna
of the grand old Keystone Commonwealth.

NO MORE CHICKENS' HEADS FOR HAWKS.

If bounty laws are desired by the citizens of Penn-
sylvania, of course they will probably be enacted, and
if county oiticials are, in the discharge of their duties,
called upon to determine the names of heads of differ-
ent kinds of birds and other animals, they should sure-
ly have some guide to aid them in arriving at proper
(conclusions. To meet such an emergency, the conclud-
ing chapter in this work has been prepared. This
chapter will certainly enable any justice of the peace,
county commissioner or magistrate to recognize all
animals' heads which are likely to be presented for
bounty. The heads of chickens, turkeys, grouse, Eng-
lish Sparrows and other birds, pieces of worn-out
buffalo robes, the skins of colts and mules should
never, in future days, be the media of depleting coun-
ties' exchequers as they have in former years.

*■ ''■'< tf.

•*r ■• • • ■■

\.

, *r V. .

■•>

> i

CHAPTER II.

rE8TIM0NY FROM FULLY ONE THOUSAND OB

. SERVERS.

Estimates Given by Hundreds of Pa'^mbbs and Poul-
try RviSBRS AS TO THE MONEY LosS ANNUALLY In

curbed to the Poultry Interests of Pennsylvania
Through Depredations of Predatory Animals.
What Several Hundred Sportsmen Say op the
Poultry-Devouring Birds and Quadrupeds Which
They Have Found in Their Rambles Through For-
est, Field and Marsh. Numerous Notes and Opin-
ions Concerning the Crow from Farmers and
Poulterers.

This chapter is one of especial value, as it is made
up entirely of observations of practical farmers, poul-
try-raisers, and sportsmen, who, from many years' ob-
servation, are qualified to speak with accuracy con-
cerning the good and bad habits of animals which de-
stroy poultry, game and song birds, or, on the other
hand, those which protect the farmers' crops.

These answers show, most conclusively, that there
are certain birds, as well as other animals, which are
a source of great loss annually to both agricultural
and game interests. It is, however, unfortunate that
80 small a number of the correspondents, who so kind
ly took the trouble to respond to queries sent them
by the Game Commission and the Zoologist, mem-
tioned by name the hawks and owls, which had been
observed committing the numerous acts of violence
4--TT

I

I

5U

oited. These recordB would have been much uior^
valuable had such instructive data beeu added, and 1
am quite confident they would have proven that the
culprits, in the vast majority of cases, were one or the
other of the following species:

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Pigeon Hawk,

Cooper's Hawk, Great' Horned Owl,

Goshawk, barred Owl.

Duck Hawk,
The failure to particularize the birds of prey by
their common names, is due, in many instances, to o,
lack of proper information concerning these grievously
persecuted birds. As there can be little doubt on
this score it certainly is high time that the State of
Pennsylvania, if prompted by no other reason than
that of economy, should give wide circulation to this
and other popular reports dealing in a plain way,
with the economic relations of our wild animals, many
of which are rapidly disappearing as civilization ad-
vances.

For many years the people of the Keystone Oom
uionwealth gave no attention whatever to the forestry
question and the result has been the loss of millions of
dollars. However, in the last five or six years the
great importance of this much neglected subject,
through the indefatigable efforts of our able, and etti
cient Commissioner of Forestry, Dr. Jos. T. Rothrock,
the members of the Pennsylvania State Forestry
Association, assisted by the wise approvals of Govern
ors, Robert E. Pattison and Daniel H. Hastings, has
become apparent and a strong public sentiment in be-
half of forest restoration and protection is the result.
In this connection it should be stated that the For-
estry lej?islation jjninod up to this point is merely pre-
paratory to the work pro]>er. It provides the ba«lH

51

and gives encouragement by which the citizen and the
State tnay work together toward a common end.

It is sincerely hoped that this judicious work of pop .
ular education will not be restricted to Forestry, but
will expand widely and embrace the field of Zoology.
What would a forest be without its happy, vivacious
host of sweet-voiced choristers and other tenants
which keep in check the hidden insect enemies?

Year by year the extermination of animal-life goes
steadily on, yet no systematic efforts are made to coun-
teract the unjust prejudices entertained by the masses.
If the beneficial birds and mammals, which subsist al-
most entirely on detrimental forms of insect-life, con-
tinues for a few more years, as it has in the past fif-
teen, crops can only be cultivated with the greatest
amount of labor and expense. Even now, in many
parts of this State, and the same is true of almost
every other State in the Union, numerous crops could
not be grown to maturity and profit, if it were not
for the liberal use of insecticides which modern econ-
omic entomological science has contributed to aid in
staying the destruction which man, through ignor-
ance, has brought about by disturbing nature's bal

The total loss of crops in some regions has been
carefully investigated and found to be chiefly due to
the destruction of insectivorous birds.

It is not, of course, expected that farmers, poulter-
ers and sportsmen should be asked to protect the
harmful raptorial birds, which are fully described on
succeeding pages, but it is important, in numerous
ways, that they should have a better general knowl-
edge of many of these birds, which they now destrov
on all occasions, under the belief that they are doing
service, rather than harm, to the poultry, game and
n^ricultnral interests.

!^

I

52

WHAT FARMEES SAY ABOUT THE LOSS

OF POULTRY.

ESTIMATES OF 1>AMAGE BY HAWKS, OWLS

AND MAMMALS.

Farmers and poultry raisers throughout the State
responded as follows to a question sent out by the
Zoologist and which reads:

"IC you are engaged in raising poultry, please state about
what money loss you sustain annually from depredations of
animals, such as minks, wildcats, weasels, foxes, hawks, owls,
rats, etc."

ADAMS COUNTY.

C. L. LONGSDORF, Flora Dale:

Never lose any, as my poultry are securely locked In a
comfortable house at night.

Ij. M. LIGHTY, East Berlin:

1 was engaged largely and never lost worth mentioning, ex-
cept by rats. They would sometimes kill chicks. All the
other so-called enemies above mentioned never destroyed one
dollar's worth for me.

l)U. C. E. GOLDSBOROUGH, Hunterstown:

I do not think it would amount to more than ten dollars;
chiefly from hawks and crows.

J. V. GARRETTSON, Flora Dale:

Very diflicult to estimate. Considerable annual loss from
foxes, rats and hawks. Hawks are the most destructive
birds we have on poultry, and unless the fowls are verj
carefully protected our yearly loss is heavy.

PETER THORN, Gettysburg:
Think from five to ten dollars would be within the limit.

ROBERT H. CURRENS, Gettysburg:
Hard to tell, but the crows are the worat.

53

W. H. BLACK, Flora Dale:

We mise about tlve hundred chickens annually. As we

use vermin proof coops, we lose few from night depredators.

Foxes, one dollar; hawks, five dollars; hawks and owls

likely "pay their way."

■ . , " ■ • ■ ». , • "_ , ' . , , ■

J. M. BUSHMAN, Gettysburg:

My loss in poultry is at least fifty dollars a year from
hawks, rats and weasels.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

J. S. BURNS, Clinton:

Our loss is usually from hawks and crows, and is done when
the chickens are small; would amount to perhaps four or
five dollars per annum.

'• ■■- ^ . • '. • ;. : , ,-. . • : v.- .

ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

D. W. LAWSON, Dayton:

Our losses are comparatively small .from above named
animals— say from five to eight dollars per annum. As a
rule, rats and crows are the most destructive; have but few
foxes and owls in my vicinity. z. z.. .

G. A. NEIDJ^E, I*arker Landing:

Have been troubled more from rats than any other animal
some seasons have lost eight to ten dollars in chicks.

• BEAVER COUNTY.

HON. IRA F. MANSFIELD, Beaver:

We lose annually from above named from twenty-flve to
fifty dollars. Would place average loss two dollars to every
farm in Beaver county. On my farm we keep flock of about
two hundred chicken.s— Leghorns and Plymouth Rocks.

JEREMIAH BRITTAIN, New Galilee:

Loss would not amount to over ten dollars annually; prin-
cipally from hawks and rats.

I

BEDFORD COUNTY.

J. W. SMITH, Yellow Creek:

Cannot give estimate, but my neighbors and I lose con
siderable; mostly from minks, foxes and hawks.

DAVID HOLDERBAUM. Bedford:
A few by rats.

BERKS COUNTY.

FRED. B. HOSSLER. Hamburg:
At least fifty dollars' worth.

M

S4

OLIVER D. 9CHOCK. Hamburg:
Rats and cats destroy ten dollars* worth annually.

A. H. ADAMS, Jacksonwald: • "

I have lost as high as twenty-flve dollars' worth a year
and as low as five dollars, or an average of fifteen dollars.

A. M. YOUNG, Womelsdorf:
Five dollars, through rats.

BLAIR COUNTY.

HON. GEORGE M. PATTERSON, Williamsburg:

Thirty dollars; mostly by hawks. Crows take many turkey
eggs, and some chickens and young turkeys.

FRED JACKEL, Hollidaysburg:

Have never lost chickens by foxes or wildcats; a few by
rats, through carelessness; a few ducklings by crows; chicks
by hawks.

J. W. BRACKEN, Hollidaysburg:

I live in town and have some poultry. The only loss sus-
tained is from rats taking the young.

BRADFORD COUNTY.

•^^

A. McCABE, North Rome:

T have inquired among the farmers who raise poultry, and
they say they lose nearly forty per cent, every year from the
above named animals.

C. S. DAVIS, Allis Hollow:

Breed high class poultry. Lost twenty dollars' worth of
turkeys year before last. Last year about fifteen dollars by
foxes and hawks.

JACOB L. BALL. Litchfield:
Twenty dollars on turkeys and ten dollars on chickens.

H. CHAMPLIN, Orwell:

I am raising some poultry each year. Several years ago
was troubled some with rats among the young chickens; later,
and. the last pest, was skunks. For the past four years no
loss from any animal depredations.

A. E. HAMILTON, Potterville:

Protect my poultry by wire netting, and have no loss.
Those who do not' use this protection occasionally lose all
their poultry by minks, skunks and foxes. Turkeys suffer
mostly by foxes.

55

. BUCKS COUNTY.

HON. H. W. RICE, Lumberville:

About the only damage done was by blue Jays eating eggs
of hens, and also the eggs of different kinds of wild birds.

JAMES L. BRANSON, Langhorne:

Our cats keep away the rats, but will dine on chickens for
a change.

IJON. EASTBURN REEDER, New Hope:
Ten dollars; rats, crows and hawks.

JACOB CLEMENS, Doylestown:

We raise from two to three hundred chickens; the loss ftom
the above would be very low; about five per cent.

HARRY S. WALTON, Hartsville:

I would think at least per year, about twenty dollars; prob-
ably more. Hawks are the principal depredators.

WILLIAM SMITH, Richboro:

Not troubled with anything but rats, and not much with
them. A few cats will keep them scarce.

H. W. COMFORT, Fallsington:
By care in shooting crows we lose but few.

ASHER MATTISON. New Hope:
.\bout five dollars' worth. ' -

BUTLER COUNTY.

EDWIN RAMSEY. Evans City:
Our loss does not exceed ten dollars per year.

W. H. H. RIDDLE, Esq.. Butler:

I raise fancy poultry, but have no trouble with any of
the pests you mention.

J. H. FAUBEL, Butler:
About fifty dollars. I raise several thousan-d annually.

R. G. GILFILLAN, Butler:
Damage sustained from hawks^ about two dollars.

ISAAC H. CHRISTIE, Hooker:
About five dollars.

CAMBRIA COUNTY.

DR. P. J. MANCHER. Carrolltown:

^jl^lnT,^"^^^^"* In poultry raising. b„t know that the dam-
age and losses .sustained by those in that business runs into
thousands of dollars annually by reason nf hawk, mink fox

56

€tc. Hope the members from Cambria county will suppc»rt tiie
scalp bill. Have written them to that effect.

V. P. SANKER, Cresson:

I raise about one hundred dollars' worth of young poultry
in connection with my farm. By strict account last year I
lost seven dollars and sixty cents from minks and two dollars
and forty cents from rats and skunks. Weasels do not
trouble my poultry when they can get rats and mice and the
9ame is true of owls and crows, which I regard as my
friends. Foxes are plentiful, but they live on rabbits prin-
cipally.
JOSEPH A. GRAY, Carrolltown:

An average of sixteen dollars.

M. F. FARRPIN, Ebensburg:

T.OSS from foxes, from twelve to fifteen doHars; from hawks,
fully five dollars.

P. J. DIETRICK, Carrolltown:

About fifteen dollars. There should be a bounty on foxes,
hawks, owls, etc. , •

WM. FRED. PIERSON, Dysart:

Twenty-five per cent, lost by minks; four per cent, by hawks;
about two per cent, in eggs, from rats and five per cent,
in young chickens.

LEIGHTON ROWLAND. Vetera:
One or two dollars' worth.

CENTRE COUNTY.

MRH. LOTTIE K. KELLER, Centre Hall:
On an average about fifteen dollars.

JACOB SHARER. Centre Hall:

I live near the mountains where these depredators arc
plentiful. I lose annually about fifteen dollars.

MISS EDITH M. SANKEY, Potters Mills:

Minks, none; weasels, none, foxes, none; hawks, about two
dollars, owls, none; rats average five dollars; crows do us
more damage.

HON. LEONARD RHONE, Centre Hall:
From three to f^ve dollars, at least.

M. L. RISHEL, Farmer's Mills:

About four dollars; mostly from hawks.

WILLIAM H MILLER. Secretary Grange 109, Belief on te:

Have one hundred and forty-one chicks. There are a few
crows to c«»ntend with, and our loss is small.

U

CARBON COUNTY.

GEORGE T. AVELLS, Rockport:
Thirty dollars.

CHESTER COUNTY.

EDWARD NORRIS, West Chester:

Do not raise enough to make any difference, although
crows seem the most annoying to the young chicks.

SAMUEL MARSHALL, West Chester:
Lose some chickens from rats and a very few from crows.

JOHN L. BALDERSTON, Kennett Square:

I did lose seventy-five dollars' worth per year until I took
effective measures to protect the half-grown birds.

HARRY WILSON, Gum Tree:

The Sharp-shinned Hawk does the most damage. One pair
in nesting period will take about fifty to seventy-five chicks,
of two and a-half to five dollars' value. Crows, likewise, very
rapacious.

JAMES B. KEECH, Tweedale:

Eternal vigilance is the price or cost of poultry with us.
Foxes and hawks cause us the most loss. We lose, I believe,
annually twenty-five dollars' worth.

R. H. HODGSON, New London: . -

1 lose anually more than fifty dollars, principally by rats;
they become numerous periodically; foxes are hard on turkeys.

JOSEPH. S. WALTON, Ercildoun:
Twenty dollars' worth by minks.

EDWARD T. INGRAM, West Chester:

Formerly a few by foxes; some small on«*s and eggs by
crow.^.

I. FRANK CHANDLER, Toughkenamon:
Very few, indeed.

FRANK L. BURNS, Berwyn:
Less than one dollar; generally rats.

JOHN H. HICKS, Avondale:
About ten dollars' worth last year (1896) by crows.

AUGUSTUS BROSIUS, Avondale:
Raise hut few; am not troubled In any way suggests. 1

&8

59

CLARION COUNTY

•- ' -Cf

FRANK KEL.U Klngsville: *

Hawks, two dollars; rats, one dollar. Individually, hawks
are a great pest in this county. . - ' '

D. C. KERR. Kingsville:

I sustain a loss from above named animals of twenty dol-
lars annually; principally from "bn.wn hawks."

JAMES C. OGDEN, Umestone:

Estimated loss, chickens, twenty dollars; turkeys, ten dol-
Irs; ducks, five dollars.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

JOHN S. JURY, Butment:

We have lost two large turkeys in the last year by owls,
and not less than twenty dollars' worth of poultry every year
by foxes. We live on the river hills, sixteen miles below
Clearfield.

HENRY DOTTS. Glen Hope:

Last year lost twelve turkeys, one-third grown, by a weasel
1 lose by hawks, weasels, polecats, etc. A fair average for each
year would be fifteen dollars.

JOHN W. LEONARD, Anson ville:

Our losses are chiefly from skunks, and have been from ten
dollars to fifteen dollars per year during the past four years.

PHILIP DOTTS, Glen Hope:

Our loss is not less than five to ten dollars per year, prin-
cipally from hawks, weasels and foxes.

A. JUDSON SMITH, New Millport:

In the past year have only lost by skunks; they troubled
me considerably, but after losing a few dollars' worth 1
succeeded in shutting them out. Hawks, weasels and minks
destroy quite a number of chickens in this neighborhood an-
nually.

R. P. KESTER, Grampian:

Minks, hawks and skunks are the most destructive agents
to chicken raising in our locality. I keep my poultry well
guarded, so sustain little loss.

THOMAS SHIPLEY, Clearfield:

I had no loss last year. I keep a good fox hound in my
enclosure, a good cat in the bam and a good gun close at
hand, which accounts for It.

HARRISON STRAW. Kerrmoor:

\Vf raisp some poultry; about ten or iweJvtt dollar!* worth,

mostly by hawks, skunks and weasels. The rabbit does much
damage to farmers in this section. The repeal of the law pro-
tecting the rabbit would be a great benefit to farmers in
this locality.

S. SAMUEL HALL, McGee's Mills: - . : ,

We lose an occasional chicken by hawks. - •

CLINTON COUNTY.

L. M. CASTETTER, Greenburr:

I can hardly give an accurate estimate as to money loss
annually sustained. I can, however, give you some idea of
what money it does cost me to keep these animals from my
property, and the best way to do this I find as follows: I
feed and pay taxes for three good fox hounds, and have about
twenty-five or thirty traps, and kill them, but to do this is
expensive. I also lose some poultry, but not so much, as I
keep on the watch for these animals. My loss is greatest from
the otter, mink, muskrat and 'coon. They are hard on my
trout, especially in the winter when ice forms over the ponds
and streams. There should certainly be something done to ex-
terminate them, the otter particularly, for he does great
damage to the trout, as they spawn in the fall when the
water is low and are easily caught. It costs me not less than
fifty dollars, annually, to protect my poultry, trout, etc.

DAVID MAPES, Beech Creek:
Between five and ten dollars annually.

OOLUMBHA COUNTY.

HON. W. T. CREASY, Catawlssa:

From thirty to forty dollars' worth are lo»t from hawks.
Crows do some mischief, but nothing in comparison to
hawks.

R. G. F. KSIIINKA, Berwick:

From hawks and owls the loss would probably amount to
two dollars per annum. Since keeping collie dogs have lost
no poultry by minks, weasels and foxes. Before my losses
amounted to from fifteen to twenty-five dollars per annum
from these animals.

A. P. YOUNG, Millville:

Minks, weasels, foxes, owls and rats do very little damage
Last year we lost probably ten dollars' worth of young
chickens and turkeys from hawks and crows; most of it is
chargeable to crows.

J. P. WELSH. Bloomsburg:

I am part owner of a poultry farm eight miles distant
LOSS per year as above, about two dollars. Have special
prot<H-tlon from rats and all nocturnal marauders

r^

l:^ I

(H)

61

THOMAS SEABORNE, Newlin:

Last year from minks, five per cent.; from rats, two per
cent.; hawks, none; foxes, none, and weasels one per cent.

HON. EDWARD M. TEWKSBURY, Catawissa:

Lose but little poultry. Hawks are somewhat troublesome;
king birds keep hawks from our premises.

CKAVVFORD COUNTY.

MRS. J. R. HEAD, Saegerstown;

The average poultry raiser probably loses two or three
dollars' worth by hawks and a few more than that by rats.
Do not believe that crows will take fowls; it is only imagina-
tion by those who say so, and that those supposed to be
taken by crows are taken by hawks which the crows pursuc».

HON. C. A. STRANAHAN, Spartansburg:

From twenty to fifty dollars. In our locality the loss is
mostly from hawks, owls and rats.

LUTHER GATES & SON, Beaver Centre:

Have considerable poultry; rats do most damage; next hawks,
then owls; a little from weasels. Think ten dollars won hi
cover our loss.

HON. J. B. PHELPS, Conneautville:

Hawks and rats destroy the most poultry; rats are the
worst. Amount destroyed at least five dollars per year.

SAMUEL A. MILLER, Linesville: . •

Minks, one per cent.; weasels, one per cent.; hawks, thirteen
per cent.; owls, twelve per cent.; rats, twelve per cent.

I. B. BIDDLE, Saegerstown:
From six to ten dollars' worth by hawks, owls and rats.

W. H. SEWARD, Rundell:
Three dollars.

JAMES TURNER, Meadville:
Five dollars' worth.

H. J. TOWER, Beaver Center:

I am not extensively engaged in the business and meet with
scarcely any loss except by rats, perhaps from two and ;i
half to five per cent.

F. H. POTTER, Steamburg:
Only a small loss and that from hawks and owls.

F. L. LORD, Conneautville:

Some of my neighbors have lost nine-tenths of spring hatches
from hawks and rats.

'CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

HENRY S. RUPP, Shiremanstown:
Probably five dollars' worth.

ELK COUNTY.

W. H. JOHNSON, Benezette:

I keep from thirty to fifty fowls. SometimfF hawks take a
few — one to five dollars' worth per year.

X - ERIE COUNTY.

R0BP:RT dill. North East:
Twenty-five dollars worth from rats and hawks.

H. F. ARNOLD, Corry:

My loss is about five dollars from hawks per year.

A. A. HAMMOND, Corry:

I live on the flats of French Creek and keep one hundred
and fifty hens. Depredations have not been over five dollars.
Rats are not the worst things to fight.

F. E. FP::NT0N, North East:
Once in a while one by hawk or rat.

H. C. HAYES, Godard:

Greatest loss is from rats; would say about twenty-five
per cent. Crows do less damage than any of the animals
named. Crows take some eggs, but they do more good than
harm, and, like the skunks, destroy lots of mice and insects.

FAY^ETTE COUNTY.

LOUIS F. ARENSBERG, M. D., Heistersburg:

We lose about half of our poultry through foxes' depreda-
tions, and a few by hawks. Cannot raise any turkeys on
account of foxes. Wo raise between three and four hundred
chickens per year. Am unable to give estimate of money loss
incurred annually.

HON. GEORGE W\ CAMPBELL, Normalville:

I sustain a loss of i)robably twenty dollars annually. Hun-
dreds of dollars are lost every year In our township from these
animals.

WILLIAM W. PARSHALL. Unlontown:
Probably about ten dollars, by either minks or weasels.

J. J. STURGIS. Morris Cross Roads:

This depends largely upon location, as to your remoteness
from creeks, rivers, mountains, etc. With me the percentage

11

|ii

62

of loss Is quite low. owing to remotenpss, as above noted.
Five per cent, will cover all loss. ,. . -. . . ^ ^s

JESSE O. ALL.EN, Uniontown:

Raised poultry for six years. No loss from minks, weasels
foxes, hawks or owls, as there are none in our section. Lost
four or five per cent, by rats.

«

FOREST COUNTY.

SAMUEL. D. IRWIN, Tionesta:

Lost none myself; have an average flock of twenty chickens
each year; neighbors have lost on edge of town. Foxes come
down from their homes in rocks and kill chickens occasionally;
hawks kill small chicks every season; would say that the an-
nual damage in Tionesta borough, at low valuation, is one
hundred dollars; country districts much larger, of course.

FRANKLIN COUNTY.

HON. W. W. BRITTON, Upper Strasburg:

Not worth mentioning; rats are about the only depredators
that annoy us,

H. B. CRAIG, Welsh Run:

I farm and raise some poultry, but do not make it a special
business. I would place my loss from above enemies at about
fifteen dollars.

FULTON COUNTY.

W. L. MORELEY, Well's Tannery:

We lose about half of our young poultry by rats, skunks,
owls, minks and eats; about fifty dollars' worth annually.

D. W. CROMER, Fort Littleton:

Am not engaged in poultry business, but the above named
are very destructive to doipestic fowls and game In woods.

GEORGE LEHMAN, Lashley:

We keep about one hundred hens; also several turkeys.
Our money loss last year was about seven dollars, mostly from
hawks. Our neighbors have sustained heavy losses. I consider
the hawk a most destructive bird on poultry. In winter hawks
will destroy whole flocks of quail.

W. C. BAUMGARDEN, Well's Tannery:

■ I lose a great deal each season; about ten to fifteen dollars'
worth. Hope scalp bill will pass.

JOSEPH DARLTON, Warfordsburg:

Last year three dollars' worth of chickens by skunks anJ!
six dollars* worth of turkeys and settings of eggs by foxes.

n« i^

PETER MOSTON. Pleasant Ridge:

Some in the vicinity lose considerable by hawks and foxes.
My loss is small; will not exceed one dollar and. a half.

ii Ci .. f. i. «,'

GREENE COUNTY.

B. F. HERRINGTON, Waynesburg:

About two and a half dollars. There are 2,926 farmers in
the county, and I think the average loss per farm would be,
at a very low and conservative estimate, two dollars each.

J. A. HAPEL, Waynesburg:

Hawks destroy about twenty-five dollars' worth of my
poultry every year.

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

GEORGE S. APPLEBY, Decorum:

I believe that ten per cent, of all the poultry owned and
raised during any year Is destroyed by the above named, but
hawks are the most destructive to young poultry.

MILES BECK, Warrior's Mark:

Would average from five to ten dollars yearly: all done by
hawks and foxes.

JOHN D. EN YE ART, Shirleysburg:

Fifteen dollars; hawks are the worst; crows are also very
bad.

J. PETER SNYDER. Huntingdon:

Would estimate my loss from above mentioned causes from
twelve to fifteen dollars.

W. M. BENSON. Huntingdon:

Crows do serious damage by stealing eggs and taking the
young of domestic fowls. They very frequently catch and de-
stroy young chickens even more than the hawks. When hens
nest out of doors the crows hunt for and feed on the eggs
The premium should be raised on hawks, minks, weasels
foxes, owls, etc., to double what it is. Few persons think
it worth while to bother looking after such for the mean
paltry sum paid them i^or their trouble.' Destroy the English
Sparrow.

GEORGE W. OWENS, Birmingham:

Minks, foxes and wildcats are not numerous here and do us
little damage; rats are sometimes very destructive; crows
take some; one kind of hawk takes many and owls a few

64

r-. .'^w' *"

INDIANA COUNTY. ^

JOSEPH MOOKHEAD, Blairsville: ' ' ./

Keep one hundred hens within l)oroug:h liniils; lost some ten^
dollars' worth by rats and cats last three years. Others have
had greater losses. . ...

P. M. HODGE, Blairsville:

Five dollars from rats and skunks on two farms with which
I am connected. One near woodland of some extent.

J. K. BASH, Cookport:
About ten dollars annually.

W. P. LEAM, Cookport:
A^bout five dollars anually.

GEORGE HENRY, Cookport:
About five and a half dollars.

PETER LEAM, Cookport:
Five dollars.

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

EMMA C. McGAREY, Stanton:
Have no trouble with any of the above named.

R. M. CORBITT, Corsica:

Our losses from the above named animals have been very
slight in the last few years.

JOHN H. JOHNS, Brookville:
We lose a good many by hawks.

JUNIATA COUNTY.

W. H. KROUSE, Swales:

No loss last year other than a few turkeys killed, presum-
ably by foxes, and a number of little chicks by rats and hawks.
Amount of damage, possibly five dollars.

WILLIAM A. THOMAS. Mittlintown:
About ten dollars' worth.

DENNY M. M.\RSHALL. Walnut:
Five dollars.

WELLLNGTOX SMITH. Mlfflintown:
Very little; not over five dollars.

H. C. HOAVET, Miflaintown:
In (he neighborhood of thirty dollars per year.

65

G. S. LUKENS. East Salem:
About ten dollars' worth annually.

J. W. MILLIKIN, Honey Grove:

I am engaged in raising poultry and lose a great deal every
year by the above.

SAMUEL SCHLEYD, East Salem:
Four dollars.

* . - • •

J. T. AILMAN, Thompsontown:
Very little; possibly some from hawks and rats.

WILLIAM P. BELL, Reed's Gap:
About five dollars.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

F. L. BENJAMIN, Kiircr t>:

About one year ago I commenced to raise poultry on a
small scale. Have suffered no loss from the above nam<*d
animals to my knowledge.

MICHAEL FOLEY, Mount Cobb:

We are not in the busine.ss very extensively, but lose on an
average about ten dolJar.<?' worth.

LANCASTER COUNTY.

JOHN H. EPPLER, Ellzabethtown:

While farming my loss probably was twenty dollars everv

^?*^" . ^^^^ *" *°^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^"^ fe^ and have no loss other
than from rats, \vhioh we destroy as soon as we know of thoir
presence.

M. BROWN, Wakefield.

From three to four dollars' worth; mostly from minks foxes
and opossums.

WILLIAM M. MAULE, Collins:

Our loss has been light of late years; probably has not ex-
ceeded ten dollars from foxes, minks, etc.

JOHN KREADY, Mt. Joy:
My loss is a few dollars; have my poultry confined generally.

HON. JOHN. H. LANDIS, Millersville:
I lose about ten dollars per year from rats.

J. G. RUSH. West Willow:
Rats and hawks destroy a good deal.

5 TT

1

f

66

LAWRENCE COUNTY.

LEE McCOMB. HlllsvlUe: vear bv

My 1088 would amount to about twenty dolla.s per year by

weasels, hawks, owls and rats.

/ i.

HON A. L. MARTIN, Enon Valley:
My'll P*r year would not be less than «ve dollars.

JOHN MONTGOMERY, Planegrove: ^ ,,,„

we suffer more from the depredations of the ground hog
and rats than all the others put together.

LEBANON COUNTY.

I <3 HOFFMAN, Schaefferstown:

Hawks owls and rats probably destroy fully ten per cent,
of my poultry annually.

Tbo^ut^nrr-ce^rfrrTa-ts. weasels and long-t.iled
hawks.

F R0MBP:RGER, Lickdale:

The most destructive of the above named are the hawk and
the crow; cannot tell loss.

I S. LONG. Richland:
NO loss from foxes, minks or wildcats: some from hawks.

LUZERNE COUNTY.

D K. LAUBACH. Falrmount Springs: , .uot

We generally lose about on^-half or three-quarters that

J^^fnhld One year we had forty-five turkeys killed

H ' «^nimars We weighed one that was killed and it weighed

Y ^n,?id« They were all killed in one day but fifteen, the
i^d ^hen anilng the killed. This was done by a weasel.

My neighbor Sid twenty-seven little chicks carried off by

small hawks one morning.

THOMAS O. ROBERTS, Freeland:

I breed fancy chickens worth ten dollars a pair. Weasel
killed ill one night twenty-one chickens and one duck. My
neighbor. Lewis Young, lost by a weasel in three nights
flfty-six common chickens. He killed the weasel.

LEWIS H. KOCHER. Ruggles: ^

My anual loss is not more than five dollars.

F. F. MORRIS. Dallas:

There are some minks, weasels and skunks, but the bulk
of the damage sustained by me results from rats and an
overproduction of cats. Annual loss, two dollars.

h

67

DAVID J. LINSKILU Plymouth:
We Io8€ some by rats and house cats.

P. SUTTON, Exeter:

Lose some by skunks; crows occasionally take eggs and
young chickens. When a mink or weasel gets into a hen house
he cleans out the whole "kit."

LYOOMING COUNTY.

HON. JOHN W. KING, Fairfield Center;

It Is impossible to give you the exact figures, but would
place my loss at not less than ten dollars per annum. - —

J. P. VANDINE, Lairdsville: ->. '^

Yes, twenty-five dollars would not cover loss by minks
hawks, owls and skunks during last year.

A. C. HENRY. Hughesville:

Yes, by rats more than any other; some loss Joy hawks, but
m the vicinity of Hughesville. Pa., there is very little loss.

PETER REEDER. Hughesville:
Losses are small; raise but little poultry.

JACOB HEIM. Hepburn:

Have never kept any account, but we lose some ev&ry
year.

McKEAl^ COUNTY.

C. W. DICKINSON, Norwich:

Flock of about forty on an average. I lose about two dol-
lars worth of chickens annually; shut up poultry at nieht
so am not bothered with owls and foxes.

BURDETTE DICKINSON. Colegrove:

Do not raise poultry, but farmers in this vicinity lose from
kUlin^ ^^'"^ ^^^ ^ ^^'^ dollars annually. Hawks do most of the

N. H. PARKER. Gardeau:

f^L^u^^ ^^''^^ ^}}^^ protect my fowls from foxes and minks-

rouX'e\ infZnl '^"" '^"""'"^'"'^ "•°"' "^ -"^''S°"

t

MERCER COUNTY.

ROBERT McKEE, Mercer:
Ten per cent.

R. K. RAKER. Sandy Lake:
About two dollars.

68

i

JOHN P. ORR, Mercer. ^„^.^

Uon't know of ever losing a ohicken fn-m all^
cauBos; only raise about fifty a year. ••

MIFFLIN COUNTY.

H A. SPANOGLE, LewlBtOwn:

l,aat year uboul six dollars' worth by rats.
ANDREW SPANOGLE, Lewlstown:

perhaps eight or ten dollars; mostly by m.nks a.ul rats.

HON. GRUBEU H^BEU.. I-w'stown^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^_^^_^^^

Not many, but the above nevei
and hawks on young chicks.

and hawks.

Tr^Tj^ A PAMPBP^LL, Belleville:

JOHN A. K^Amror.^^ , , ,, „ t^,,* the exuense and

. -birorg^uartt-'agaln^t ff^ sku!^!:^ a^^the &g horne„

owl is considerably more.

MONROE COUNTY.

I iiTHER MICHAEL, Shawnee:
M^losses by hawks and owls are ten dollars yearly.

TOWNSKND PRICE, Canadensis:
M^ annual loss would average not less than ten dollars.

wov R F SCHWARZ, Analomink:

^a;e lost none for some years, as I have wire yard nea,

house and keep dogs.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

GEORGE W. RIGHTER. Abrams:
Ten dollars; mostly rats and crows.

WILLIAM W. POTTS. Swedeland:

T raise about one hundred chickens «^^\j;^f ,?;"^ % "2
lose any. I tie the hens to a box and shut them up at

night.

E. M. TYSON, King of Prussia:

Crows are especially destructive of young poultry and turkey
eggfj; cannot estimate the amount.

09

MONTOUR COUNTY.

ELLA V. i-^lTLEK, Ottawa:

From depredations of hawks and crows, about Ave dollars;
minks, weasels, owls and rats, about ten dollars, and we only
raise poultry on the farm to a small extent.

W. M. GEARHART, Danville:

About ten dollars. An opossum destroyed twenty dollar.*;'
worth in 1895.

W. D. SIEINBACH, Limtstoneville:
Comparatively none.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY.

A. L. SHIMER, Redington:
Crows and hawks ten dollars,

R. O. RITTER, Hanoverville:
About ten dollars' worth.

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

J.* O. GIFFEN, Montandon:

Last year we lost a great many young chicks by rats -ah.. -it
three hundred, I should judge.

S. H. DEAN, Mt. Carmel:
About thirty dollars, chiefly from rats.

D. G. MOYER, Greenbrier:

I lose about fifty dollars' worth a year, or nearly one-half
of all I raise.

C. M. SLEAR, Northumberland:
About ten dollars' worth, chiefly by hawks, owls and

K^ I \J VV o«

A. G. MARR, Shamokin:

The only loss I sustain in that line is through, the depreda-
tions of humnn animals. Some scamps last Saturday j-iol-
the last two that were left.

JOHN C. FOULK, Schuyler:

Have no loss from hawks or any cause, but hear my neigh-
bors complain a good deal about losing poultry by hawks.

PERRY COUNTY.

SII^S WRIGHT. Reward:
Estimated ten dollars' worth

IV

70

D. K1STL.ER, Kistler:

My loss is trifling. We keep our poultry in ^l^se houses at
night, but the average loss to our farmers can be put down at
five or ten dollars each.
MILTON KSHELMAN, Newport:

None. We are close to town.
K. M. ALEXANDER, New Bloomfteld:

Our loss is chiefly from rats and cats; f^^;'^^l^^^^^Z'
lose twenty-five or thirty chickens in a year from visits of rats,
cats and hawks.

PHILADELPHIA COUNTY.

HON SAMUEL CROTHERS, 1407 Filbert street, Philadelphia:
When I w»s a boy my trust was to watch the P"""^- '^^^
Red-tailed Hawlc used to carry away a good many young
turkeys, etc.

The crow also took some.

PIKE COUNTY.

NELSON DEWITT. Rowland:

ATirnrir.ofo anf\ rfl^ooons are the worst enemies of the feathered
tr^e My loss i'^mon^ey from them can easily be estimate^ on
an a^ei^ge af ten dollars per year; some years it runs as high ap
twenty dollars. Wildcats also kill young deer and around
iwlrnDs are very destructive of rabbits and pheasants. My
opiXn on foxes'^ destroying pheasants would be (taking into
^deration eggs and young which they destroy), fifty pheas-
ants per year, for each fox.

HON. LAFAYF.TTE ROWLAND, Rowland:

All thf' abov? are destructive; wildcats and raccoons are also
noxious ^and should be exterminated (even if we admit that
Noah had them along in his ride). When the female fox has
her young she not only preys on domestic poultry, but eais
eggs; also young and old birds. Foxes destroy thousands of
pheasants here annually. My money loss in poultry annually
Is fully five dollars.

JUSTIN NILES, Edgemere:

I had in the woods of my vicinity a pheasant's nest and was
waiting for a bantam hen to be ready to take the eggs.
When I sent yesterday for the eggs there was nothing left
of the nest but a bunch of feathers. A fox had made a meal
of the whole.

POTTER COUNTY.

SAMT^EL HAVEN GLASSMIRE. Coudersport:

Skunks are my worst enemies. My fowls suffer from ibnii
Invasions to the extent of about ten dollars annually.

"j-i.^w ;■

'■" '-"- ' '- "^->

71

E. O. AUSTIN, Austin: " '

Occasionally had chickens caught by hawks and owls.
Probably two dollars annually.

CHARLES FRAUB, Germania:

Our community is troubled mostly by foxes and hawks.
The money loss I cannot tell.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

A. F. KIMMEL, Orwlgsburg:
Lose annually fifty dollars.

W. H. STOUT, Pine Grove:

Had a few ducks destroyed by minks, and used the ducks
to destroy the minks.

SNYDER COUNTY.

HENRY NOY£:S, Salem:

Not engaged largely in raising poultry,
about twenty-five dollars annually.

Think our loss is

SOMERSET COUNTY.

.lEREMIAH S. MILLER, Husband:

At prices we get would say about fivr tn .-Ight dnjlars'
worth, by hawks, crows and minks.

PETER MILLER, Somerset:

Keep les? than a hundred fowls; lose probably twenty ppr
cent, of the raising by minks and hawks.

DR. H. D. MOORE, New Lexington:

I raise poultry on a small scale. I have never lost any
poultry except by skunks, and none by them for several year.s
past. I guard against them by raising the coops over a foot
from the ground.

SULLIVAN COUNTY.

i.i^nl^^^^^, ^^^^'^ ^P^" ^' ^^^'^' was received from Mr. M .7
Inn i^ni ^''''^^ y^u^r* «"»^^'an county. Pa. He says: "I hope
Hn^ K ^^ "i^^^ ^''^.^'^^^ "''"• ^- ^'- Jennings to get a bill put-
ting a bounty on hawks, as they are very destructive to our
young poultry. They will dive right down In the yard and take
our chickens, turkeys and ducks. Weasels and foxes do the
same, and they destroy the young of quail, and the phea.sant
and other birds and their eggs. We would have plenty of quail
and pheasants around our fields and woods If these depredators
were exterminated. I think the bounty should be fifty cents
j'ach on hawks. wea.sel8 and owls, and foxes, one dollar- then
lots of people would hunt them. '

There Is a bounty now on foxes, and there are some men who

^

72

hunt them but we sufter greatly fruin these animals About
an the rcome a man derives now from his farm is from his
rows and poultry. We lost greatly last year from poultry-
dertroyrng an^m^Js. and our neighbors have suffered as we do
From the visits of foxes, hawlcs and weasels We lo«e ten dol-
lars or more annually. Try and help us out. Don t forget
the weasel as he robs the nest of the quail and the pheasant.

JOHN C. WITSON, Sonestown:

Foxes, one dollar: minks, one dollar and a half; hawks, one
dollar.

T. S. SIMMONS, Sonestown:

I raise considerable poultry and lose from ten to twenty
dollars' worth every year, principally by mmks, hawks,
weasels and owls.

L. B. SPEAKER, Hillsgrove:

Weasels, none; depredations of minks, eight per cent.; foxes,
six per cent.; hawks, three per cent.; owls, one per cent.

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.

E. A. WESTON and E. L. WESTON, Brooklyn:

Sometimes none, sometimes considerable, according to other
food supplies for these depredators; say ten dollars on an
average.

DR. H. A. TINGLE Y, Susquehanna:
Not a dollar.

TIOGA COUNTY.

M. SORNBERGER, Jobs Corners:

I do not make a business of raising poultry, but hawks
and crows take about twenty per cent, of the young of what
I do have. .

D. S. DOUGHERTY, Austinburg:

Only raise a small amount of poultry. Insect parasites and
tame cats are more destructive to my poultry than the ani-
mals (which destroy about five dollars' worth annuilly)
named in the postal you sent me.

W. H. WHITING, Wellsboro:
About ten per cent, of stock (young) from skunks.

A. J. DOAN, East Chatham:

I am engaged in raising poultry in a small way; lose a few
chickens. They are taken by hawks and rats.

C. L. HOYT, Elkland:

The above commit very few depredations in this neighbor-
hood, but gangs of hoys and young men (so-called) steal and

"roast" chickens and turkeys from farmers. In some cases
this loss is from three to five dollars each. This is a fad with
a class, and we would shoot them, but are asleep. ,-

f. ' « - ■

r : r - UNION COUNTY.

JOHN A. CAMPBELL, Belleville: ' •

Perhaps five dollars, but the expense and trouble of guarding

against foxes, skunks and the big horned owl is considerably

more.

GEORGE E. LONG, Lewisburg:

I have never lost any poultry by anything but rats and
disease.

J. A. GUNDY. Lewisburg:
Think very few; mostly young birds.

WARREN COUNTY.

WALTER M. SHULER, Warren:

I lose some poultry every year; chiefly from hawks.
N. P. MORRISON, Tidloute:

u^^^^°^ ^^*^® poultry to a very great extent; only about
a hundred per year. Loss does not exceed five dollars.

W. B. HALE, Ackley Station:
About ten per cent.

CLINTON MILLER, Tidioute;

From two to five dollars' worth, mostly from hawks and

owls.

p. N. ROBINSON, Scofleld:

^JJL^I^^^ ^^ hawks; probably ten or twelve small chicks
during the spnng and summer. I am not In favor of bounties-
the boys will kill them just the same. oounues,

W. W. WILSON, Ackley Station:

I do not lose any to speak of; not a dollar's worth In five

«n7ootii^'^^J^^''^ ""^ ^"^^^ ^ ^^^""^ ^« ^'•^ws stealing eggs^
and catching the young of domestic fowls. I think the crow

VJl" ^n^'"""' ""^^ ''^^ ^^^ * ^^^ "^'"^•'' The crow and
the English Sparrow are both useful birds.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

JULIUS LEMOYNE, Washington:

I keep flock of about one hundred chickens. Think the
?rZXwk^. ^"""^"^ """.^ "^^^ ^''^^^'^ "^^ ^^'**'*«' "'^'^t of that

PHKSSLY LEECH. Bulger:
Froni twenty to twenty-five dollars worth

74

75

. WAYNE COUNTY.

TtllZ'lZ- ^^^^T.'r.^on..^. estimate of dama.e
troublesome.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

mostly from

M. K. LAIRD. Uvermore:

Loss during past year about two dollars;
hawks.
T. RUTH, Scottdale:

Four dollars, by hawks.

WYOMING COUNTY.

N P STERLING. Meshoppen:

About five dollars, and that mostly from rats; we can
^ard against other animals by housing.

NELLIE LOVE, Meshoppen:
Minks, five dollars; skunks, two dollars.

W. N. REYNOLDS, Tunkhannock:

Am not in the business, but from inquiry learn that the
loss is greater from hawks than any other source.

YORK COUNTY.

HON. GERARD C BROWN. Yorkana:

Perhaps twenty dollars per year; chickens, ducks and
turkeys.
JAMES G. PATTERSON. Stewartstown:

More than fifty dollars annually.

H. S. TYSON, York:

Hawks should be destroyed, as they devour much poultry
and game.

SAMUEL SMALE, York:
Lose some from depredations of hawks.

OTHER STATES.

R. B. & C. H. DAYTON, Remsenburg. Suffolk county. N. Y..

Principal loss by rats; one hundred to one hundred and fifty

dollars r«st1mflted) annually. Sliprht loss by hawks, minks and

opossums. Crows do good service in attacking and driving
away hawks, doing more good than harm.

N. p. HARRY, Whiteford. Hartford county, Md.: "f^-.-^

About ten or fifteen dollars yearly from minks, hawks and
skunks. Mr. Harry adds as a foot-note: "This and the other
questions you sent were submitted to the Pen Mar Farmers'
Club, and the answers given fairly express the individual
opinions of nearly all its members, as well as my own."

OBSERVATIONS OF FARMERS AND SPORTS-

MEN.

"Please give, if you can from personal observation, Instances
of where game, fish, poultry or song birds have been destroyed,
and also name kind of animal committing the depredation."

In reply to this request, the following answers were received
at the office of the Game Commission:

ADAMS COUNTY.

E. D. STOVER, Cashtown:

„n1^®n^^^^® and foxes kill off the quail in winter. Skunks
will kill more rabbits than the hunters. These animals destroy
much poultry. "*

H. J. LEREW, Blglersville:

w^^fl 'Iv'J^^ *^ destroyed by hawks, owls, crows, minks,
weasels, skunks, wild cats and foxes.

SAMUEL HALL, Trust:

th^°wilZ«f"?«i^"'^' ^^ '''^" ^« ^^^ «^"8^ ^»^^«' suffer from
owls ' ^""^ ^""^^ squirrels, weasels, hawks and

AARON SCHLOSSER. Arendtsville:

,.^^ff ^^^^*^5"*\ ^^ ^ ^^*8^^'^ character are committed in our
poultry yards by foxes, minks, weasels, hawks a^d owls

J. P. TAYLOR, Arendtsville:

T Yi'^^ ^ ^*? ^"fiting on South Mountain this winter r96^
l!o^.Zri^^ ^^l^^^^ ^*^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ caught and kilLd by
fo'^'^y 5u"^VmTnl^a'\"l^r '\^' '^' "^^" ^^^"-^^ ^--"^1 ^l

WILLIAM BUSHMAN. Gettysburg:

Have seen poultry, game and song birds destrnv
crow, different speoiPs of hawks, minks and vveasH^

f

ed by the

76

JAMES BILLINGER. ^'^''^^^ !_ >;',^"'''"f ' ^een killed by owls

anrLX Hre SrJ^^^"^ -- -<> -' -'■
grown pheasants, etc. .ii • ' ■■'"« ■^;

J. W. EICHHOLTZ. ^^^^f "^^= ,,^,,„ depredations in the

WnvP seen hawks commit conb.aerauit uci^*
po"ftry ^rd, catch quail and other birds. , ,»,o

S. McECHOLTZ, Arendtsvllle:

nest of eggs.

'7 TTPTON Bifflersville: ,

hawk, owl. skunk and crow.

H F YOUNG, Gettysburg;

Hawks, owls, minks, weasels and skunks are a menace to ou,
poultry, game and song birds.

JAMES LAURKR. Cashtown:

Have seen poultry, pheasants and rabbits destroyed by
foxes, hawks and owls.

J CALVIN THOMAS, Arendtsvllle:
'Manv such depredations to poultry and game have been
brought tS my observation, but space will not permit me to
narrate the'ii.

C. A. REBERT, Cashtown:
Deer by dogs.

JOHN R. BITTINGER, Hanover:

All along the mountain regions generally these animals com-
mit considerable depredations upon poultry and game.

I.. H. MEALS, Gettysburg:

[ have known a weasel to kill whole nests of rabbits in urn
night or day, also kill the old ones. Have shot hawks in the
act of catching quail, larks and chickens.

- * " -

ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

J. L. HKLU. Neale:
Minks, weasels, skunks, foxes, crows and others.

?

77

WILLIAM CROSBY, Leechburg:
Red or pine squirrels and weasel.

DR. L. W. SCHNATTERLY, Freeport:

I know personally of foxes, minks and weasels destroying
our game birds and game, and the polecat and ground hog
destroying the eggs and nests of pheasants and quail.

DR. C. JESSUP. Klttannlng:

Hawks are the most destructive on poultry, pheasants and
quail, killing many; have caught them in the act. Foxes are
also very destructive.

W. K. COLBER, Leechburg:

I have personally known of instances where the chicken
hawk, bird hawk, hoot owl, weasel, mink, skunk and fox have
destroyed poultry, game and song birds. The skunk destroys
the eggs of pheasants and quail.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

JESSE B. JONES, Pittsburg:

Foxes are destructive to poultry and game. I know of two
men who trapped from 25 to 30 foxes each year. They got
75 cents bounty and from 75 cents to $1.0() for the hide. They
went to considerable trouble and baited the traps with a whole
chicken. After the bounty was taken off they stopped trapping.

D. P. CORWIN, Pittsburg:
Snakes destroy a great many birds whjch nest on the ground.

GU STAVE A. LINK, Pittsburg:

I have only seen the hawk destroy Song Sparrow and Wood
Thrush.

J. W. HAGUE, Pittsburg:

Hawks killing song and game birds, owls with rabbits and
have known weasels to kill chickens.

BUCKS COUNTY.

SETH Walton, New Hope:

Hawks, weasels and minks destroy many chickens and
pigeons.

H. H. RAN ATT, Pipersville:

Have seen crows take my chickens and minks catch mv
ducks.

A. J. SNYDER, Plumsteadville:

Have seen poultry taken by large and small or pigeon hawk-
also saw hawk catch quail.

HARRY S. WALTON, Hartsville:

Poultry is largely destroyed by hawks and crows, and thev
destroy many small wild birds. ^

m

«

,*.

78

PRANK E. HESTON, Rushland:
The chicken hawk commfts great depredations. -

THOMAS SCOTT, Bristol:

Some Italians of this county are given credit for shooting
warblers, robins, catbirds, or anything that will go In a pot.

ARTHUR CHAPMAN, Doylestown:

Instances are so numerous of such depredations that there
is not room to particularize.

LEWIS H. CLEMENS, Doylestown:

The worst enemy the song bird has is the crow, who eats
the eggs and the small birds when hatched; will destroy a
whole nest. I have opened j^oung crows and found the stom-
achs contained the feet of small birds, especially robins.

A. S. WEAVER, Hartsville:

Foxes and hawks commit numberless depredations on poul-
try and wild birds.

BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHARLES B. TAYLOR, Alba:
Skunks, weasels, minks.

J. F. AMMERMAN, Saco:

In this section the hen hawk destroys a large amount of
poultry.

ASYLUM GRANGE, Diivall:

Have noticed instances where grouse and quail have been
killed by foxes and owls. Domestic fowls are also often killed
by these and other wild animals.

A. J. STACY, Leona:

The chicken hawk and crow steal young chickens, and rob the
nests of birds soon after they hatch.

W. F, DITTRICH, Towanda:

Have seen hawks, skunks and the house cat destroy poultry,
birds, etc.

W. W. McCAIN, Stevensville:

The occurrences are too frequent to admit of details. I have
personal knowledge of many hawks, owls, skunks, weasels,
minks, foxes, 'coons all do their share.

JAMES A. HAWTHORNE, Windfall:

Have known the hawk, mink and weasel to destroy poultry,
etc.

C. B. WHIPPLE, LeRoy:

I have seen where foxes, weasels, minks, hawks and owls
have caught poultry, pheasants and weasels.

#1

*. - ^ >.

71)

D. F. LEWIS, Gillett: ~

Mink destroy quail. I have caught the fox with pheasant and
rabbit, the weasel with rabbit and the owl with rabbit.

J. H. HAMAKER, Editor Daily and Weekly News, Athena:

Have seen foxes' tracks in the snow, in two instances, where
they led to the remains of ruffed grouse.

GEORGE C. CORNELL, Col., Cross Roads:

Have seen poultry destroyed by hawks and skunks; birds by
hawks and crows, and ground birds by skunks and snakes.

J. BENSON WRIGHT, East Canton:

I, on one occasion, followed a wildcat who dug up and ate
two whole rabbits, rabbits that he evidently had killed and
burled some time before.

S. W. CLARK, LeRoy:

Have seen hawks catching chickens, catbirds, robbing birds*
nests and weasel killing rabbits.

N. A. WELLS, Wyalusing:

From tracks in the snow I have seen where foxes had
pounced on rabbits and on grouse; have also seen hawks eat
grouse.

THEO. PIERCE, Canton: ,

I have seen where foxes have eaten pheasants or grouse.

BUTLER COUNTY.

W. WATSON, Sarversvllle:
Foxes have made depredations on poultry. •

C. B. McFARLAN, Argentine:

Have seen crows robbing the nests of song birds and quail;
have known them to rob nest with eighteen eggs in it.

L. A. SCOTT, Sarversvllle:

Hawks kill large amount of quail; the mink and oth^'V an-
imals kill rabbits^

J. C. SNYDER. West Liberty:

I have seen the fox kill poultry many times and carry th<
same away. Weasels will kill a whole nest of young birds.

F. D. COLBERT and Others, Butler:

The chicken hawk has been the greatest destroyer in my
observation. Have frequently seen them catch quail and song
birds. "*

ROBERT McBRIDE, McCandless:

The chicken hawk is the worst enemy we have tn our r»')ul-
try and song birds. I have also seen the Sparrow Hawk fau*.
a small bird on the wing. ^ ^^^^

fl

so

#<

i

BEAVER COUNTY.

WILLIAM M. BOYLK. New Brighton. ^ _ .^

Have seen quail and other sman birds caught by hawks.

W N McNAIR, Beaver Falls: * , ^^

CWcken hawks, large owls, the fox. minks and weasels de-
stroy poultry, game and song biras.

J. A. SNYDER, Beaver Falls: '

I have seen the large chicken hawk catch and kill quail.

A H. CLARKE, New Brighton: . , .

Poultry game and song birds are destroyed by minks rats,
foxes" s'ifunlfswea'LelB snakes and the common house cat.

BLAIR COUNTY.

W F TAPPAN, Altoona:

Have seen blue hawk attack and kill Pheasants; also have
kn™ fo^es to have committed the same deed; have found
their nests torn up, etc.
WILLIAM VAN ALLMAN, East Sharpsburg:

The skunk will hunt the eggs in the laying season of the
quan and will tu?keys, but they suffer in winter from the
fox and hawk.

DR. A. L. SPANGLE. Altoona:

Have seen red-tailed hawks with grouse in their claws, spar-
row hLklwith woodcocks, minks in a chicken coop. Butcher
b\M impale a Field Sparrow on a thorn bush, wildcat with rab-
blf and whtre fox had caught rabbit; also where skunk and
mink had killed rabbit.

FREDERICK JACKEL, HoUidaysburg:
Hawks, weasels and squirrels take eggs.

EDWARD KOTTMANN, Altoona:

Have seen the kingfisher on numerous occasions get trout;
also seen the Red-tailed Hawk capture poultry, quail and
grouse; witnessed the grouse caught by blue hawk also.

S. H. DEAN, Williamsburg:

I have frequently seen hawks catch partridges, poultry an<l
scng birds.

MATTHEW CALVIN, HoUidaysburg:

Polecats, minks and weasels destroy our poultry, song and
game birds.

M. D. YOUNG. HoUidaysburg:

The foxes in our county destroy much game, both by killing
the birds and driving them away while hahrhing.

■h

81

O. O. ZETH, Altoona:

Have seen instances too numerous to mention while afield;
wild cats and foxes especially.

W. G. HICKS. Tyrone:
Many rabbits are destroyed here by foxes.

WILLIAM L. SANDS, Altoona:

I know of turkeys, chickens, pheasants and rabbits to have
been killed by foxes, skunks and hawks.

H. M. LEIGHTY, Poplar Run: "

The fox, weasel, ha\vk and owl destroy poultry, game and
song birds. ^» o -

BEDFORD COUNTY.

JACOB ZOOK. Saxton:

Foxes, skunks, minks, hawks and owls are very destructive
to poultry, game and song birds.

GEORGE W. YONT, Osterburg:

Hawks after poultry; smaller birds, etc., and red squirrel
after the gray squirrel.

SAMUEL J. KEITH. Woodburg:

Polecats are quite destructive on fowls; foxes hunt up and
destroy various birds.

S. H. KOONTZ, Cessna:

Hawks and large owls after poultry, etc.

THEO. B. POTTS. Alum Bank: '

I have seen owls catch and kill a wild full-grown rabbit

skunk^and mV.l'.^.%^"^ "^^^^ ^'^^ ^^^'^'^-^^- F^oxls mink«:
skunks and measles are very destructive to poultry night or

BERKS COUNTY.

EDWARD LAWRENCE. Reading:
Have seen hawks killing birds and poultry.

O. HINNERSHITZ, Blandon:

we'llS?s'.1"ox^rrd'^hlw\'s.^^"^^^^ "^^"^ ^^«^-^^^ ^^ -•"•<^'

CHARLES M. MINNICH, North Heidelburg:
Have seen hawks destroy poultry, etc.

PETER DEXTER, Reading:

l.awks'^^'d'owi.'^''^'' '••'^"' an'V Pheasants destroyed by fox.

r» IT

Wi:

W

82

C. W. KKTTBRBK. SlouehsburB. _ ^^ . .

.^V^Tn^.r/e^rKeV'l^J.:/^^^^^^^^^^ ana ra...U.

Tar ae^r PO^rr T.e .o.e.>e ... runn.« a.
\a.Tge is a nuisance.

CHESTER COUNTY.

"sk'u„"s" opo^run,?rase,s ana ..nKs aestro. our pouitr. ,n

large quantities.

APiwAM STOUTS Lincoln University:

Have frequenoV seen hawks aestroy much small same ana
killed them in the act; also foxes.

minks and certain species of hawks.

JOS E. GILL, Barnsley:
Have known hawks to destroy a whole covey of quail. -

JEREMIAH PROCTER. Lincoln University:

Poultry, game and song birds a».> destroyed by the fox.
opossum, raccoon, owls and hawks.
FRANK D. DURBOROW, Oxford:

Chicken hawks destroy poultry.

W. G. WEST. Sylmar:
Hawks and foxes destroy much poultry and game.

J B KEECH, Tweedale:

I have always regretted the repeal of the Act of Assembly
naving a ^unty for hawks' heads. I know they are extremeb
Ses truct"^^to p^oultry. From Personal observtion.ih^^^
lieve that a few hundred dollars paid out for nawks neaa^
would nrevent the loss of many thousands of dollars worth
of poultry^n the southern end of Chester and I^ncaster
counties.
DR. ROBERT FARLEY. Phoenixville:

Have seen hawks kill rabbits and quail.

H L. BUCKW ALTER, Spring City:

Several varieties of hawks and th« weaswl destroy much
poultry and game.

COLUMBIA COUNTY.

H. H. BROWN. Light Street:

Poultry game and song birds are deslroye.l by fish an.1
chicken hawk, sparrow, mink, weasel and skunk

83

W. H. SNYDER, Bloi>msburg:
Saw recently where fox caught a lahbit.

W. B. SNYDER, Roaring Creek:
Hawks, minks and weasels are destroyers of young poultry.

A. P. YOUNG, Millville:

Have known skunks and crows to rob the nest of the turkey,
quail and pheasant.

MILES EVERHART, Secretary Waller Grange, Divide:
Skunks and minks destroy much poultry.

CHAS. E. RANDALL, Secretary Catawissa Fish and Game
Protective Association, Catawissa:

Poultry by opossums and skunks; quails by hawks, owls and
cats; pheasants by foxes and skunks; rabbits by foxes, weasels
and cats, and quails' nests destroyed by red squirrels, the
eggs being eaten.

J. T. WILSON, Millville:

Weasels, hawks and large owls destroy chickens, and the
crow will kill young song birds and eat the eggs.

B. F. FRITZ, Divide:

The farmers lose much poultry by the depredations of cer-
tain hawks and some other animals.

R. G. F. KSHINKA, Berwick:

To my personal knowledge poultry and birds are destroved
by weasels, skunks, owls and hawks.

CRAWFORD COUNTY.

PERRY BIXBY, Spartansburg:

o^^^*^'"*^^ ^"^ muskrat commit serious depredations on fish.

pSultry^ anT birdl ' ""'"^"^^ ^""^ '^""^ ^'^ ^'^'^ destructive of

ISAAC WHEELOCK, Townville:

Have seen hawks catch our song birds and also destroy their
nests. Poultry is caught by hawks, owls, weasels and minks

CHARLES DAY, Spartansburg:

an^^wtas^s. ^^^^ ^^''^^ ^""^ ^^"^^'^ destroyed by hawks, owls

C. A. SJRANAHAN. Spartansburg:

Many instances too numerous to mention bv Sharn-Mhinn^*^
Hawk, Cooper's Hawk. mink, weasel, ferret and large owi"^

H. E. BLAKESLEE, Spartanburg:

tef^T''^' ^^"'^' ^^''- d^«^^^y^<^ ^y the mink, weaael and

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84

1^ . M vuvoTT Secretary Rudoli»h Grange. Ouy's MllU^:
"h „ hawKVLo;ner::r nel^nborhood ., nuUe an extent; a.o
mink, 'possums, skunks and weasels.
J H SKAVY. Hayfteld Grange. Saegerstown:
Poultry, etc., destroyed by hawks, owls. etc.

C. F. EMERSON, Tltusville:

grouse which I judged to be killed by fox.

C BROOKS, Conneaut Center:

Have seen the Cooper's and Sharp-shinned hawks many
times catch small chickens.

fishers, and the German carp more than all.

C. A. BURCHARD, Black Ash:
Hawks.

G W. CUTSHALL, Guys Mills:

We have had some chickens killed by hawks, but they have
also destroyed many meadow mice and snakes.

W. G. SARGEANT, Meadville:

Owls and hawks destroy young ganie ^^i^^^T^^J^^^^" J^"
and also young chicks taken from the barnyard. Mamnials do
mtle damage fo fish, except the mink, and they are rare.

SPRINGBORO ROD AND GUN CLUB, Springboro:

A number of cases where chickens were killed by weasels,
skunks foxes and muskrats; have also found the Meadow
?ark pheasants and quail destroyed; also their eggs, by the
above named animals.

A. A. GRAFF. Lin-esville:
Have seen crows destroy young rabbits in their nests.

JACOB HAGUE, Beaver Centre:

Hawks owls and all fur-bearing animals prey on song and
game birds, but they are also scavengers of mice, rats, snakes,
etc.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

W. A. NELSON, Shawmut:

Weasel, minks and foxes destroy our poultry and game;
crows eat the eggs and sometimes the young of other birds.

WILLIAM T. THORPE. Grampian:
. Foxes kill a great mqnv rabbits.

85

JAMES CARNS, Clearfield:

The pine squirrel is probably the worst, as he destroys so
many pheasants' eggs. The wildcat, hawk and owl commit
serious depredations on poultry, game and song birds.

J. T. REITTER, Karthaus:

Much poultry and many song birds are destroyed by foxes,
owls and hawks. Owls are geftlng very scarce.

G. W. DRESSLER. Rockton:

Pheasants, poultry, rabbits and fish destroyed by the fox,
mink, weasel, skunk, owl and hawk.

W. J. STULL, Coalport:

Saw this winter where a fox ate a rabbit and grouse, and an
owl caught and killed a rabbit.

W. F. WAGNER, Coalport:

I have seen where owls destroyed rabbit and where fox de-
stroyed pheasant. Captured a mink after he had killed thir-
teen chickens.

HON. F. G. HARRIS, Clearfield:

Have known wild cats to kill deer and fawns and all kinds of
wild animals. Foxes "kill our poultry, rabbits and grouse.
Weasels also kill grouse.

J. E. HARDER, Clearfield:

I saw a big blue heron that was killed here last summer
near Trout Run In whose craw were thirty small trout. This
tributary has been nearly cleaned out of trout by these birds.

AMOS KLINE, DuBols:

Have seen hawks catching birds and robbing the nest of the
young.

J. F. GALLAHER, New Washington:

The crow and the Blue Jay destroy more song birds by eating
their eggs than all the other birds In the vicinity.

JAMES B. GRAHAM, Grahamton:

I saw a large brown hawk eating a full grown pheasant
which It had killed. A Cooper's Hawk carried away two or
three dozen of my small chickens, until I finally put an end to
him by setting a boy to watch the nest with a shot gun.

O. D. KRISE, Odessa:

Hawks, foxes and wildcats destroy much poultry; blue jay«
destroy our song birds.

R. J. BROCKBANK. Luthersburg:

I have seen a fox In one night kill three or four rabbits
They will also destroy all small game. So will the mink, as I
have learned from observing him. Hawks and owls are very
destructive tt) poultry and game.

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G. W. BEL.L., Bell's Landing:

I have personally known foxes and skunks to kill Pheasants
and rob their nests. Have seen owls with pheasants, and nawKs
kill many chickens. . .

WILLIAM BUMGARDEN, Lick Run Mills:

Wildcats kill deer and small game; foxes kill small game;
skunks kill grouse, birds, and destroy pheasants' eggs.

J. W. KIZER, Osceola Mills:

I have seen many_instances where game birds and othei*s
have have been destroyed by foxes, weasels, minks and wild-
cats, which also often devour poultry.

CAMERON COUNTY.

M. M. LARRABEE, Emporium:
Skunks, wildcats, foxes and some hawks.

J. A. McMillan, Driftwood:
The hen-hawk is the worst.

CENTRE COUNTY.

GEORGE K. BOAK, Pine Glen:

Wild oats, foxes, minks, crows, hawks, and owls destroy-
ing poultry, game and small wild birds.

W. J. KRAPE AND CHARLES E. BRESSLER, Fiedler:

Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk kill pheasants, small birds
and rabbits. Foxes kill rabbits and pheasants. Weasels rob
the nests of biids.

CHESTER M. LINGLE, Philipsburg: ^

I saw one pij?eon hawk kill four quail; in spite of my throw-
ing clubs at it ami driving It away it would return and invari-
ably catch another quail.

R. T. CORNBY, Flemming:
Yes; principally by hawks.

B. F. SHAFFER, Nittany:
Red squirrel eating the brains of young robins.

A. A. DALE. Bellefonte:

Have known instances where wild cats and foxes have killed
young deer. These same animals destroy many turkeys and
Pheasants.

JACOB SHARER, Centre Hall:

Have seen both fox and weasel attack coop and carry off
poultry and eggs.

GEORGE D. JOHNSON. Mt. Eagle:

Have had foxes and minks destroy turkeys and chirl<f*ns.

87

W. W. ROGERS. Centre Hall:

My personal loss of poultry has been by mink and weasel
more than by hawks.

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C. A. RACHAU, Madisonburg:

Last summer the crows destroyed a good many of my young
chickens, and the neighbors also.

W. H. MILLER, Secretary L^gan Grange No. 109, Bellefonte:
Hawks destroying poultry, et cetera.

J. DUNKLE HUBLERSBURG. Hublersburg:

The quail roost on the ground in broods and become the prey
of the fox and skunk by the wholesale at night.

CLINTON COUNTY.

DR. J. M. DUMM, Mackeyville:

Have seen where foxes and hawks have killed turkeys, but
they also kill many mice. If it were not for them our fruit
trees would need more protection. Have also known of a mink
killing a rabbit.

W. L. HAMILTON, Lock Haven:

In many instances, too numerous to mention, where poultiy
has been destroyed.

GEORGE H. WILSON. Westport:

Chickens are repeatedly destroyed by hawks, and a whole
brood of twenty-four chickens? was killed in one night by a
wild cat.

C. H. RICH. Woolrich:

Have seen hundreds o^ English sparrows tear up the nests
of other birds and eat the eggs. Hawks will also eat eggs and
destroy young birds. Crows, too, eat eggs.

W. C. KEPLER, Westport:

Wildcats, foxes, hawks and crows commit great depredations
«>n poultry and wild birds.

C. J. SIGMUND. Salona:
Have seen hawks, owls, etc.. destroying game and poultry.

JOHN C. MERRILL. Lock Haven:
All kinds and at all seasons.

.\. S. TRUST, Cedar Springs:

Have frequently seen where foxes caught wild turkeys and
tear them up; they are ever on the alert to find the nests and
destroy the young of both turkeys and pheasants

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OAMHHIA COUNTY. .

J. J. WEAVER, Wilmore:

The fox, mink and weasel kill poultry and game; skunks de-
stroy the eggs and youn^, and the hawk and owl commit seri-
ous depredations to our song birds.

JOHN E. TOMLINSON, Loretto: '

Skunks, foxes and minks destroy our game, poultry and song
birds. .»

J. T. YODER, Johnstown:

The skunk has caused me considerable loss; young chickens
especially. A few years ago they destroyed about fifty of my
young turkeys and their eggs, this was all done in one season.

J. B. HOLSENOER, Johnstown:
Foxes, skunks, owls and hawks.

JOHN F. THOMAS, Patton:

Foxes, minks, hawks and owls destroy much of our poultry
and game.

GEORGE W. GARRETT, Munster:

It is an every day occurrence. In the summer, for us to see
hawks pick up young poultry and song birds.

W. F. CUNNINGHAM, Carrolltown:
The pigeon hawk does great damage among the poultry.

JOHN J. REDINGER, Nicktown:

Pheasants are killed by foxes and hawks; foxes also destroy
rabbits; and our poultry suffers much by minks and hawks.

JOHN RTCKETTS, Flinton:

Skunks, minks and weasels destroy our poultry, game and
song birds.

BLAIR ALEXANDER, Conemaugh:

Grown rabbits and quail destroyed by weasels, minks, ami
foxes.

CLARION COUNTY.

J. T. FRAMPTON, Frampton:
flawks and owls destroy much poultry.

J. H. MARTIN, Valley:

Foxes do much damage, and 1 have seen hawks carrying off
young chicks and quail.

K. .M. KTSER. Elk City:

I have seen a weasel kill a rabbit; and have frequently seen
lur and feathers lying about where an owl or fox had gotten
in their work on a rabbit or grouse.

89

H. N. PENSTAMAKER, Clarion:
Have seen game destroyed by fox, mink and owl.

FRANK G. KEATLEY, Clarion:

Weasels caught a number of rabbits. Foxes caught pheas-
ants and quail. Chicken and pigeon hawks are destructive to
our song and game birds.

J. A. T. HOY, Clarion:

More poultry, grouse, and quail are destroyed by foxes than
by any other means. Minks of course destroy some. * . s

CARBON COUNTY.

S. M. DOWNS, Mauch Chunk:

Instances too numerous to mention from farmers over loss
of poultry; and very often while out gunning I see where
t^rrouse and rabbits have been killed by these animals. .

L. L. HULSHIZER, Mauch Chunk:

While out gunning I see where rabbits and pheasants have
been destroyed by these animals.

B. F. KUEHUER, E. Mauch Chunk:

Have many cases here of foxes destroying rabbits, pheasants
and poultry.

EDWIN F. PRY, Mauch Chunk:

The destruction of game in this section is verj*^ noticeable
when we compare the protected to the unprotected sections.

PIERCE J. TAYLOR, Mauch Chunk:

In several instances I saw where foxes, minks, weasels, cata-
mounts, and snakes destroyed a great deal of game and fish.

GEORGE T. WELL, Rockport:

Have often found where a fox had caught rabbits, quail and
other birds.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

A. Z. HADE, Mechanicsburg:

Hawks and foxes kill rabbits. Hawks, owls and foxes kill
quail, other birds and also considerable poultry.

JACOB B. MEIXEL. Boiling Springs:

Have on two different occasions seen the work of weasels
killing poultry; the first time he got twenty-five, the second
time fifteen. I once saw a blue darter hawk fly Into a flock of
quail, kill one and entirely scatter the rest.

DAUPHIN COUNTY.

W. L. WEAVER, Millersburg:
I have seen goshawks kill quail and grouse; duck hawks and

eagles kill ducks. Red-tailed kill poultry. Bass and salmon
will kill all a\e Osh they can catch. — >

H. M. F. WORDEN, Harrisburg: •

Minks destroyed German hare on island at Cove Station:

three old and seventeen young ones. Personally saw Red
Squirrel destroy a robin's neFt.

RICHARD V. FOX, Harrisburg:

Have known hawks upon my own farm to kill a quail or two
a day, until the whole bevy was exterminated.

W. H. ETTLE, Hummellstown:

Space would not permit me to instance the numerous depre-
dations of animals upon poultry.

DELAWARE COUNTY.

CHARLES P. GOODL.EY, Hance:

Foxes destroy j?reat quantities of poultry and ground birds.

JAMES NEELD. Concord:
Foxes after partridges.

THOMAS H. HUSBAND, Elam:
The opossum killing poultry.

GEORGE W. POOLE, Booth's Corner:
Foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and minks.

ELK COUNTY.

G. C. T. HOFF, SR., Raughts:

In Elk county, and also in Forest county and in northern
Jefferson county, fish, poultry, song birds and deer have to a
great extent been destroyed by wildcats, foxes, hawks, skunks
and weasels.

PHILO CHRISLER, St. Mary's:

Wildcats are increasing with us and are killing deer at a ter-
rible rate. Foxes destroy poultry and kill more small game
than all hunters.

J. M. HANSCOME. Rfdgway:

Wildcats killing fawns, rabbits and ph^easants, and foxes
killing rabbits and pheasants.

r. H. LAW, Portland Mills:

In winter you can find places where foxes have destroyed
rabbits and pheasants.

DR. A. MILLHAIJPT, St. Mary's:

Wildcats destroy rabbits, deer and grouse, and I know of one
Instance where one was seen with a robin in its mouth.
Foxes are very destructive to grouse and rabbits. Polecats
destroy grouse and their eggs.

91

DR. J. D. FULLERTON. .-^idgway:

Deer, rabbits, partridge' meadow larks and quail by wild-
cats and foxes. i

ERIE COUNTY. .

I. E. TUTTLE, Union City:

Have frequently had my poultry yard invaded by the hen
hawkandthe chicks stolen; have seen the crow rob birds' nests
frequently. ......

JAMES RICHARDS, Corry;
Hawk, owl, skunk and weasel.

W. T. RYMAN, Girard:
Have seen kingfisher catch fish and hawks catch chicks.

MANDRED HAYES, Edinboro:

A pheasant by a mink; pheasants and smaller birds sup-
posedly by hawks.

FRANK BUTTON, Corry:

Have seen birds caught and nests broken up by hawks, and
known of pheasants' nests being robbed by minks.

J. H. KIRK, Union City:

English sparrows are very destructive to nearly all birds
when nesting and hatching their young.

G. H. CORNELL, Edinboro:
Pheasants killed by minks.

THOMAS STERRET, Sterretonia:
Hawks.

W. H. CORNELL. Wattsburg:
Hen hawks, owls, minks, weasels, etc.

H. E. DENNIS, Milesgrove:
Crow blackbirds destroy eggs of song birds.

W. T. ANDREWS, Milesgrove:
Crows, blackbirds destroy eggs of song birds.

F. C. FOSTER. West Greene:

The crow is the most destructive; hawks next; then the owl
and mink.

FRANKLO COUNTY.

J. B. McAFEE, Mercersburg:

A wildcat will climb a tree at night and kill a turkey and a
weaspl will follow game Into their jetreat and kill.

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1)8

MARTIN la. HUSiONlJEKKY, Freestone: .

I have seen instances of where birds have been destroyed
by hawks, and two instances of where foxes entered oui
neighbor's coop and killed chicken; time to put bounty on.

DR. W. F. TEETER, Chambersburg:

I have seen hawks, foxes and crows kill poultry, quail, grouse
and rabbits.
SOUTH MOUNTAIN HUNTINO CLUB, Fayetteville:

Pheasants and rabbits are killed in our mountains by wild-
cat, weasel, and quail by the hawks.

W. H. STEWART, Secretary Gamo Association, Roxbury:

Hawks are very severe on birds; owls kill young game; foxes
destroy poultry and wildcats turkeys while hatching their
young.

FRANK HOCKENBERY, Concord:

Have known poultry, quail, pheasant and rabbit to be killed
by fox, wildcat and skunk.

W. W. BRITTON, Upper Strasburg:

Some time last spring a mink in two nights killed forty
chickens for Clayton Reed, near this place. Have heard of
many other such instances, but cannot give figures.

J. H. LEDY, Marlon:

1 had sixteen quails which we fed in a thicket in 189^, and
a hawk killed every one of them, one each day.

FOREST COUNTY.

FRED WEINGARD, Tionesta:
Have seen foxes destroying young birds and eggs.

S. H. HASLET, Tionesta:

1 have seen where foxes, wildcats, owls and hawks have
kill<*d poultry, pheasants and rabbits.

G. S. TURNER, West Hickory:

Have seen in the woods where owls have eaten rabbits.

FULTON COUNTY.

JOE CH ALTON, Wayfordsburg:

Hawks kill young turkeys, pheasants and quail; opossums

suck eggs.

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MRS. P. M. COOK, Webster Mills:

Minks and weasels are most destructive to poultry; hawks*
prey on song birds. By the use of hounds we keep the fox at
a distance.

JERE. SPROUL, Wells Tannery:

1 have seen and found dead plenty of rabbits, plunisantb,
etc., killed by hawks, owls, wildcats and foxes.

DANIEL E. FORE, McGonnellsburg:

Crows, hawks, minks, foxes and weasels destroy poultry,
game, etc.

PETER KIRK, Big Cove Tannery:
Foxes, hawks and minks destroying poultry, game, etc.

M. B. HANKS, Emmaville:

Have seen rabbits destroyed by minks, owls and hawks,
poultry by all the varmints; song birds by hawks and English
Sparrow, fish by Fish Hawk.

PETER MORTON, Pleasant Ridge:

I have frequently seen where the hoot or big owls have killed
rabbits, and the fox has, to my personal knowledge, taken
lambs, poultry and pigs.

GEORGE LEHMAN, Lashley:

About twenty of our old hens were killed last year by large
hawks; our neighbors also lost heavily by them.

d! W. ORONNER, Fort Littleton:
I have seen foxes destroy poultry and birds.

M. L. MOREBERG, Wells Tannery:

Skunks are the most destructive on quails' nests and poul-
try; foxes will kill a turkey on her nest; wildcats will kill
many rabbits, but they can be spared; are so plentiful as to
become a nuisance to the farmer.

W. H. PITTMAN, Big Cove Tannery:

Large hawks, minks and foxes are very destructive to
poultry, ganie, etc.

W. L. McKIRBIN. Buck Valley:

Many cases by foxes, wildcats, skunks, minks, wea.sels, owls
and hawks, on poultry, game, etc.

FAYETTE COUNTY.

L. D. WOODFILL. High House:

Your game Is stolen when you are away from home or busy
at work. I have seen the hawks carry off many a chick.

D. S. RICHING, Uniontown:

I have had a great many ohickens and turkeys taken bv
hawks, owls and foxes.

GEORGE M.BAILY. Uniontown:

I have often found (lualls killed by hawks; at times have
scared them off.

94

JESSE O. ALLEN, Uniontown:

Have heard from rplial)le sources where th« fox and skunk
have destroyed iKsts and young of both gram* and domestic
fowls.

GREENE COUNTY.

SAMUEL DUNLAP, Mapletown:

The domestic cat destroys a wonderful amount of young
chickens, young birds and also rabbits.

H. C. SPITZNAGLE, Brock:
Weasels and hawks destroying poultry, game, etc.

W. W. PARRY, Higbee:

I consider that the hawk and the crow are the niost de-
structive to the song birds, and the red fox to the rabbit.

C. L. H. MESTSEZAT. Mapletown:

The hawks, foxes and weasels kill a great deal of game here,
especially quail and rabbits.

CHARLES H. CHURCH, Waynesburg:

I have often found remains of rabbits in snow that foxes had
killed, and oftentimes I have discovered quails' feathers when
the snow remains for some time, and have occasionally seen
the hawk making his meal off the game bird.

H. L. HOGE, Oak Forest:

All species of hawks are very destructive to game, poultry
and song birds.

G. A. BARCLAY, Carmichaels:
Foxes destroying game, poultry, etc.

N. H. BIDDLE, Carmichaels: .
Foxes destroy the quail, etc.

H. C. SAYERS, JR., Waynesburg:
Have seen chicken hawk catch quail and small chickens.

J. N. SCOTT, Khedive:

Cases too numerous to mention have come to my notice
where hawks and owls have taken poultry.

A. L. RICH, Khedive:
Snakes kill some birds and foxes destroy our poultry.

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

W. N. MILLER, McAlevy'8 Fort:

Wildcats, foxes, hawks and sparrows, on poultry, game
and song birds.

95

B. B. HARENEAME. Norrace:*

There is a great deal of poultry destroyed by the wildcat,
foxes, hawks, etc.

D. B. WILSON, and Others, Huntingdon:

Have known skunks to steal pheasants' eggs; have seen
hawks catch quail and other birds; have seen the homes of
owls strewed with bones and feathers; have seen turkey and
pheasant feathers around the dens of foxes.

J. W. MANG, Warriors' Mark:

Song birds suffer most from the pigeon hawk; the fox is
the worst destroyer of rabbits and small game.

W. H. BOOTH, Maddensville:

I found the nest of the Great Horned Owl by observing a lot
of bones under the tree— rabbit bones and kinds that I could
not distinguish.

HON. T. O. MILLIKEN, Cornpropst's Mills:

I have seen where foxes destroyed rabbits and poultry in
daylight. In one instance a mink killed nineteen out of twenty-
five full-grown chickens in one night; have lost a great many
chickens by them. In the fall we cannot let full-grown
chickens roost on a tree on account of the large owls. I have
witnessed on many occasions the small hawk we call chicken
hawk kill and carry off small chickens. Once driving along the
road in December saw hawk (small) kill a pullet three-fourth
size and eat a hol»-» in It before I came up to It.

D. M. SUMMERS. Entriken:
Foxes killing rabbits, hawks killing poultry.

T. S. YASHON, Gorsuch:

My opinion is that song birds are destroyed by hawks; my
experience is that we lose more poultry from these bird depre-
dations than by any other bird or mammal.

HUNTINGDON GUN CLUB, Huntingdon:

Wo regard the fox as the most destructive animal of our
game, with the skunk next; hawks and owls are also verv
destructive.

WILLIAM W. STRYKER, Petersburg:

I am satisfied that the hawks and owls have killed one-half
of my partridges.

G. M. DELL, Mapleton Depot:

Rabbits and turkeys destroyed by foxes, poultry and song
birds by hawks and owls. ^

MILES BECK, Warriors Mark:

Hawks, minks, foxes and skunks are the most destructive
lo poultry and game birds. f^iucuxe

DAVID MONG. JR., Warriors Mark:
Many times I have seen rabbits and pheasants killed by

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96

foxes; foxes, minks, weasels are very hard oi. young wiM
turkeys, pheasants and poultry.

DR. THOMAS TOBIN, Warriors Mark:

Last May a pheasant hawk seized a y^,|;^S„,^^^\f "5\Xd
than twenty feet away from me I ran .\^^|^^ " ^^^d M" «^'
and the hawk dropped the chick after i}_^«f J^^^^^^'li^^^ ""^
fifteen feet; in many instances they get ^j^^^^ ^^^ JJ^^^i^ ^
fpw vears aKO I heard a noise among a drove of cnicKS in a
wheat field I ran and saw a weasel catch a young chick by
The throat and In an instant it was dead. I sprang amon^

hem- thtv were trying to conceal themselves; the weasel run-
ning abou^t mTf^e^ hinting another chick, and with all my
striving and stamping I could not catch it.

INDIANA COUNTY.

JAMES N. STEWART, Indiana:

House cat killing rabbits; also song birds, such as robins an.l
blue birds.
EVEN LEWIS. J. C. WELLS. D. D. GOOD, Smicksburg:

Hawks, owls, foxes and minks destroying poultry, game. etc.

DAVID BLAIR, Indiana:

The house cat is complained of considerably in this neigh-
borhood, and the fox is destructive to poultry and game.

R. W. WEHRLE. Indiana:

To my own personal knowledge. I know of one tame cat
killing upwards of one dozen wild rabbits this year. The fox,
hawk and owl destroy i)oultry, game, etc.

KINTER FRY, Advance:

Hawks, owls, skunks, polecats and minks ai-e a menace to
poultry, game, etc.

G. W. EDWARDS. Davis:

I have known hawks, owls, foxes, minks and weasels to de-
stroy considerable game and poultry; have known the crow
and blue jay to kill, and destroy also, the nests of song birds.

JEFFER80N COUNTY.

CHARLES A, MORRIS, Ollveburg:

Pheasants and quail are destroyed more by foxes, wildcats
and skunks than any other source. Song birds destroyed by
hawk and sparrow.

IRA PELT, Brock way vlUe:

I have on two different occasions last December (18%), while
hunting?, fniind where foxes had killed and eaten pheasants.

J. O. EDELBTvUTE. Brookville:

Can go out any day on the snow and find evidences of foxes
killing rabbits and grouse; and have soon qiiantitles of grouse
iiosts robbed, and young killed by skunks.

H. V. TRUMAa^. Brookville:

The sparrow hawk, night hawk, chicken hawk, fox, musk
rat, weasel, mink, king-fisher, wild cat and pole-cat are the
worst depredators on poultry, game. etc.

C. H. SHAWKEY, Slgel: • ' ' >•

It is a common occurrence to see pheasants, rabbits, blue
birds, robins and others killed by owls, foxes, minks, weasels.
and chicken hawks.

D. D. GROVES, Brock way ville: ' .
A good deal of poultry is plclted up by skunks and foxes, and

the farmers and all the sportsmen around here favor bountv
on game-destroying animals.

JUNIATA COUNTY.

WILLIAM D. WALLS, Peru Mills:

^7^1 f^^i?**^ ^"^. S^* ^^^ ^^y destructive on all kinds of
game In the mountains, except deer and bear; weasels and

and q'^ulfls!'" '^^^*^'' ^^^^' ^"^ ^^^^ ^'^ ^^^^»^«' pheasants

J. T. ROBINSON. Waterloo:
Fish hawks, other hawks, minks and foxes on fish, poultry.

HON. WILLIAM HERTZLER, Port Royal:
Depredations on poultry, game, too numerous to mention.

WELLINGTON SMITH, Mlflfllntown:
Mink, polecat, fox, and chicken on game, poultry, etc.

HR. AMOS W. SHELLY. Port Royal-

T. S. MOREHEAD, E. Waterford:

Foxes, skunks and minks In this localitv are destrovlne wild
turkeys and pheasants when hatching. * aesiroying wild

LANCASTER COUNTY.

1^. B. KREADY. Mountsvllle:

Have seen chicken hawks after partridges. '

O. S. FRANKLIN, Lancaster: , '/ '

In this vicinity there Is absolutely no resoect n^ld tn th^ io„,
against shooting insectivorous birds. I ha^e even seen them
exposed for sale In front of a restaurant. ^

D.WID L. DEEN, Lancaster:

..L^^V^ ^""^ several cases where hawks have exterminated

^nH roJr^'" ^' ^"^" ^y "^^y^"^ ^»'^"n<J their feedfnTgrounds
and taking one at a time until the whole flock wa.l deftrnyM

\i\

•; /

. 98

^Te^"a'?e!i;t'^U^nrorin:aU «..anw ..aw./ v./ a.

structive to small birds.

H N HOWELL, Lancaster:

poultry, game, etc.

W H FENDRICK, Columbia: ^ „„i

Hav'e seen instances of depredations on poultry, game and
song birds too numerous to mention.

A W SPURRICO, Lancaster: .^ ,, ,

saw quails nest and female bird last summer evidently dc-
stroyed by a hawk.

LEHIGH COUNTY.

CHARLES W. GRAMMES. Allentown:

I have often seen hawks kill pheasants and rabbits, also
seen minks kill rabbits.

O. R. B. LEIDY, Allentown:

Personally have seen hawks destroy game.

LOUIS N. ELLENBOGER, Allentown: , ^ , .

Have seen quite a number of both birds and llsh destroyed
by animals.

A F HORNli:. Allentown:

'-n^Khino. of nests by malicious persons, wanton destruction
by d^sgulted sportsmen and the depredations done by such
animal! as the ferret, weasel, and a few hawks.

FRANK B. SAEGER. Allentown: x .H^.h

The fox has killed game by the wholesale on the Lehit,h
mountain, such as rabbit, quail and pheasant.

JOHN T. WEILER, Allentown:

I have observed that hawks follow quail; also seen where
hawks have caught rabbits.

L. B. GEIGER. Hoffman:

The mink weasel, red fox and opossum sometimes. Also
hawks Tnd crows are sometimes seen after young chickens.

L. L. RONEY, Allentown:
Saw a fox have a pheasant that It had killed.

L W. MAZURIE, Diningersvllle: •

Fox and the long-tailed hawk have done a large amount of
damage here to quail, grouse, poultry, etc.

A. D. BERGER, Allentown
Game birds by hawks.

99

J. B. RHOADS, Allentown: '^

Last fall I saw chicken hawk catch pheasant and a weasel
catch a rabbit. ,

W. M. D. HEARS, Allentown:
Hawk devouring quail, fox devouring pheasant.

LEWIS F. GRAMMES, AUentown:

I have seen hawks destroy chickens, quail, doves, and other
small birds and young squirrels, rabbits; ducks and the ao-
mestlc cat destroy much fish and game in our county. _,*^,

H. A. GRAMMES, Allentown:

Weasels, minks, wildcats, tame cats, and ferrets on poultry,
game, etc.

M. G. ROTHHOCK, Emaus:

Saw a kite and chicken hawk kill a quail and a red fox kill
a rabbit.

E. P. MILLER, Allentown: - '

I only know of foxes killing rabbits.

LUZERNE COUNTY.

C. B. MILLER, Nantlcoke:

I have come across a number of places where hawks and
foxes have devoured pheasants, quail and rabbits this last
open season.

JONATHAN P. LAUBACH, Falrmount Springs:

Skunks, weasels and crows do a great deal of damage In
robbing hens' nests when they lay out away from buildings,
and also pheasants' nests. The weasel, fox and mink kill
young chickens and large ones, too. Hawks commit many de$)-
redatlons upon poultry, some are worse than others.

H. M. BEX:K, Wilkes-Barre:
Grouse and quail by hawks, weasels, skunks and foxes.

ELSWORTH L. RILEY. Ashley:

The owls, hawks, crows, foxes, cats, weasels and minks
upon poultry, game, etc.

E. DANA SUTLIFF, Bloomlngdale:

Have often found pheasants that had been killed by hawks
have often found where foxes have destroyed rabbits; one
hunting party found where seven had been killed in one night
by these animals. *

PAUL A. OLIVER. Oliver's Mills:

Have seen weasel tracking and following rabbit; fox catching
TT*^s ^^^^^^'' hawk poarsuing and catching domestic

s' f

100

GEORGE R. WRIGHT. Wllkes-Barre:

weasels rabbits.

M B WESTCOTT, Register:

The owl. fox. mink and weasel destroy rabbits, pheasani
and poultry.

\V" D FRITZ, Huntingdon Mills:

I have tracked weasels when they killed rabbits and have
known minks to kill young turkeys. ,^^

F B. PARK, Fair mount Springs:

't find freauently the carcasses of rabbits killed by weasels;
hav^often found where rabbits, pheasants and quail had been
kmed by foxes, and where nests had been robbed by skunks.

rACOMINd COUNTY.

R. H. GRIER, Oriole:

Chicken hawks, skunks and foxes destroying game and poul-
try.
GEORGE D. POST, Williamsport:

Foxes and skunks are quite destructive to grouse during
nesting time.
C W. YOUNGMAN. Williamsport:

flme^was Sid ovel?' Ind'Ifa.Ty I bird was seen and th,-y
were old cocks.

AUGUST KOCH. Williamsport: , , .. ,

rronse killed by foxes; a skunk an« also by red-tailed

hawksf whole coveya of quail, in winter, by fox; nestings of

birds taken by sharp-shinned hawks, crows, crane and black

bird.

G. W. CLARK. Williamsport:

Foxes, weasels, skunks, hawks, owls and crows destroying
poultry, game, etc.

C. J. DEWALT. Moreland:

I have had. as well as my neighbors, a great deal ol P^>u|Jr.v
killed by foxes, minks, weasels, hawks and owls; have haM
poultry killed by skunks; have seen where rabbits and Pheas-
ants have been destroyed by fox^s and minks and weasels
by tracking them.

HENRY CODER. Williamsport:
Once saw a horned owl eating a pheasant.

C. W. YOUNGMAN. Williamsport:

Have seen ^ouse picked to pieces by owls and torn to pieces
by foxes,

101

LAWRENCE COUNTY.

ARCHIBALD D. DAVIS. New Castle:
Have seen hawks killing poultry, quail and song birds.

DAVID HAMILTON, Plain Grove:

A long-tailed chicken hawk caught a quail in its talons in an
open field by flying over It and taking it up as it flew.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER AND OTHERS, New Castle:
The polecat destroy eggs of poultry, game. etc.

W. L. McCONNELL. New Castle:

Hawks and owls are the only birds which prey on our game
birds. I have numbers of quail killed by hawks; one instance
under my observation, when I was afield my dog was pointing
a covey of quail and before I could flush them, a hawk swooped
down and picking a bird started off with It. Both hawks and
owls are becoming more scarce and there are but compara-
tively few of them In our county.

,

9K

LEBANON COUNTY.

JOHN G. STAUFFER, Palmyra:
Hawks destroy quail when young.

JOHN S. BREN1>LE, Scheafferstown:

I have frequently noticed feathers of game and song birds
lying on the ground, and the bones near to them, showing that
they were killed by hawks; have seen hawks catching quail,
robins, etc

GEORGE W. ELLIS, Johestown:
Hawks and foxes destroying poultry, game. etc.

DR. KREMERER, Lebanon:

Have seen quail destroyed by hawks and owls; also grouse
killed by foxes.

P. H. REINHART. Lebanon:

Have observed foxes destroying pheasants and chickens;
hawks kill partridges.

THOMAS T. LEBE, Shaefferstown:
Rabbits by weasels and quail by hawks.

E. R. ILLIG, Millbach:
I know of chicken hawks killing quail and the pheasant.

JOHN KISH and JOHN H. CILLY. Lebanon :
Hawks killing poultry, game, etc.

J. WESLEY MAZURIE, Lebanon:

T have oft6n while hunting come across remains of ouail
and poultry which were destroyed by owls and hawks.

\

T

102

JOHN BEUSAN. Lebanon: '^'''\' V\a^1.

Have seen mink and foxes kill pheasants and partridges.

LAOK.^WANNA COUNTY.

:i

W TURNER, Spring Brook: a ^f

we have large flres here that extend over thousand, of
acres and destroy everything.

M. FOLEY, Mount Cobb:

The destruction in this line is incalculable.

T F REYNOLDS, Carbondale:

I hafe seen positive evidence of where rabbits and pheasants
have been caught and killed by foxes.
DR ISAIAH F. EVERHART, Scran ton:

they have been killed.

J D. MASON, Scranton:

'pigeon hawks catching quails; also where fox or wildcats
have eaten grouse in the woods.

ZIBA SCOTT, Spring Brook: ^ , u

Twioe this winter I have driven the Goshawk off of pheas-
Tr.?fnPP^h*. had killed it and eaten it about half up: the sec-
ants; once ne naa kiucu h. 0.1*^* ^ ^ „„, j 1^1. |v,„ nh^fmnnt m»
ond time the hawk came over me and I let the pneasani t,

and shot him.

M. FOLEY, Mount Cobb:

I have, as well as my neighbors, lost ducks and chickens
m large numbers by minks and skunks.

W. TURNER. Spring Brook:
Wildcats and foxes killing poultry, game, etc.

MERCER COUNTY.

J. A. HORNER. New Hamburg:

Have known poultry, game, etc., to be destroyed by mink,
weasel, owl and hawk.

LEANDER OSBORNE, Indian Run:
Weasel destroying game, poultry, etc.

O. T. FETTERHOFF, Greenville:
Hawks destroying chickens.

S. STALLSMITH, New Lebanon:

Poultry, game, etc., destroyed by hawk. owl. mink and
weasel.

C. A. JEW ALL. New Lebanon:

Blue Jays are nmst destructive to hohk: birds Jind poultry;

103

minks and weasels destroy rabbits and game birds; bave seen
this in many Instances. ».;.!• . . i

W. V. McDOUGALL, Otter Creek: "

The pigeon hawks kill young poultry and birds.

JAMES S. KENNEDY, Grove City:

Our song birds have no enemy as bad as the crow robbing
nests; our game is destroyed by mink, weasel and horned owl.
The greatest enemy of one of the best game birds in Amrica,
our woodcock, is the telephone and telegraph wires, as he is
a night flyer and a night feeder.

C. C. McCONNELL, Milledgeville:
Minks sometimes kill our chickens.

McKEAN COUNTY.

F. K. WINSHIP, Annin Creek:

The owl, hawk, crane, crow, wild and domestic cats, mink,
skunk, fox, weasel, coon, English Sparrow and Red Squirrel
destroy poultry, game. etc.

C. W. DICKINSON, Norwich:

I know personally that the wildcat kills small deer, sheep
and partridges, rabbits and all birds that nest on the ground;
the fox destroys all the above except deer and sheep, but
overreaches on poultry. Hawks and owls kill rabbits and all
kinds of birds known here.

" • - . » -

BURDETTE DICKINSON, Colegrove:

I have known of one hundred instances where hawks, owls,
wildcats, foxes and weasels have killed all kinds of song and
game birds, game and fish.

D. SIMPSON, Turtle Point:

Skunks and hen hawks destroying poultry, and wild cats de-
stroying song birds.

JAMES BIGGINS, Eldred:
Foxes, weasels, hawks, minks destroying game, poultry, etc.

J. J. McCAREY, Turtle Point:
Hawks, owls, minks, foxes destroying poultry, game, etc.

A. W. COLEGROVE, Smethport:

Hawks, especially pigeon or sparrow, have an eye for all
kinds of feathers. Have seen hundreds of Instances of their
depredations.

H. C. BANCROFT, Bradford:

Pheasants by foxes and weasels; any kind of a bird or fowl
by mink, owls and hen hawks.

E. H. BARDEN, Eldred:

Fox destroying rabbits and grouse; minks destroying rab-
bits; hawks and owls destroying rabbits and grouse and song
birds.

104

MIFFLIN COUNTY. ' r

VV. M. HKIMACH, Newton Hamilton:
The fox is destroying the wild turkey in this vicinity.

W. T. McEUEN, Newton Hamilton:

Foxes, hawks, skunks, weasels and owls are very destructive
on poultry, game, etc.

C. E. SHULL, l^ewistown:

Have often seen, while gunning, where rabbits and grouse
have been killed by foxes and hawks.

S. T. MOORE, Milroy:

In my mountain trips I often see where foxes have killed the
turkey and pheasant while hatching and destroyed the nest.

HON. G. H. BELL, Lewistown:
Have seen foxes, minks and weasels destroying poultry.

JOHNSON MUTHEHSBAUGH, Lewistown:

I had been tracking a rabbit, and suddenly there was a
small scuffle in the snow that proved to be the end ol
"bunny"-— with the owl acting as the exterminator. 1 have
seen a hawk chase a gray squirrel up a tree and catch him
as he returned on his downward trip. Foxes and polecats
destroy the nests of turkeys, pheasants and partridges.

SAMUEL SIGLER, Palntersvflle:

I am Informed by farmers of this sectUn that they lose
chickens ©very year by foxes and hawks; also know of game
being killed by same.

T. J. NOVINGER, Alfarata:

Foxes and minks are the principal animals; hawks and owls
are also very bad among poultry and game.

DR. S. J. BOYER, Siglersville:

Owl killing hare at night; foxes killing pheasants and hens;
hawks killing quail and robins.

A. T. HAMILTON. Lewistown:
Have seen poultry destroyed by minks.

J. P. TAYLOR, Reedsvllle:
The chicken hawk on poultry is the worst

DR. D. C. NIPPLE, Newton Hamilton:

I believe the fox destroys more game, such as turkeys,
pheasants, quail, rabbits, than all the sportsmen combined.

ROBERT FORGY, McVeytown:

Have had personal observation of wea.Mel. Fnink and hawk
destroying poultry.

105

GEORGE E. CONNER, Lewistown:

Fox, owl, hawk, mink and weasel will all kill poultry, but
I think while they ^do that they also kill a great many mice
and rats that would do harm. ^ ...

- i »

MONROE COUNTY.

E. E. HOOKA, JR.. Mt. Pocono:

Ferrets, foxes and skunks have frequently killed our chick-
ens.

JAMES M. ALTEMORE, Effort:

Minks, foxes, catamounts, fish hawks, cranes and Green
Heron to poultry, game, etc.

H. T. FRANKENFIELD, Frutchey's:

Hunting catamounts and foxes, I have seen where they
have destroyed grouse, quail and rabbits; weasels destroy the
same.

DR. J. B. SHAW. Delaware Water Gap:
Foxes and skunks often found with game partly eaten.

JOHN M. NEIR, East Stroudsburg:
Snaring birds with wire:

L. D. EILENBERGER, East Stroudsburg:

I frequently see, from their tracks in the snow, where foxes'
kill pheasants.

I. SELDON CASE, Tobyhanna:

I could give number of instances where foxes have killed
pheasants; I have tracked them to the bird and found its
bones remaining. They also kill poultry.

JOSEPH BROWN. Canadensis:

Hawks and owls destroying poultry: the weasel is the worst
little animal to kill rabbits that we have.

TOWNSEND PRICE, Canadensis:

Wildcats are the most destructive of any animal In this
.section, killing all kinds of game, and poultry In large quan-
tities.

J. H. GRAVES, Delaware Water Gap:
Foxes kill rabbits, young pheasants and quail.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

H. S. ROYER, Pottstown:
Have known hawks to clean up a covey of quail in a winter.

WHARTON HUBER, Hoyt:

Have seen several Instances where the Cooper's Sharp-
shinned and Duck hawks have killed birds and poultry, but
they kill more vermin than anvthlne else.

7* -11

li

Ii^

I

C. H. KOOKER, Flourstown:

Opossums.
HON HORACE W. ESHBACK, Pennsbury:

Flock of quail partially destroyed, when fed by farmers
during winter, by hawks.

JOSEPH C. SHOEMAKER. Blue Bell:
Skunks and opossums are our disturbers of poultry at night.

MONTOUR COUNTY.

C W. ECKMAN, How^llville:
Pigeon hawks and nearly all hawks destroy poultry.

J. M. FORRESTER, Danville:
Pigeon hawks after poultry.

WILLIAM T. SPEISER, Danville:

Foxes will catch rabbits, quail, pheasants ^.nd poultry,
weasels aiTd red squirrels will rob the birds' nests while hatch-
ing.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY.

B. FRANK REDINGTON:
Foxes, minks and hawks after poultry, game, etc.

THOMAS RICHARDS, Easton:
Hawks and crows destroy birds' nests.

BASIL G. BRASSINGTON, Easton:

Have seen hounds worrying and killing young rabbits dur
ing the summer.

HARRY C. RANDOLPH. Easton:

Hawks kill a great number of quail in winter; have seen
them eating them; foxes, minks and weasels kill pheasants^
and rabbits.

J. L. FULMER. Easton:

Hawks kill lots of quail in winter; foxes, minks and weasels
kill pheasants and rabbits. Have seen places where hawks
have caught and eaten quail.

J. E. MESSINGER. Stone Church:
Hawks, foxes and tish hawk on poultry and game.

JONATHAN PETERS. Edelmans:

By skunks, minks and weasels destroying poultry, etc.

T. L. KEIGEL, Freemansburg:
The mink, raccoon, skunk and hawk on poultry, game, etc.

107

H. A. SANTEE, Moorstown:

The hawks and owls are mean enough for anything, and so
Is the mink and fox.

J. J. EALER, Morgan's Hill:

I have seen chicken hawks catch birds and partly grown
chickens. In my chicken house a year ago a weasel killed
seven ducks about one-third grown, in one night. I have seen
the common house cat kill, on many occasions, small rabbits in
the field.

JOHN C. SNYDER, Middaghs: **'' ^

Hawks, large owls, foxes, skunks, opossums, raccoons,
minks and weasels are alike destructive to poultry and game.

E. B. MARKS. Easton:
An everyday occurrence.

W. G. BfiRCAW, Easton:

V I..

Hawks killing poultry, etc.

JAMES A. HARPER, Ackermanvllle:

Red squirrels robbing birds' nests; crows robbing nests and
skunks robbing quail, pheasants' nests, etc.

GEORGE R. GROINS. Easton:
Find game, etc.. torn to pieces; done by owls, hawks or foxes.

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

EZARIAH YOCUM. Bear Gap:

I have seen where rabbits and quail have been killed by owls;
saw the track of the owl in the snow.

B. B. SMITH, Shamokin:

Have known gray and red fox to destroy eggs and young
of pheasant.

J. W. BARTHOLOMEW, Sunbury:
Have seen hawks strike pheasants.

S. A. PECK. Northumberland:

Hawks do us more harm than hunters, as they hunt con-
tinually.

PERRY COUNTY.

E. A. SHEARER. New Germantown:

I have seen at the entrance to a fox den feathers of partridge,
pheasant and wild turkeys, tame turkeys, chicken feathers and fur
of rabbits. In this community foxes have become so bold as
to come to the farmer's barn for chickens. I also know of
wildcats killing the tame and wild turkeys in this township.

S. A. GUTSHALL. New Germantown:

I have known hawks, owls and foxes to destroy poultry and
song birds.

Ifl

n

108

-. .. 4Ti-vAMr>TrR T) D S.. New Bloomfleldt
I have known t^^wks to fall upo^^ ^ "^ck ^^^ ^^^^^^^ of

PIKE COUNTY.

G. MCKEAN. Shohola: pheasants.

In hunting: I «^^^^,^!j;?,e fuXr on i s^^^^ him with one in
and in going: one-half mile runner uii

his mouth.

C P MOTT, Mllford: '

destroying: eggs in nest of grouse.

GIOORGE SAWYER. Mill Rift:

„^^r, <n «now where numerous pheasants or Ruffed

Have seen .^" ^^^^^JY^'^y Vxe»; rabbits also meet the same

P/tP^'^s iV easny seen^ by g^^^^ wood, after a li^ht

Inow wea^ls arlvery distructive to rabbits. Have found

hundred orrabbUs that had been killed by weasels.

I. W. CHAMBERLAIN. Rowland:

Have seen that a great many song birds are caught by the
pl?ecn hawk, and poultry by the common chicken hawk.

GEORGE ANSLEY. Paupac:
Fcxes are very destructive to turkeys and chickors.

CHARLES L. HELLER, Bushkill:

I have seen the feathers where foxes have destroyed pheas-
ants- have seen In the snow where foxes have pursued rabb Us
and caught them. I have picked up both pheasants and rabbits
killed by weasels.

R. VAN GORDAN. Dlngmans Ferry:

The Wildcat kills more birds and young rabbits than all ani-
mals put together.

PHILADELPHIA COUNTY.

JOHN C. SHALLCROSS. Frankford:

On our farm we lost one hundred and thirty-two young
chickens last spring, and I believe it was done by one weasel,
as no more were killed after we caught him.

» ■
HOX MAHLON L. SAVAGE, Frankford:

In Luzf^rne county I have observed that the Great Horned
Owl is verv destructive to Ruffed Grouse, and in York county
I have seen where Cooper's and Sharp-shinned hawks have de-
stroyed quail and poultry.

109

HORACE ALBRIGHT, Girard Building. Philadelphia:

I have seen the chicken and pigeon hawks catch birds of
different kinds.

POTTER COUNTY.

E. O. AUSTIN, Austin:

I have known owls to catch pheasants in winter snows;
hawks catch poultry and song birds; rabbits are caught by
weasels and wildcats, but most of these are good mousers,
and insects and larvae are their principal food, with snakes
and other reptiles; the house cat eats many song birds.

F. N. NEWTON, Shingle House:

Have seen several Instances where grouse were destroyed
by the Cooper's Hawk; also could name three instances where
rabbits were killed by foxes.

DR. S. A. PHILLIPS, Coudersport:

Pheasants and woodcock, destroyed by hawks, owls, wild-
cats and foxes.

J. S. HULL, Conrad:

Have seen a number of instances where partridges have
been killed by owls and foxes.

WILLIAM ARNOLD, Harrison Valley:
Skunk and weasel catching poultry, etc.

A. S. HECK, Coudersport:

Have many times seen places where Ruffed Grouse and rab-
bits have been killed by some kind of animal.

N. M. GLASSMIRE. Coudersport:

Have seen depredations committed by Fish Hawk and all
kinds of hawks, all kinds of owls, fox, mink, wildcat muskrat
'coon and bear.

r,EORGE A. FARNSWORTH, Ulysses:
Have notioed the fox destroying young rabbits.

DR. E. H. ASH CRAFT, Coudersport:

The Sparrow Hawk kills many song birds; largo hawks tak,-
small poultry.

SULLIVAN COUNTY.

J. W. AUMILLER, Eagle's Mere:

«ic52:^l **®;? ^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^""^y ^^ ^^^y chickens taken in one
season by hawks.

R. W. WRIGHT, Eldredsville:

iH^H^^^^^fi?* ^*?"* killed last fall by mink; have had hens
killed at other times by the same animal.

Ir

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E. S. CHASE. Eagles Mere: ^^^

Have seen Fish Hawks in our lake killing I^Ke
bass.
FRANK HANNAN. Forksville:

and pheasants; owls are destructive.

V T STTTRDEVANT, Forksville:

'^I tr Je^r;oxes with pheasants -bbits and son^^^

in their mouths: hawks kill pheasants and gray squirrels, ana

skunks all kinds of song birds.

H. B. KILMER, Shunk:

Wildcats kill young deer and rabbits; foxes, weasels and
mdnks kill rabbits, pheasants and poultry.

MAYNARD J. PHILIPS, Muncy Valley:
Hawks, weasels, skunks, owls destroy poultry, game, etc.

FRANK W. BUCK, Dushore:

Mv dor retrieved two pheasants last season in less than one
ho^^r fhftf hawk had killed, full-grown ^^^ds; they Just had
the back part of the head eaten away and were still warm.

JOHN CORCORAN. Overton:
Fish hawks, blue hawks, hen hawks and foxes.

CARL F. HESS, Piatt:
Hawks, foxes and skunks, destroying poultry, etc.

J. L. NOAGLAND, Lincoln Falls:
Have seen hawks catching poultry many times.

H. W. OSLER, Lincoln Falls:
Foxes, minks, wildcats, destroying game, poultry, etc.

SOMERSET COUNTY.

W. H. H. BAKER. Trent:

Hawks kill pheasants and quail; foxes destroy pheasants and
quail.

H STEWART BOUCHER, Glade:

In traveling through woods I have frequently found pheas-
ants and rabbits that had been killed by foxes and hawks.

JEROME STOFFO, Jenners:

Hawks are very destructive to pheasants, chickens and
small birds, as all our farmers will testify.

WILLIAM' ZREFALL and J. P. CASSELMAN, Somerset:

Chickens and rabbits by foxes, minks, and skunks: song
birds by hawks.

Ill

J. P. BARCLAY, Bakersvllle:

Have known skunks, weasels and minks to go to barns and
hen coops and kill poultry until caught and killed, and have
known foxes to catch young lambs and carry them off.

HAY & HAY, Attorneys-at-Law, Somerset:

Pigeon hawks are very destructive to song birds; red fox is
destructive to poultry.

DR. H. D. MOORE, New Lexington:

I see the Sharp-shinned Hawk destroy song birds every
summer. Have knowledge of much poultry being d'^^stroyed
by skunks and minks.

JOSIAH PILE, Barronvale:

The Sharp-shinned Hawk, owl and the mink have destroyed
poultry to my knowledgre.

P. K. MOORE, Trent:

My own and neighbors' poultry by foxes, skunks, minks and
weaselB.

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.

WILLIAM D. TURRELL. Birchardville:
Poultry by skunks and foxes.

J AS. M. KELLY, Montrose:

Have seen weasel and mink kill chickens, yoting turkeys
and destroying partridges* nests. Jlawks carry off grouse
while fighting for their young, and foxes' habitations tilled
with skins of rabbits and grouse feathers.

W. OSTERHOUT, Harford:

Many instances by owls, hawks, foxes, minks, weasels and
wildcat destroying poultry, game, etc (not barn owl.)

H. S. ESTABROOK, Harford:

February 27.— Saw to-day where an owl caught a rabbit and
ate it, but instances are too numerous to especially mention.

G. C. HOWELL, New Milford:
Have found game birds and rabbits killed by foxes and owls.

A. B. BURNS, Montrose:
Foxes and owls destroying poultry, game, etc.

JAMES D. MACK, Lathrop:
Poultry destroyed by crows, skunks and foxes.

S. S. THOMAS, Lynn:

Have observed depredations committed by foxes, minks an«l
weasels; other predatory animals are birds, and they do some
good.

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IIH

CHARLES A. MAIN, South Montrose:
Mink, weasel and skunk, on poultry, game. etc. . -

J. R. BEEBE, Montrose:

Have seen plenty of cases where foxes, minks, weasels and
hawks had killed and eaten partiidges. rabbits and poultry

E. M. SAFFORD, Montrose:

Skunks frequently make havoc with nests and young
chicks; hawks and owls occasionally take a chicken, but
farmers will invent their own means to drive them orr,
and they destroy ten mice to every chick.

W. L. BRYANT, Schuylkill Haven:
Have found flocks of partridges destroyed by foxes.

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SNYDER COUNTY.

.1. G. SEIL.ER, Sellnsgrove:

It has come under my observation where the skunk had
destroyed whole nests full of pheasants' eggs.

M. Z. STEINNIGER. Middleburgh:

In the last few years I know from personal observation that
(juall whole flocks, from fourteen birds down, have been de-
stroyed by hawks. When the snow comes that Is what they
seem to live on. Have seen where rabbits have been taken up
by them, by the tracks In the snow, could see where the wings
struck and a few hairs and drops of blood.

JOHN P. FISHER. Lowell:

This sheet Is not large enough to hold all personal observa-
tions and instances where I have seen where game and poul-
try have been destroyed by the fox, mink, and weasel, all
spelces of hawks and all owls (except the Barn Owl). As you
go traveling through the woods, you see where a sly fox de*-
stroyed a pheasant or a rabbit; a little further on another;
here and there In the fields you can see where a fox has
feasted on a quail. I say put a bounty on the above named
and rid the country of them and the game will soon Increase.

F. J. WAGENSELLER, Sellnsgrove:

Know of a fox catching a turkey hen on her nest in the field
and carrying her off; have seen their tracks in the snow
where they naught rabbits; also pheasants. Saw a weasel
once catch a quail; also saw one have possession of a full-
jjrown rabbit.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

H. D. ROEDER, I^ck Haven:
Opossum, hawks and owls destroying game, poultry, etc.

H F. DEIBERT, Cressona:

I know a fox to have killed three pheasants and seven rab-
bits In one night, and have chased him for four years, and he
Is still at liberty.

F. C. PALMER, Schuylkill:

Frequently have noticed where foxes have killed grouse and
rabbits in the snow; have noticed many cases in my twenty
years of shooting experiences, v .^ , ,

WILLIAM A. COCKILL, Lewellyn: .

Hawks, minks, weasels and foxes have to live 365 days In the
year on what they can catch; the damage they do Is evident.
Have seen hawks catch chickens and pigeons, song and game
birds; also many evidences where foxes, minks and weasels
caught rabbits In the snow.

TIOOA COUNTY.

M. V. JACKSON, East Charleston:
The fox gets our pheasants and the skunk our poultry.

C. H. WATROUS, Marshfield:

Have seen young chickens and birds taken by small hawks;
wllc'cats and foxes take many hares and partridges.

JAMES VANDERGRIFT, Stony Fork:

Pheasants by foxes; minks and weasejs destroy rabbits and
squirrels; wildcats catch deer, pheasant and rabbits; raccoons
kill young game.

A. B. DOAN, Little Marsh:
Hawks, owls and weasels destroying poultry, game, etc.

F. C. FIELD, Balsam:

I believe nearly all the owls and hawks will at times attack
birds and small game, but they do more good than harm by
catching mice.

F. B. SMITH, Tioga:

Fall of 1896, know of two Ruffed Grouse, full grown, killed by
foxes.

W. C. BABCOCK, Blossburg:

The destruction caused by the fox. mink, skunk and weasel
are too common.

C. E. GRAHAM, Lorenton:

Foxes, minks, skunks, hawks, owls destroying poultry and
game.

J. M. WHITCOMB, Ogdensburg:
Skunk, fox and coon, on game, poultry, etc.

W. W. SEAMAN, Nauvoo:
Many Instances to poultry, game, etc.

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115

n THOMPSON, Wellsboro:
hIwUs are the most destructive to pouVtry. game. etc.

rranr^ve^oltti^itn^ in^r^^^^^ ^oxes and cata-

mounts have caught partridges and rabbits.

W. WAGNER, Academy Corners:

1 have seen hawks kill song birds; one «P^^^^^' i^^j^'"^ '^'
long-tailed chicken hawk, destroys the young partridges.

W. E. CAMPAIGN, Wellsboro:

Have seen hawks catch song birds, and have seen in snow
where foxes caught grouse.

W. WAGNER, Academy Corners:

In the 9um.mer of 1894 a Are burned about three thousand
Jr'es'oflllirThis destroyed the ^^^Vil^nLru "destroyed
caused by a man burning a yellow jacket s nest. It destroyea
several thousand dollars' worth of property.

VENANGO COUNTY.

H. C. DORWORTH, Oil City:

The foxes in this neighborhood are the sr^^jf/tenermes^i
the grouse. I saw where, during a period of four weeks
eight grouse had been caught and eaten by the same old fox
in one copse of about one hundred acres. I tracked him to
his hlle and tried to shoot him at different times; he was
finally kilfed This was very near Oil City. If the other foxes
do as well on full-grown birds, you can imagine what they
can do on young birds in the early soi-mmer. You cannot go
a mile from here without crossing fox tracks.

R. G. LAMBERTON, Oil City:

Frequently find the remains of grouse and rabbits i^artly
eaten by foxes and chicken, hawks.

JOHN A. WILSON, Franklin:

Have shot a number of hawks, and each one was just at a
meal of grouse.

WARREN COUNTY.

AL. ALBAUGH, Tldloute:

Weasels, minks, foxes, polecats, hawks, owls and raccoons
destroying poultry, game, etc.

ELI S. KELLER. Warren:

I find in my hunting that minks, wea.sels. foxes, wildcats,
owls an«l hawks are very destructive.

J. H. WILKINS, Cherry Grove:
Hawks, skunks, 'coons and weasels destroying poultry, etc.

F. F. WEiLD, Sugar Grove:

Rabbits killed by fox and mink, poultry by kawks, brooding
partridges greatly pestered by foxes.

H. B. BLANDING, Barnes:

I have known of red sriuirrels taking small birds, skunks will
take eggs from under a pheasant, and sometifmes the pheasant,
too; owls killed four of my hens in one night, and a skunk
took ten young chicks of mine in one night also.

W. S. PEIRCE, Warren:

Frequently see during the early snow in the winter a bunch
of grrouse feathers on the snow with fox or wildcat tracks lead-
ing from them; eggs broken in the spring with the odor of the
skunk still about the nest.

RICHARD B. STEWART, WaTren:

Hawks killing young grouse and rabbits; foxes and wildcats
leave nothing but the feathers.

W. P. HUNTER. Warren:
Hen hawks and fish hawks destroying game, poultry, etc.

T. J. H. IRWIN, Warren:
Poultry by owls and hawks.

E. D. EVERTS, Cory don:

Last fall I shot twro fish hawks in the act of taking fish. I
also shot about twelve kingfishers.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

NORWOOD JOHNSTON, Canonsb«rg:

To see a hawk In this county Is a sure sign that there Is a
covey of quail in the vicinity.

CHARLES G. McILVAINE, Monongahela:

^J^^' }}^^^ ^1^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^y destructive to quail, pheasant
and rabbit. I have found feathers and tracks, and observed
where large numbers of quail had been destroyed The salt
and sulphur water from mines hurt the fish.

J. T. PARKINSON, Sparta:

I believe the telephone and telegraph wires destroy more
song birds than any other cause.

GEORGE MONTGOMERY. Washington*

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WAYNE COUNTY.

T. C. MADDEN. Newfoundland:

Chicken hawk, fox, mink and polecat destroying poultry,
game, etc.

GEORGE M. DAY, Dy berry:

Mink in former years was very destructive to poultry, wild-
cats very destructive to rabbits; no personal loss in past two
years. Higher prices for minks* fur have reduced their num-
ber to a minimum; wfldcat fur very low, twenty to fifty cents,
and they may increase in number unless bounty is raised.

TUNIS SMITH, Soutli ^^terling:

Have seen where pheasants, rabbits and birds have been
killed by cats, foxes, skunks, minks and hawks.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

S. V. SPROUL, Derry Station:

Can give information to quail killed by minks; have seen
many cases.

G. B. STRIPE, Bradenville:
Mostly by boys and foreigners.

J. B. FRY, Welty:

Rabbits killed by weasels and owls; poultry by weasels, and
rabbits by polecates; song birds by hawks and English spar-
rows.

A. B. HABERLIN, Lycippus:

I have seen many rabbits killed by the night owl, many
young birds killed by the crows, and nests and eggs de-
stroyed; have seen many killed by fox and mink.

R. H. BUSH. Paulton:

Have seen hawks and foxes carry off young chickens and
kill old ones.

J. F. HANGER, Donegal:

I have seen game fish, poultry and song birds destroyed by
the pigeon and chicken hawk, owl, fox, mink and weasel.

JOHN Y. WOODS, ESQ., Greensburg:

Have oflen seen the evidences of pheasants and quail de-
stroyed by hawks.

W. P. DIXON, Livermore:
Hawks, owls and foxes destroying game, poultry, etc.

HON. J. C. CAMPBELL, Derry Station:

I find the mink, weasel and the domestic cat are very de-
structive of rabbits, pheasants and quail when young.

JOS. M. CAJIN, Derry:

I have seen chicken hawks kill quail and frequent cases
where foxes have killed pheasants. ,.».,.

GEORGE F. AUSTRAW, Millwood:
Polecat, mink, weasel and fox destroying same, poultry, etc.

HON. AMOS TROUT, Armhurst:

Hawks and owls kill birds often in hard winters; the worst
enemy to fish is the seine.

^ WYOMING COUNTY.

HENRY YOUNG, Centremoreland:

Foxes destroy more poultry, rabbits and pheasants than arc
sent to market.

O. O. BARNES, Lovelton:

Cannot raise ducks, geese or turkeys where I live: lose at
least half our chickens; hawks take the chicks, and owls,
minks, wildcats and raccoons take the birds when largo
enough to roam the fields and woodlands. I lose twenty-five
to fifty young chicks every year, and have lost as high as
thirty two-thirds grown turkeys in one season by minks, owls
and 'coons.

C. A. OTTER, Bellasylva:

I have often seen hawks catch birds, and I saw an owl
catch a large squirrel on a birch tree at midday.

T. D. SCHANTZ, Rlcketts:
Have seen fox have a white rabbit.

E. D. ROBINSON, Forkston:

Saw tracks in snow where a wildcat caught one of my sheep;
saw weasel killing poultry; saw were mink killed poultry
and rabbits. Have frequently seen hawks carrying off poultry:
owls are sure to get some of my poultry if they roost in the
trees.

J. T. KETCH LEDGE. Tunkhannock:

The hawk, owl and fox are very destructive to every kind of
game and fish, and also to poultry and song birds.

YORK COUNTY.

J. G. PATTERSON, Stewartstown:

I have had eighty chickens killed by minks in two suc-
cessive nights; also eighteen young goslings in one night by
minks, and many young ducks. Many of my neighbors have
suffered from the depredations of minks, weasels, foxes and
skunks. V ...,.

CHARLES INES. York.
Have personal knowledge of hawks killing a whole covey

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119

of quail during winter month., an. tear such reports from all

over country.

HON. GERARD C. BROWN. Yorkana: w,^^u„nake eat

the birds. ' ^ ■

A C KRUEGER, Wrlghtsville:

The so-called pigeon hawk has come under my notice on
several occasions as a poultry destroyer.

W. H. BURNHAM, York:
Quail by hawk.

MARSHALL F. JONES, Slate Hill:

I often see the carcases of rabbits and the remains of the
y^c^af nf niiall with eggs strewn around, which, in nine-ienms
Sf theclses!' Jas don! without a doubt by the worthless cur
dogs which infest this community.

WHAT FARMERS SAY OF THE GROW.

In reply to the question, "Do crows commit serious damage
to poultry in your locality by stealing eggs and catching the
young of domestic fowls?" answers were received as follows:

ADAMS COUNTY.

DR. C. E. GOLDSBOROUGH, Hunterstown:

Yes. they are the most destructive of all birds, and cause
more loss than all the other birds and animals combined.
They are more audacious than hawks, and by hatching In our
woods, "are always with us."

PETER THORN, Gettysburg:
Yes.

E. MORRIS BUSHMAN. Gettysburg:

Yes, they are very bold while raising their young; aftor
that they cause no trouble.

L. W. LIGHTY, East Berlin:

No. I was largely in the poultry business for years, and the
crow never did any damage to me worth mentioning. They
are useful birds to the farmers. Of this I am sure from ob-
servations.

ROBERT H. CURUENS, Gettysburg: • . ^ :

Yes.

AARON J. WEIDNER, Arendtsville:
No serious damage; they often carry off little chicks.

C. L. LONGSDORF, Flora Dale: * ^

Not where the poultry is properly cared for. Crows and
blackbirds are destroyed only by persons who are too Ignorant
to recognize their friends. ^'

W. H. BLACK, Flora Dale:

Crows commit some damages as indicated, but when we fire
some blank shots when they appear too audacious, they keep
off and are little trouble thereafter.

THEO. McAllister, Barlow:

The crow is one of the worst enemies to profitable poultry
industry; they steal eggs and also young chicks.

R. WILLIAM BREAM, Gettysburg:
Yes; most emphatically.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

HON. JAS. M. B. ROBB, Oakdale:
No.

J. S. KEEFER, Braddock:

No ; it is a rare sight to see a crow. I do not think 1 have
seen one this spring.

ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

W. R. RAMALEY, Cochran's Mills:

Yes. but I think the good they do will overbalance tht*
harm.

W. M. JACKSON, Kittanning:
Not much.

JACOB FISHER, Atwood: L . -

Some times they steal a few eggs and pull a little corn, yet
I think they are of benefit to the farmer by gathering worms
and larvae that destroy our crops and small fruit.

BEAVER COUNTY.

HON. IRA MANSFIELD, Beaver:
Yes. very limited.

• BRADFORD COUNTY

J. W. KETCHAM, Minnequa:
No.

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120

A. T. L.JL.LBY. LeRoy: _ . .

No. .

HLAIR OOCTNTY.

GEORGE M. PATTERSON, Williamsburg.

Very much.
FRED. JAEKEL, Hollidaysburg:

No.

HENRY S. WERTZ, Duncanvllle:

I have known them to carry away hens' eggs and young
chicks.

BERKS COUNTY.

OLIVER D. SCHOCK, Hamburg:

The aggregate loss is not heavy. Years ago the loss was
much greater.

FRED. B. HOSSLER, Hamburg:
Yes. but at the same time feed on grubs .

GEORGE D. FAHRENBACH. West Reading:

They destroy all the eggs in nests outside of building and
catch young poultry.

JAMES McGOWAN, Geiger's Mills:

Yes they do; also many a farmer loses a corn crop t)y the
crows pulling the corn out about the time it comes up; th(.y
are getting too plenty.

A. M. YOUNG, Womelsdorf:
They do.

FRANK B. BROWN. West Leesport:

Only with farmers or poultry raisers living near the Blue
Mountains, or near some forest. In rare cases, Isolated farms
that are not near a woods are troubled In this way.

R. W. SCHKRER, Manatawny:
No.

A. H. ADAMS, Jacksonwald:
Yes. ^

HENRY A. MILLER, Shoemakersville:
Yes, especially eating eggs and catching young chicks.

M. D. HUNTER. Stony Creek Mills:
No, not to my knowledge.

CYRUS T. FOX, Reading:

They are somewhat destructive, but compensate therefore
by devouring Insect p^sts.

121

CHARLES AMMARELL, Reading:
They do not.

BEDFORD COUNTY.

J. W. SMITH, Yellow Creek:

Very little; the most trouble we have with them is pulling
up the young corn.

DAVID HOLDERBAUM, Bedford:
Not serious. ;

C. J. POTTS, Bedford:
Yes.

BUCKS COUNTY.

HON. EASTBURN REEDER, New Hope:

Crows are quite troublesome at times, stealing eggs, eating
young chickens and pulling up corn.

JAMES L. BRANSON, Langhorne:
Not much.

H. W. COMFORT, Falsington:
Crows annually destroy many young chickens

ASHER MATTISON, New Hope:
No. " ■ ." *

LOUISE D. BAGGS, Bristol: ' ' ' '

No. •

HARRY E. GRIM, Perkasie:
No.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

SAMUEL HALL, McGee's Mills:

Crows do no harm to poultry in this county; the worst harm
they do is to corn and grain fields.

W. S. GREENE, DuBois:

I have never known them to do so; crows are apparently
becoming scarcer year after year.

HARRISON STRAW. Kerrmoor:
The crows carry off a few chickens, but not many.

FRANK G. HARRIS, Clearfield:
Yea.

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CARBON COUNTY.

('. T. WI^LLS, Rockport:
About the only damage crows do in this looalliy in In corn

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122

they do more damage than they do good.

E. BAUER, East Mauch Chunk: . ,

No. " ' ^: V M.-

CHESTER COTTNTY.

FRANCIS JACOBS. West Chester:

Yes they are a direct enemy to the farmer, dama^nn^ th.
coTn crops^o a great extent, and should be exterminated.

ALEXANDER HODGSON, Cochranville:

It occasionally takes eggs; they are decent birds compared
with the sparrow.

JOSIAH HOOPES, West Chester: _

Yes, far more damage than all the hawks, and yet he is ex-
ceedingly beneficial to the farmer.

JOHN ti. HICKS, Avondale:

The crow will take the eggs of any fowl that don t have a
pro^ec^ed ne^t away from buildings, and will carry off a good
sized young chicken, turkey, etc.

W. H. BRINTON, Atglen:

It has been my experience that the crow does little damage,
except in fleldT of corn that are late being harveste<l.

JOHN L. BALDERSTON, Kennett Square:
They do much damage in this way.

EDWARD NORRIS, West Chester:

Yps thev do- they are great robbers, of more than ordinary
cunning Ld will steal thi eggs and young of nearly all birds
as welfas pou ry. They are particularly hard on guinea
fow^who have stolen their nests away from the barn build-
ings.
JOS. S. WALTON, Ercildoun:

No.

HARRY WILSON, Gum Tree:

Yes. much damage to turkeys and guinea ^owl raisers. Have
seen crow sit on stake of worm fence and wait for turkey
hen to ?^y and to follow guinea fowls about until laying time
to ascerta n the location of nest, and as they cannot break a
guinea egg with bill, they catch it in claws fly up and drop
It on fence or hard ground to break it. Have seen crows
eat four young chickens in succession; they are very bold and
rapacious.

SAMUEL MARSHALL, West Chester:

Carry off a few young chickens and an occasional egg from
nests in field, etc.

vss

AUGUSTUS BROSIUS. Avondale: * ^ ' ^

Only occasionally does damage of this kind occur.

• ^

E. INGRAM, West Chester:

Sometimes a pair of crows having a nest near are trouble-
some to young chickens, but they readily fall a victim to a
poisoned egg.

WILLIAM H. SHARPLESS, West Chester:
They do not.

R. F. COCHRAN, Cochranville: -
Yes.

J. HIBBERD BARTRAM, Mllltown:

They do considerable damage, particularly in catching young
poultry; have lost several this spring, but have shot some of
the crows.

S. E. PASCHALL, West Chester:
No; some complaints, but not many.

ADDISON L. JONES, Principal West Chester High School:
No.

I. FRANK CHANDLER, Toughkenamon: •

They take eggs when laid from the buildings and destroy
young poultry. ^ . . .

FRANK L. BURNS, Berwyn:

Not when properly looked after; when nesting in the open
or wandering wHh small young in or near woods, it i.s a c<»m-
mon occurrence to lose eggs and young frequently, but it is
not always traceable to crows.

THOMAS SHARPLESS. West Chester:

Crows seldom molest my poultry, but are quite destructive
to our native song birds by stealing the eggs from the nests.

DR. JOHN R. EVERHART, West Chester:

Have known crows to cajch small chickens; also to take the
eggs of other birds.

H. F. LEISTER, Superintendent of Schools, Phoenixville:
Yes. •

• • •

CLINTON COUNTY. ;

W. A .SNYDER, Salona:
Rarely.

B. F. FLETCHER. Lock Haven:

No; they do not come Into town, but In the country they
steal eggs when possible.

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DAVID MA PES. Beech Creek:

Crows have takon not less than fifty chickens from "s this
season, and two-thirds of the first laying of eggs ^ro"? eight
turkeys, six or seven dozen, and several young turkeys, besides
pulling up corn to the amount of nearly an acre, which had to
be replanted.

CENTRE COUNTY.

WILLIAM H. MILLER. Secretary Logan Grange. No. 109.

Bellefonte:

They get away with all the eggs they can find, but do not
interfere with the chicks. When my seed corn Is coming out
of the ground (I sow corn along the fences in the corn neld),
then they hunt for the cut worm and do not Interfere with the
planted corn.

OLA lUON COUNTY.

FRANK KELL. Kingsvllle:

They are somewhat addicted to catching young chickens
and stealing eggs; are more shy fhan the hawk.

A. G. DAVIS, Clarion:

No. • •

i:D. M. McEUTlRE. Frampton:
They do not.

CAMBRIA COUNTY.

DR. I. MANCHER, Carrollton:
No.

W. R. THOMPSON, Ebensburg:
No; not to any extent.

LEIGHTON ROWLAND. Vetera:
No.

CRAWFORD COUNTY.

HARRY C. KIRKPATRICK, MeadvlUe:

Live In town, so have not seen them, but that they do some-
times. 1 know to be a fact, being told by farmers, and I have
seen them destroying the nests and eggs and eating the young
of wild birds. . , -

JAMES TURNER, MeadviUe:
No.

MRS. J. R. HEAD. Saegerstown:
They do not.

r~

125

J. M. BIDDLE. Saegerstown:

To no great amount; think they do as much good as hair
In catching mice and grasshoppers.

■ sr4

W. H. SEWARD, Rundells: '

No. ■ ■ .

A. A. GALLUP. Dicksonburg: .. ., ^

No.

GEORGE T. WRIGHT, Meadville:

Have never known a crow to niolest poultry. Formerly
they were considered pests, but they have ceased to trouble
poultry raisers In this immediate vicinity.

GEORGE SPITLER, Moslertown:
Not much, only on small birds.

COLUMBIA COUNTY.

PROF. J. P. WELSH. Bloomsburg:

Not serious. They do steal some eggs and chicks; have no-
ticed they are very likely to steal turkey eggs, as turkeys nest
away from buildings.

HON. EDWARD M. TEWKSBURY, Catawlssa:

Not very much; some crows do, however, destroy many of
the nests of robins, orioles, etc. Let every man be a "law unto
himself" as far as crows. Outlaw the hawks, etc., and let a
bounty be put on their heads; hawks never die, but like Will-
iams' cat, "must be shot." Hawks do not propagate rapidly,
hence killing a few ends the chapter,

DR. McCREA, Berwick:
To some extent, but not seriously.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

HENRY S. RUPP. Shiremanstown:
No, crows do little damage to anything. f "

DAUPHIN COUNTY.

E. C. BRINZER, Middletown:
They catch young poultry when they get an opportunity.

ERIE COUNTY.

O. D. VAN CAMP, Girard:

They do but little damage in or about towns, but in the
country I have known them to destroy many eggs and chickens

ROBERT DILL, North East:
No; I think crows do more good than harm.

I

I 11

t.

126

F. E. FBNTON, North East:
No.

„ ,«- .•>,

\Z:r^^IorJ:y injury Ueln. done .y crow, .n the man-

ner named.

J. C. THORNTON. Avonia:

They dig up corn.
J. C. CAMPBELL, North East:

No.
C. W. PAGE, North East:

No.

FAYETTE COUNTY.

DR. LOUIS ARENSBERG, Heisterstown:

Crows steal eggs whenever they get a ^^Jj^J^^^'^i^^Y^^^^^^^h'T
take young chickens; the corn fields suffer more than tne

poultry.

FULTON COUNTY.

CLEM. CHESTNUT, Hustontown:
Yes.

FRANKLIN COUNTY.

HON. W. W. BRITTON, Upper Straflburg:

Not very serious. I do not believe all crows steal eggs and
young fowls. I think there are certain individual crows that
are expert In the business.

CHRISTIAN W. GOOD. Waynesboro:

They steal some eggs and sometimes take quite young
peeps, but they are so easily scared off and kept away that
I am rather inclined toward saying that the matter is not
very serious.

H. B. CRAIG, Welsh Run:
Tes.

W. S. REED, Altenwald:
They do.

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

E. B. HARENEAME, Norrace:
Sometimes.

OEQRGE W. OWENS. Birmingham:

Not as a rule, yet occasionally a crow will learn the trick
of stealing eggs and little "peep" chickens. If you succeed in

127

killing him that is the end of it. There is a certain hawk
which is a very bad enemy to poultry.

J. PETER SNYDER, Huntingdon: -' .

They mostly steal eggs.

INDIANA COUNTY.

P. M. HODGE, Blairsville:

Not serious; occasionally commit slight depredations; black-
birds drive away crows.

A. M. HAMMERS, Indiana:

No.

HARRY LEARN, Cookport:

The crow is one of the most destructive birds in our locality
at the present day; he destroys more corn in one day than
would feed a thousand sparrows in one month.

L D. SPICHER, Hillsdale: '. .

They very often steal the eggs and young chicks.

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

EMMA C. McGAREY, Stanton:

No; they are no trouble, only as they bother the corn whon
coming through the ground.

H. C. HIMES. Content:
Considerable.

JOHN H. JOHNS, lirookville:

No.

-. i

JUNIATA COUNTY.

S. E. RHINE, Pyleeton. ' ^

Ye«. * . '

JEREMIAH KELLER, Mifflintown:

No crows are about here, but in the townships they very fre-
quently catch and carry off the young of domestic fowls.

WELLINGTON SMITH, Mifflintown: -

Yes, they do more to depopulate our native birds than all
other agencies combined. Before the sparrow came the native
bird was finding shelter near the dwelling; now there is no
hope. Both the crow and the sparrow are great destroyers
and ought to be exterminated if this is possible.

WILLIAM A. THOMAS. Mifflintown:

Yes. . -../'.

H. C. HOWET. Mifflintown:
They do serloys damage to poultry; are noted for their fond-

i

!

128

ness for eggs, whilst they also cany oft a gnai many youi.g
ducks and chickens.

J. W. MILLIKEN, Honey Grove; ^ . -

They do.
DENNY M. MARSHALL. Walnut.

Yes.
SAMUEL SCHLEYD, East Salem:

Yes.
G. S. LUKENS, East Salem:

They do.
H. J. SHALLENBERGER. McAllistervme:

They do some damage.

J. W. McCAHAN, Walnut:

No.
J. C. LAUTZ. Thompsontown:

Yes.

W. P. BELL, Reed's Gap:
Yes.

129

^ V

LANCASTER COUNTY.

A. BOWMAN, Marietta:
No.

MONTILION BROWN. Wakefield:

Takes occasionally a few eggs and small chicks, but he is
easily scared; a few shots will keep him at a distance.

JOHN CREADY, Mopnt Joy:
Yes, very much.

HON. JOHN H. LANDIS, Mllleraville:
No serious daniage, tc the best of my knowledge.

W. P. BRINTON, Christiana:
In a few instances, yes.

P. S. REIST, Litltz:

Crows are considered Injurious to places where they can
steal eggs and catch young chickens.

■ ' ^

WILLIAM M. MAULE, Collins:

During nesting season, especially when they have young,
crows do carry off a cnnsiderable number of young chickens
and eggs.

OEOROK CRANE. Mount vllle:

Yes. >• .'■""

."?

E. B. ENGLE, Marietta:

No.

H. JUSIN RODDY, Mlllersville: ' ' '

No, except in more rural districts.

J. G. RUSH, West Willow:
No.

JOHN H. EPLER. Elizabeth town:

Not here in town, but close to their breeding places they are
bad.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

DR. L F. EVERHART, Scranton:

Occasionally he is a marauder, but his many good traits
overbalance all the mischief he may do to early corn and in
the poultry yard.

LEBANON COUNTY.

J. L. LONG, Richland:
They steal all the young chicks and eggs they can get.

JOHN W. SNOKE, Annville:
Yes, much havoc is committed by this bird.

H. C. SNAVELY, Lebanon:

The crow certainly has an appetite for eggs and spring
chickens; their depredations would be serious if not re-
strained. About this time (April) it is not well to be too
familiar with his crowship. A shot gun has a restraining in-
fluence.

»

LEHIGH COUNTY.

W. B. K. JOHNSON, Allentown:

I do not raise poultry. Some years ago, when with my
father, I know crows took eggs, but do not remember that
they disturbed the young chickens.

ALVIN RUPP, Allentown:
No.

LAWRENCE COUNTY.

JAMES M. WATSON, Fay:
No.

LUZERNE COUNTY.

D. K. LAUBACH, Fairmount Springs:
Yes, they are very troublesome in catching small poultry: if

9 -II

ii I

130

a hen or turkey make their nest away from the buildings the
crow will surely steal their eggs. ^

LEWIS H. KOCHER, Ruggles:

DAVID J. LINSKILL, Plymouth: , , ^ „

No. but they fish along the Susquehanna river and shallow
ponds.
W. P. KIRKENDALL, Dallas:

No.

LYCOMING OOUNTY.

JACOB HEIM, Hepburn:
Yes.

P. J. VANDINE, Lairdsville:

Crows while nesting, will sometimes carry away small
chTckrns Tnd steal eg|s occasionally, but mostly get a good
dose of shot from the farmer.

PETER REEDER, Hughesville:

Crows have always been thieves; they pull ^^^ n^^l^ Pj^J^!,^
corn, destroy the ears when ripening and commit serious dep-
redations to poultry by stealing eggs and catching and de-
stroying young fowl.

AUGUST KOCH, Williamsport:
Yes. more than hawks while chicks are small.

• i

MERCER COUNTY.

ROBERT McKEE, Mercer;
No.

R. K. BAKER, Sandy Lake:

They steal the eggs, but do not bother the young fowls to
any great extent.

Li. R. ECKLES, Mercer:

They do not; they are destroyers of birds' eggs and their
young.

DR. J. A. MORELAND, Jamestown:
Very little damage is done by crows except to the corn crops.

MIFFLIN COUNTY.

HON. GRUBER H. BELL, Lewistown:
No; they are very usfful birds to the farmer.

.JOHN A. CAMPBELL, Belleville:
They are one of our greatest pests. I have nothing good to

131

say for the crow; he is an all-round thief, will destroy poul-
try, eggs, grain, birds* nests, young rabbits, pheasants and
wild turkey eggs.

M. R. THOMPSON. Lewistown:

The farmers say they will steal their young chickens; the
crow is rather shy and keeps away from barns, hut nevertho-
leR.s is a noted thief.

^^

t.i

S. A. HERTZLER, Belleville:
A slight loss. -'^••J^

MONTOUK COUNTY.

W. D, STEINEACH, Limestoneville:
Yes.

MONROE COUNTY.

M. LUTHER MICHAEL, Shawnee:

They do; destroying also much young corn, beans, peas, etc.,
and the fuljy matured ears by eating them when the kernels
are in the milk.

HON. R. F. SCHWARZ, Analomink:

Never knew them to take eggs, but have seen them carry ofT
young chicks. "^

RANDALL BISBING, Minsi:
No.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

V. E. THOMPSON, Swedeland;
No.

WILLIAM W. POTTS, Swedeland:

No. It is very easy to protect against crows. I tie up a
shingle, whitewashed on one side, to a limb or pole; by tying
It on one end and a little out of centre, it will be constantly
m motion. They are only bad when they have young In nest.

GEORGE W. RIGHTP:r, Abrams:
Bad on poultry if not watched.

E. M. TYSON. King of Prussia:
Yes.

GEORGE WALL, Norristown:

Crows are not very plentiful In this neighborhood. The only
damage they do is in the spring and summer months by catch-
ing young fowls. ^

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

J. A. GIFFEN. Montandon:

Yes, by stealing eggs; have never observed them catching the
young. * *

132

S. H. DEANS, Superintendent Schools, Mt. Carmel: , ..
No.

L. A. BEARDSLEY, Milton:

No. :r '

D. G. MOYER, Greenbrier:

Yes; they have done more damage than any other kmd of
bird. '
C. D. OBERDORF, Sunbury:

Not serious.

B. B. SMITH, Shamokin:
Yes. ' ' '''

/w 1.1

IRA SHIPMAN, Sunbury:
Eggs, small chickens and young turkeys.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY.

R. O. RITTER, Hanoversvllle:
Yes.

E. F. HEIL, Nazareth:
Yes, If they can find them away from habitation.

JOHN J. GABLE, Harper:
They do. , . . . .

A. S. SHIMER, Redington.

Yes." -. '

PERRY COUNTY.

R. M. ALEXANDER, New Bloomfield:

Yes, they steal. In the country, all kinds of young fowls and
eggs.

SILAS WRIGHT. Reward:

The damttge to poultry from the common crow is about tlx
hundred dollars, and yet they destroy more than six hundred
dollars' worth of destructive worms, bugs and Insects.

MILTON B. ESHLEMAN. Newport:
No.

SAMUEL E. ROBERTS, Newport:
They do.

GEORGE A. WAGNER, Alinda:
They do.

B. M. EBY, Newport:

None worthy of mention as to eggs, but they kill some youn
chicks.

£3

\Xl

GEORGE L. nUCHER, Donnally's Mills:

Yes.

'i' S.t,

U

PHILADELPHIA COUNTY.

WILLIAM DORR CARPENTER, Philadelphia:

Havo noticed them visiting pigeons' nests on several occa-
sions.

f : ■■ I

• *

HON MAHLON L. SAVAGE, Frankford:
To a very limited extent.

POTTER COUNTY.

E. O. AUSTIN, Austin:

' No, they are too shy to come near enough.

PIKE COUNTY.

HON. LAFAYETTE ROWLAND, Rowland: , "^ "'*

Very little damage is done.

• •

EDGAR PINCHETT, Milford: . ,

^ They do not; the damage they do is principally to corn.

MB

SNYDER COUNTY.

HENRY NOYES, Salem: " '

They do. I am positive they eat about two hundred turkey
eggs for us annually, and catch young turkeys and chickens.

H. J. HEISER, Shadle:
They catch a few young chicks.

JOHN F. BOYER, Mount Pleasant Mills:
Nm

feCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

A. F. KINNARD, Orwlgsburg:

Yes, sir; serious damage to poultry in our locality; destrov
over one-half of the turkeys.

W. H. STOUT, Pine Grove:

They may occasionally get a few eggs or a young duck but
not to any extent.

SUISQUEHANNA COUNTY.

E. A. & E. L. WESTON, Brooklyn: ' ' *.

Not usually. . ; . ■ ^.

S. S. THOMAS, Lynn: * . * • •

No. ^

m

I

'

DR. A. H. TINGLEY, Susquehanna:
No.

ii^MERSET COUNTY.

PETER M1LJ-.ER, Somerset:

Not much.
JEREMIAH S. MIL.L,EK, Husband:

Considerably; they become very bold if they find that they
can get eggs and small chickens.

DR. H. D. MOORE, New Lexington:

No.

TIOGA COUNTY.

M. SORNBERGER, Job's Corner:
To quite an extent.

UNION COUNTY.

J. A. GUNDY, licwisburg:

They carry off eggs when laid away from barns or buildings,
espooiallv turkey eggs, and perhaps a few very young ohicUs.

VENANGO COUNTY.

JAMES J. WILLS, Franklin:
To some extent; they will steal eggs.

JOHN F. BIGLER, Franklin:
No.

WARREN COUNTY.

WILLIS COWAN, Warren:

Ne.

WALTER SCHULER. Warren:
No.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

HON. JOHN C. FRENCH, Prosperity:

If fowls nest away from barns, I think Mr. Crow will lakt-
all he can steal; but. being a shy bird. h«^ does not come about
our bams and chicken houses much.

H. P. MYERS, California:
No, we do not have enough rrowg.

J. P. HORN. Sunset:
No serious damage; they steal a few eggs occailonally.

135

E. B. ENOCH. Washington:

Yes.
B. E. Mccracken, Washington:

Yes.

WAYNE COUNTY.

JAMES LESHER, Avoy:

Yes- one crow will carry off a flock of little chicks in one
day, as well as steal hen and turkey eggs; has done this for
me.

W ESTMORELANt) COUNTY.

A. RUTH, Scottdale:
No serious damage done by them.

WYOMING COUNTY.

N. P. STERLING. Meshoppen:
They do some, unless especially guarded against.

YORK COUNTY.

HON. GERAKD C. brown, Yorkana:

Yes, in common with their cousin, the grackle. The most
damage they do is to the young corn as it comes up. 1
have had fields so raided that I had to replace the whole
concern. Crows are hard on birds' nests (eggs and young),
especially on the meadow lark and quail when their nests are
uncovered by our mowers and reapers.

JAMES G. PATTERSON, Stewartstown:

The crow is a great thief; they will steal eggs of the do-
mestic fowl, and will catch young chicks and turkeys and
carry them off to their nesting places, not only when they
have young, but when hatching.

M. S. TYSON. York:

The crow is a thieving robber, and will pull up corn about
hatching time, and during the fall of the year they Injure a
great many wheat stacks.

OTHER STATES.

H. E. van DEMAN. Parksly. Virginia:
Not very often.

,, :.n

136

CHAPTER III.

HIRDS OF rRF.Y.

Representatives of the order of Raptores are present in every
part of the world, and with the feathered race they occupy a
position quite similar to the carnivorous animals among the
mammalia. All live on an animal diet. "Most of the smaller,
or weaker, species, feed much upon insects; others more partic-
ularly upon reptiles, and fish; others upon carrion; but the
majority prey upon other birds and small mammals, captured
In open warfare."— Co?*e«.

AMERICAN VULTURES.

In the Western Hemisphere there are eight representatives
of the family Cathartidae, and of these but two occur in the
Eastern United States. North Carolina, according to Dr. Coues,
is about the northern limit at which the Black Vulture, or
Carrion Crow, is seen to occur with any degree of regularity.
The Turkey Vulture or Turkey Buzzard, as this species is
usually denominated, is quite common as far northward as
the southeastern section of Pennsylvania, where it is resident,
but it, of course, is much more plentiful in the summer season
than during the winter.

These cowardly, ignoble, gluttonous and partly gregarious
birds are found in abundance in the warmer countries, where,
frequently, they are protected by law and strong public senti-
ment because of their great value as scavengers. Vultures
subsist largely on carrion. They often collect in considerable
numbers around the body of a defunct horse, cow. steer or
other large sized animal, and gorge themselves until they are
scarcely able to fly. When, however, their uncleanly repast Is
finished, they usually perch on trees, rocks, fences, etc., where
they remain In a quiet and sleepy attitude, with wings droop-
ing. P^requently if these birds are wounded, or suddenly
frightened when feeding, and sometimes when their nests or
young are molested, they eject the foetid contents of the crop.
Two Fpecles of the family occur in Pennsylvania.

%

', V*:^-

^

I

137

TURKEY VULTURE

TURKEY VULTURE.
' . Cathartes aura,

DESCRIPTION.

Entire plumage brownish-black, and more or less glossy;
quills paler on under surface; skin of head and neck naked
and wrinkled, with scattering bristle-like feathers; head and
neck red, bill whitish, legs and feet pinkish, iris grayish-
br^wn nostrils large and oval.

Nestlings,~Baive skin of head nearly white, body covered with
white down. Length about thirty inches; extent of wings about
sc^enty-two inches; wing about twenty-five; tail twelve inches.

Habitat, —Temper Site North America, from New Jersey, Ohio
Valley, Saskatchewan region and Washington Territory, south-
ward to Patagonia, casually northward on the Atlantic coast
to Maine.

This species is found in some sections of Pennsyl-
vania at all seasons, but during the summer months is
umch more plentiful than at other times. The Turke.v
Buzzard usually rears its young in woods or thickets,
mostly near streams of water. It makes little or no
(effort to construct a nest; the eggs — never more than
two in number and occasionally only one — are de-
posited generally in a slight concavity in the ground
protected by shelving or overhanging rocks. Some-
times, liowever, the nests of this bird are found in
stumps and hollow logs. The eggs are yellowish white,
spotted with different shades of brown and purple, and
measure about two and three-fourths inches in length
by nearly two inches in breadth. It is stated that this
species sometimes breeds in Pennsylvania as earlv as
the last week in March. I have found nine nests in
Chester and Delaware counties during the past four-
teen years; of this number seven were taken late in
April or early in May, and all contained fresh eggs.
The two remaining nests, found in June, contained
9»-II

•'J

COLOR PLATE

««n>''

>-^ \ "'^'^

■H****-'

' t i"' - * »_<'■ > -

>t*'.r

1:^7

TURKEY VULTURE.
Cathartes aura.

DESCRIPTION.

Entire plumage brovvnish-blaok. and more or less glossy:
quills paler on under surface; skin of head and neck naked
and wrinkled, with scattering bristle-like feathers; head and
neck red, V)ill whitish, less and feet pinkish, iris grayish-
brnwn nostrils large and oi'al.

Nestlings, —l^ave skin of head nearly white, body covered with
white down. Length about thirty inches; extent of wings about
se-'^entv-tvvo inches; wing about twenty-five; tail twelve inches.

^a6i7a<.— Temperate North America, from New Jersey, Ohio
Valley, Saskatchewan region and Washington Territory, south-
ward to Patagonia, casually northward on the Atlantic coast
to Maine.

This species is found in some sections of Pennsvl-
vuuia at all seasons, but durin"- the summer months is
much more ])lennful than at other times. The Turkev
Huzzard usually rears its voun^ in ^voods or thickets,
mostly near streams of water. It makes liltle or no
efforl to construct a nest; the eggs — never more tlian
hvo in number and occasionnlly only one — arc^ de-
posited generally in a slight concavity in the ground
protected by shelving or overhanging rocks. Some-
times, however, the nests of this bird are found in
stumj)s and hollow logs. The eggs are yellowish white,
spotted with different shades of brown and purple, and
measure about two and three-fourths inches in length
by nearly two in<*hes in breadth. Tt is stat(»d tliat this
species sometimes breeds in Pennsvlvania as earlv as
the last we(»k in ^farch. I have found nine nests in
Ohestei* and Delaware counties during the past four-
teen years: of this number seven wei*e taken late in
April oi- early in May, and all contnined fresh eggs.
Th(» two remnining nests, found in Jun(\ contain(»d
f)»-II

Ini^.

TURKEY VULTURE.

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

Jl

138

downy voung. I am informed that these birds, in
Lancaster and Yoriv counties, along the Susquehanna
river, are annually to be found breeding in small com-
munities of a dozen or twenty individuals. The species
also breeds regularly in Adams and Cumberland couu
ties; in Adams county it is reported to be ({uite plenti-
ful as a sunmier resident. . .

Devoured Grasshoppers and Beetles. .

This bird will resort for several consecutive seasons
to a favorite* nesting phice, and occasionally when its
eggs are taken will lay a second time in the same nest.
The Turkey Vulture is very numerous in the southern
states, where it resides all the year, but in the eastern
United States, north of Pennsylvania, it is said to be
<|uite rare. Two young which I took from the nesi
and kept in captivity until full grown became exceed-
ingly tame. These birds often when feeding, and in-
variably if approached by a stranger, would utter a
loud hiss, the only sound which this species, as well as
other of the American V^ultures, is known to make.
Thev fed chietlv on fresh meat, and also devoured with
apparent lelish earth-worms, crickets, grasshoppers
and other large insects; oftentimes they also ate pieces
of bread, cake and ])articles of apples or pears which,
were thrown before th(»m. The Turkey Buzzard, in
its natural state, according to Audubon, sucks the
eggs and devours the young of herons and other birds.
Turkey Buzzards do not, as some persons affirm, dis-
turb domestic fowls, and rarelv are these cowardly
bir^s seen to destroy the eggs of poultry. I have
never known them to disturb either the eggs or young
of biids, but hav(» obscM'ved that they subsist almost
whollv <ui carricui. The benefits which these scaven-
gers render are too well known to need any comment.

',?,•> <.;t

-•-o

139

A Useful Bird to Mankind.

Mr. Prank M. Chapman in his valuable little work
entitled "Bird Life," a publication which every school
child and a good many adults, too, could .read witli
great profit, says:

The Turkey Buzzard is one of Nature's scavengers, and, as
such, is one of the few birds whose services to mankind are
thoroughly appreciated. There are others of equal or even •
greater value who daily earn their right to the good will
which we stupidly and persistenly refuse to grant them; but
of the Turkey Buzzard's assistance we have frequent convinc-
ing proof, and the decree has gone forth that injury to this
bird is punishable by fine. No other birds are so well pro-
tected, and as a result Turkey. Buzzards and Black Vultures
walk about the streets of some of our Southern cities with thn
tameness of domestic fowls. If we should similarly encourage
our insectivorous birds, who can predict the benefits which
might accrue?"

The following list, with names of observers, will give
a very clear idea as to the distribution of the Turkey;
Buzzai^d in Pennsvlvania: •

Its Distribution in Pennsylvania.

County, Observers, Remarks,

Adams, B. H. Warren, Resident; common

in summer.

Bradford, B. H. Warren, Saw one at North

Orwell, Sept., 1896.

Berks, Jonas Stern, Breeds; rare.

Rerks D. F. Keller Breeds in Blue Moun-
tains.

Bucks Mrs. H. M. Rice Occasiona'Uy in

flocks; August,
September and Oc-
tober.

R»cks S. Edward Paschall,* .. Decidedly rare.

Chester, B. H. Warren Resident; very com-
mon in summer.

<^'linton Dr. W. Van Fleet Straggler.

Cameron B. H. Warren, Straggler; saw one

in November, 1889.

Cumberland B. H. Warren, Breeds.

Delaware, Robert Townsley, Resident; most num-

-^ . . erouB in summer.

Dauphin W. W. Stoey Resident. .

♦"Decidedly rare and absolutely unknown to most of our
people. We are but a few miles from Chester county, where th«*
bird is very oommon. but Bucks county is out of its range. I
madp noto of having seen three (3) buzzards during the sea-
son."—S. E. Paschall.

I

r
I I

140

Remarks.

County, Observer,

Erie George B. Sennett Never seen here.

Franklin B. H. Warren «%- ^,1^^ '" ,%

■ ' ' ' breeds.

Fayette <"r. W. Linton Breeds.

Juniata B. H. Warren Saw three in Jan-
uary, 1890.

Lehigh J. F. Kocher '?\^f^^'

I.ehigh Dr. John W. Detwiller, Seldom seen. ^^

Lancaster Dr. A. C. Treichler, .-.g^^^^^^J* ' ^

Lancaster, James Galen , Kesident. • fe

Lancaster H. Justin lioddy, Resident. ..

Lancaster W. H. Buller Breeds. .

Lebanon J. G. Bohn Breeds. .

Lebanon, George R. Ross Resident.

Lycoming August Koch, Straggler; got two ^

in spring.

Lawrence B. H. Warren Saw one in Octo-
ber, 1888.

McKean James A. Teulon Never seen here.

Montgomery W- P. BoHon Breeds.

Montgomery, ....Thomas S. Gillin, Migrant.

Mercer S. S. Overmoyer, Straggler; shot one

September 1. 1884.

Northampton. ...Dr. John W. Detwiller, Seldom seen.

Northampton. ...Edmund Ricksecker, .. Straggler; spring

and summer; does
not breed.

iNortnumberland, Dr. W. Van Fleet Straggler.

Perry, H. Justin Roddy Seen in May, 1886;

breeds. (?)

Philadelphia H. Jamison, Occasional visitor.

Pike, B. H. Warren Saw one at Rowland,

May 9, 1897.

r»hiladelphia Joseph Price Ball Resident.

Philadelphia, ....Witmer Stone Seen mostly during

migrations.

Philadelphia George Spencer Morris, Straggler.

Schuylkill M. M. MacMillian Straggler, fall 1883.

Somerset Dr. H. D. Moore .Breeds.

Sullivan, Otto Behr Straggler; seen in

1884.

Union Dr. W. Van Fleet, ...... Straggler.

Warren H. I^. Greenlund ..Not found here.

VViStmoreland, ..Charles H. Townsend, .» Very rare; have

seen several in ad-
joining county.

Washington James S. Nease, Resident.

Washington, M. Compton Occasional; flock of

ten seen Septem-
ber. 1883.

Washington M. T. Warrick, Occasional; flock of

ten seen Septem-
ber. 1883.

York Hon. Gerard C. Brown, Breeds. ''^

York George Miller Breeds. =^

York Casper Loucks Breeds.

141

ITS NORTHERN BREEDING LIMIT.

The Turkey Buzzard breeds in many sections of
Chester, and Delaware counties. Alfred P. Lee has
observed it as a common resident in the vicinity of
Oxford; Harry Wilson, a prominent local naturalist,
has found them breeding at different points about Doe
Kun, and also near Parkesburg. Within a radius of
about six miles from West Chester, I have found them
breeding — never more than one pair in a place — in
seven different localities in the counties of Chester and
Delaware. The records given in rhe ])receding
columns concerning the breeding of this specic^s show
that it has been found nesting in at least thirteen or
fourteen counties of Pennsylvania, and that its
northern breeding range is restricted to about the
lower third of this State.

ir

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142

BLAOK VULTURE.
Catharista atrata.

DKSCRirTlON.

"Adult.-Kntire plumage dull black, ^»^^^ ^""^? ,f '^^',^^.1;
basally (hoary whitish on under surtace). their shafts puie
white; bill dusky with yellowish or whitish tip; "f^^ed 'S^ '^ ?j
head and foreneck dusky. length 23-27; extent about o4
inches."— Ridg-way, Manual N. A. Birds. vt ..v.

Habitat South Atlantic and Gulf slates, north to North

Carolina and the Lower Ohio Valley, west to the great plains
and South through Mexico and Central America and niost of
South America. Straggling north to New York and Maine.

A specimen of the Black Vulture or Carrion Crow,
as fhis bird is sometimes called, was taken in Dauphin
county in 1892. Stragglers have been observed in
Northampton county by Dr. John W. Detwiller and
the late Edmund Ricksecker. In relation to the
marked difference in the manners of the present species
and the Turkey Buzzard Mr. Robert Ridgway* pub-
lishes the following:

"Both in their mode of flight and in thoi-r movements upon
the ground this species differs materially from the Turkey
Buzzard. The latter walks steadily while on the ground, and
when It mounts does so by a single upward spring. The
Black Vulture is ill at ease on tYih ground, moves awkwardly,
and when it essays to fly upward takes several leaps in a
shuffling side-long manner before it can rise.

"Their flight is more labored, and is continued by flapping
sfiveral times, alternated with sailing a limited distance.
Their wings are held at right angles, and their feet protrude
beyond their tail-feathers. In all these respects the differences
between the two birds are very noticeable, and plainly mark
the species."— (Brewer.)

The following interesting account of this species is
from the pen of Thomas Nuttall :t

FEEDS ON CARRION NOT POULTRY.
"This smaller black and truly gregarious species of vulture,

•The Ornithology of Illinois, Part T, Robert Rldgway, Spring-
fleld, ininols, 1889.

t A Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and Can-
ada, by Thomas NuttaU; The Land Birds; Cambridge. 1832.

143

In the United States, appears to be generally confined to the
narrowest limits of the Southern States, being scarcely found
beyond Wilmington in North Carolina, and seems to be most
numerous and familiar in the large maritime towns of South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida; thus, though abundant in
Savannah, there are much fewer of this species at Augusta
than of the Turkey Vulture. In the tropical regions of Amer-
ica they are also very common, and extend, at least, as far
as Chili. Like the former species, with which they associate
only at meal-times, they are allowed a public protection for
the service they render in ridding the earth of carrion and
other kinds of filth. They are much more familiar in the
towns than the preceding; delighting, during winter, to remain
on the roofs of houses, catching the feeble rays of the sun
and stretching out their wings to admit the warm air over
their foetid bodies. When the weather becomec unusuaUy
chilly, or in the mornings, they may be seen basking upon the
chimneys in the warm smoke, which, as well as the soot itself
can add no additional darkness or impurity to such filthy and
melancholy spectres. Here, or on the limbs of some of the
larger trees, they remain in listless indolence until aroused
by the calls of hunger.

. WELL TREATED IN THE SOUTH.

^^1'J^^^^ ^^^^ *^ neither so easy nor so graceful as that of
hnnJ^^tof/ ^"zzard. They flap their wings and then soar
I^^o??^^^i^/ ff '^^wing the motion of their pinions at short in-
tw^a T« fi,""l?f' however, fhey rise to considerable eleva-
hf ^Lr, i" ^^^ u"®^ of Charleston and Savannah they are to
of JomeiHo''?^^if' ^^^V^^i^ the streets with all the faiiniarlty
of fi?t^ ?n Lh J^^' ^^^'"^'^ing the channels and accumulations
kfn^ Jm.k "^^"^ ^"^ ?^^^" ""P ^^^ o^^^' o^ animal matter of any
kind, which may happen to be thrown out. They anoeared

Tnt^ZeVt^^rl^ll'' '""''^ attendance around thj shambr^i^
II ^?® ^^ ^"^"^ become known by sight. This was nartlotil
larly the case with an old veteran who hopped u^on one foot
(having by some accident lost the other) and had r^^fiif^?^

bS?cher^''^"'i.^ f^^ Shambles to Claim he l^unty ^^^^^^
surDdsed ?hemTU ^f^^^' ^'^ ^^e country, where I havl

«hC^o«S f, ^"^ feeding in the woods, they apppeared rather
and ^^^"'"orous watching my movements alertly Hke hawks
and every now and then one or two of them as thev sL Wi th

flock by deCTees deserteTth»^^LI'"i'P*'• ** ^'"<='» '»»« ^holi
pened to bf fllding Som^H.^!!^,j!°^ "^?." "^^^"^ ^hey hap-
about one carcass to the numW of l^^'n Tn^ °°"*°i '°««ther
object, whatever It may be Ts soon rnh«H^ "Pwards. and the
scarcely anything bTng vis ble but ^^ ln"J"""*f mourning.
sable scavengers who mav often h» ^^i^^"^ '",*'* °' these
with each other, both " and m^t nf .i^r ^«a'o"8'y contending
blood and flith. holding on wlth^he^r f«»f "^r^^^' <*^'"«'' ^'*
each other, or tearing*^ off mo^sefs so as' t^^flfj^^.^".'' "='»'^"'K
nearly to choking, and occrs?onaiIy joined bvLn'i^r ^^V"^^^
the whole presenting one of the most savft« f^^^i'."* ^''"'^■
sj^nej^ in nature, and truly wor^thTtheTn^f^nargirrff"^^!

II

144

HAWKS, FAIiCONS AND EAGLES.
Family Falconidae.

It is stated by reliable writers that there are at least thre^e
hundred and fifty species of this family of diurnal raptoria
birds found throughout the world. Of this ^^5^5;""^,^^^^^!^^^^
fourteen occur regularly in this State, and of all the^nume^^^^
species of bird-lite occurring in this Commonwealth few are
better known to our people in general than are the Eagles
and Hawks, some of which are common, at all times, or auring
some period of the year, in nearly every section of the ^tate.
With a few exceptions, these raptores, as well as most or the
owls, particularly the smaller kinds, are highly beneficial to
the farmers and fruit growers, because of the immense quan-
tities of destructive mice and other injurious animals, also
large numbers of noxious insects, etc., which they devour.
The majority of these birds build large nests of sticks, twigs,
etc., on trees; some, however, nest on rocky ledges. The Marsh
Hawk breeds on the ground, and the little Sparrow Hawk,
like the Screech Owl and Woodpecker, breeds in hollow trees.
The eggs, usually two to Ave, sometimes more, are generally
spotted and blotched, and never spherical and white, like the
eggs of the owls. The adult males are usually smaller than
the females, and with the exception of the Marsh and Sparrow
Hawks, are quite similar in color. The young or immature
birds, of most species, differ greatly from the old. These birds
catch their prey with their talons. Their cries are loud and
harsh. Occasionally they are seen in flocks— sometimes con-
taining several species— but usually they are observed singly
or in pairs. The bill is short, stout and strongly hooked, the
head is completely feathered and without ear-tufts or "horns'
like some of the owls; the tarsus, except in the Golden Eagle
and Rough-legged Hawk, is naked. The feet have long,
strong, large, sharp and curved claws; the outer toe, except
in the Fish Hawk, is not reversible. The eyes are directed
laterally.

A VALUABLE OROUP OF HAWKS.

Birds of the genus Buteo, especially borealis and lineatus,

are the large hawks whiih we see, particularly in the. late fall,
winter and early spring, frequenting grassy fields, meadows,
swamps, etc. These birds are the common "hen hawks" or
"chicken hawks" as they are usually called; but such names
are highly inappropriate, as a very small percentage of their
food is poultry. Three species, (especially borealis and lin
eatuB)j are common residents in Pennsylvania. In order to
give a clear idea of the great benefits these "hen hawks" ren-
der the agriculturist and fruit grower, the following extracts,
relating to the stomach contents of 847. captured during all
seasons of the year in various parts of th^ United States, are

145

copied from Dr. A. K. Fisher's Report:* Red-tailed Hawk
(Buteo borealis):

"Of 562 stomachs examined, 54 contained poultry or game
birds; 51, other birds; 278, mice; 131, other mammals; 37,
batracians or reptiles; 47, insects; 8, crawfish; 1, centipedes;
13, offal; and 89 were empty." Red-shouldered Hawk {Buteo
lineatus): "Of 220 stomachs examined, 3 contained poultry; 12,
other birds; 102, mice; 40, other mammals; 20, reptiles; 39,
batrachians; 92, insects; 16, spiders; 7, crawfish; 1, earthworms;
2, offal; o, fish; and 14 were empty." Broad-winged Hawk
(Buteo latissimus): "Of 65 stomachs examined, 2 contained
small birds; 15, mice; 13, other mammals; 11, reptiles; 13,
batrachians; [!0, insects; 2, earthworms; 4, crawfish; and 7
were empty." The mammals mentioned here refer mostly to
mice, shrews, moles, some few squirrels and a few other kinds
of quadrupeds. These hawks in form are stout and heavy; the
wings long, wide and somewhat pointed; third, fourth and fifth
quills longest, the first shorter than eighth, the three outer
primaries in latissimus emarginate on inner webs, and borealis
and lineatus, the four outer quills emarginate on inner web.
The moderately long tail, conspicuously barred or highly colored
is quite broad and slightly rounded; the bluish black bill is short,
wide at base and maxilla is lobed on edges. Legs and feet
stout; tarsus feathered in front about one-third of length;
thighs have long feathers that in some individuals reach
nearly to the feet. Tarsi yellowish, cere yellowish or greenish;
the eyes vary greatly, but are usually brown or yellow.
Sexes similar in color; female larger than male; immature
birds differ greatly from the adults; the flight of these hawks
is quite vigorous, and that of borealis, in particular, is often
long continued, but they do not fly with the great rapidity
of the species of the genus Aecipiter,

DETRIMENTAL SPECIES.

Birds of the genus Aecipiter are rather long and slender in
form, and they have small heads, short wings, long tails and
legs. The bluish black bill is short and stout, maxilla being
strongly hooked and sharp-pointed; the broad ovate nostrils
are inserted in the greenish or yellowish cere.

The tarsi are feathered in front a little less than half in
length. Tarsus, especially in velox, is slender; and in atrieap-
xUus rather stout; the toes are long and slender, the outer and
middle united at base by a well-developed web. The black
claws are very long, much curved and sharp; eyes in old birds
are reddish-amber and in younger birds yellowish.

The tarsus is yellowish. Birds of this genus are exceed-
ingly active and vigilant; they fly with great rapidity and fre-
quently pursue and catch, when on the wing different sipecies
of wild birds, some of which are nearly as large as themselves
The Sharp-shinned Hawk I have seen capture quail when
flying, and the flerce Goshawk has often been observed to
pursue and overtake turkeys, grouse, blackbirds, wild pigeons
etc. These, and not, as some suppose, birds of the ^enus
Buteo, are the hawks that usually commit depredations In the

*The Hawks and Owls of the United States; Bulletin Mo •?
IT. S. Department of Agriculture, 1895. ^"'letin, No. 3,

1 0 -IT

t"

11 u4

146

poultry yard and destroy numerous wild ^;^^«' ^^l^^^^^^^f \^^
grouse and quail. The ordinary plumage oL ^^^f,^^^^^.*^^ '**
dark brown above, (very old birds, which are seldom taken
have upper parts bluish), darkest ori ^^,f^'^^^^^^^' ^^sty
whitish; variously streaked and bajred ^ith dark b, own rusty
and pale red. In old Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks the
breast, thighs and rest of under parts, except crissum and
throat whi?harechieflywhlte,arewhitetransverselybarred with

light red. Full plumaged Goshawks have top of he^d black
with light grayish blue and whitish under parts wth numer-
ous and irregular mottllngs. streaks and lines of black, white

^'rhe "destructive nature of representatives of the genus Ac-
cipiter, whi( h have been largely instrumental in bringmg so
much odium on the good name of all birds of the hawk kind
in Pennsylvania is well illustrated by again turning to Dr.
Fisher's admirable report where records of 320 postmortem ex-
aminations are made as follows: Sharp-shinned Hawk {Acctp-
tier velox): "Of 159 stomachs examined, 6 contained poultry
or game birds; 99. other birds; 6. mice; 5. insects; and 52 were
empty." From this summary it will be observed that of 107
stomachs which had in them, when the hawks were killed,
food materials, not less than 105 contained birds (chiefly spar-
rows of different species, warblers, thrushes, vireos. orioles,
etc) and poultry or game birds. This kind of eviidence gives
conclusive proof that the daring and sanguinary little Sharp-
shinned Falcon does not merit the good will or protection of
farmers, poulterers, sportsmen or naturalists.

THE COOPER'S HAWK.

Coopers Hawk {Aceipiter cooperi): "Of 133 stomachs ex-
amined. 34 contained poultry or game birds; 52, other birds;
11. mammals; 1. frog; 3, lizards; 2, insects; and 39 were empty."
By these dissections last noted we see that of 94 stomachs
containing foodstuffs, 86 or all but 8 had in them poultry
and birds, game or other kinds. The reference to "poultry,"
in the summary last given, refers to chickens, both adult and
young, pigeons, and probably to other kinds of domestic
fowls not particularized by name. Under the head of "game
birds" Dr. Fisher's tables show that in the Eastern and
Southern states the Cooper's Hawk destroys many Quail
(Bob-White) and Ruffed Grouse, while in Arizona Gambel's
Quail is frequently captured by this audacious hawk. An ex-
amination of the columns headed "other birds" in Dr. Fisher's
tables, gives the following species, which were identified:

Chewlnk.
Tree Sparrow.
Song Sparrow.
Meadow Dark.
Flicker.
Goldfinch,
Field Sparrow,
Robin.

Purple Grackle,

Snow-bird (Junco),

Savanna Sparrow,

Ii^nglish Sparrow,

Nuthatch,

Hermit Thruih.

Dove,

Orange-crowned Warbler.

The mammals which were found and identified In the

147

eleven stomachs previously noted, are mentioned by name in
the order a.s appended:

Mouse. Kccky Mountain Chipmunk,

Chipmunk. ^. . Rabbit,

Red Squirrel, Cotton Rat.

Gray Squirrel, ^ Cal. Ground Squirrel.

BUT FEW INSECTS.

The amount of insect-food cor^sumed by this species, if these
133 examinations made of hawks captured during all seasons
of the year in' different sections of the United States, are to
be taken as a safe criterion, must be very insignificant.
Scrutinizing the tables, we see that on September 18, 1886, a
Cooper's Hawk, at River Dale, New Jersey, departed this life
and left in his stomach a single badly crushed grasshopper.
The natural presumption is that this particular Cooper's
Hawk became bewildered while in the land of "skeeters and
sand," otherwise he never would have condescended to take
such humble quarry. Another example, taken May 20. 1877, in
the township of East Goshen, Chester county, Pennsylvania, an
old male Cooper's Hawk, wasi killed near the edge of a woods
by a swamp, where he often watched for Red-winged Black-
birds and Quail; his stomach, the records show, contained
mice (perhaps arvicola) and beetles.

THE GOSHAWK.

Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus): "Of 28 stomachs exam-
ined, 9 contained poultry or game birds; 2, other birds; 10.
mammals; 3, insects; 1, centipede; and 8 were empty." Of
these 20 stomachs which contained food materials, 11 had re-
mains of poultry (5 poultry only) Ruffed Grouse and quail or
other birds; 7 contained only mammals as follows, 2, rabbit;
1, mouse and weasel; 1, Gray Squirrel; 1, squirrel, species not
given; 2, red squirrels. One stomach showed remain;^ of a
Ruffed Grouse and two red squirrels; another a domestic fowl
(not named), and with the remains of this fowl were 30 sphinx
larvae and 3 centipedes; a Ruffed Grouse and a Gray Squirrel
had satisfied the necessities of a third Goshawk; another of
these fierce hawks had eaten a rabbit and a few locusts, and in
the stomach of a Goshawk taken April 12, 1886, at Elmlra. New
fork, some mice and beetles were disclosed by dissection.

Ip

^■iri

ti

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:A

148

SWALLOW TAILED KITE.
p:ianoidos forficatus.

DESCRIPTION.

Bill rather small and moderately stout and narrow; feet
small but stout; claws short but strongly curved; wings ^ciy
long and pointed; tail long and deeply forked, the outs de
feathers being more than twice as long as the middle pa r.
On the wing this hawk looks and moves like a huge swallow
Head, neck, band across rump, basal portion of Sv-conaaries
and entire lower parts pure white; interscapulars and lesser
wing-coverts purplish black; rest of back, wings and tail slaty
])lack. Bill blue black; legs and feet dull bluish-yellow; iris
brown; length variable; a female before me measures 24 inches
long; wing 17; lateral tail feathers 12^4 inches.

Habitat,— ^jcuthern United Staves, esp.^ci.iUy i-i the interior,
from Peiinsyivfinia and Minnesota southward, through Cen-
tral and South America; westward to the great plains. Casual
eastward to southern New England.

The Swallow (ailed Kite or ''Wasp-hawk/' as it is
tronerallv called in Florida, where it is comiiKm, is a
very rare and irregular visitor in Tennsylvania. A
specimen in the mnsenin of the Linnaean Society, al:
Lancaster city, was captured many years aj^o in Lan-
caster connly. Prof. H. J. Roddy obtained one May
27, ISS."), in IVrry county; and a s(ragf?ler was also a
few years since foinnl in Allej»]i(Miy county by Mr.
K. C. Wrenshall, of Piltsbur«»:h. In the stomachs of
five of these Kites which 1 killed in Florida in March
and A]>iil, ISS."), (here w(»re found grasshoppers, bee-
tles, (oads and lizards. According to different writers
they feed jnincipally on grasshoppers, beetles, cater-
pillars, small snakc^s, lizards and frogs.

DOES NOT MOLEST POULTRY.

r have mad(» many inquiries in the south where
these Kites were plentiful and was invariably told by
persons who had been familiar with tlie birds all their

'*.•'.

^., ^ tf.k .'

■'ir^f'

■i'J^X-

II

ns.

- ,-r*

1

SWALLOW TAILED KITE

,, 1

^■iil

COLOR PLATE

148

SWALLOW TAILKU KITK.

Kljuioides foificatus.

DioscniP'rinx.

liill r.ahvv small aii.l mndoraloly stout and ^^^^'^j J^^^^
Rmall but stout; claws short but stronKly curved; wint,.-^ .0 i
!<.nK nrw! pointed; tail lon^- and deeply lorked. the ou s de
leathers b( inj,- more than twice as long as the middle pan.
On the wint; this hawk looks and moves like a huge swallo\N .
Mead, neck, band across rump, basal portion ot s.^'ondaries
and entile lower parts pure white; interscapulars and lessor
wing-cnvcrts purplish black; rest of back, wings and tail slaty
black. J nil blue black; legs and feet dull bluish-yello\y ; ins
brcwn; length variable; a female before me measures 24 inches
jnng; wing 17; iatf lal tail feathers 12>4 inches.

//a/>4«a«.-^( uthern United Staies, esp.^ci illy ii the intevior,
fr(.m :^'iirsylvnnia and Minnesota souvhwa/.nl, through Cen-
tral and Sou'tli America; westward to the great plains. Casual
eastward tr> s<-Utbern New l':ngland.

Tli<> S\\;illo\v l:iil(Ml Kill' or "Wasp-hawk," as it is

i^ciKM'ally called in Florida, wIkmc it is coiuiiuMi, is a

vci-v rai'<* and ii icunljir visiloi- in rcnnsylvania. A

s|;(Minicn ill I lie nniscuin of I In* Linnacan Society, al

Lancaslci- cilv, was caid nrcd nianv yc^irs ajjjo in Lan-

* I • •

cnslci c(Minlv. IMof. II. .1. Koddv obtained on(^ May
1*7, Iss."), ill IN rry connly: .uid a sinioj^icr was also a
few years since loiind in Alleiilieny counly by Mr.
K. (\ WreiisIiMll, ol' rillsbiiriih. In llie stomachs of
livo of (hese Kiles which I killed in Florida in Marcli
and April, iss."). iliere were fonnd ^rasshopj^ers, b(M*-
lles. loads jind li/aids. A«-c(»rdin«j^ to dill'erent wrilers
lliey feed princii>ally on urasshopjxM's, bottles, cater-
jnllars. small snakes, lizards and froj^s.

POKS NOT MOT.KRT POT'LTRY.

[ have made many impiiiies in tlu^ south whorr*
Ihoso Kites wen^ jdontifnl and was invariably told by
persons wlio had been familiar with the birds all thoir

^

L^*-

% ^K^

f

K>

SWALLOW TAILED KITE.

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

i

149

lives tliat tliev never were known to disturb poultry
or iXixme of anv kind. Teslinionv from all sides con-
lirnis.lliis assertion. In postmortem examinations of
six stomachs of these Kites, recorded by Dr. A. K.
Fisher,* the following- insects, lizards, etc., were
found: . . .

Locality.

Date.

»

Hawkinsville,

Fla.,

March 31, 1885

Lizard, grasshoppers, tree
toad, beetles.

Hawkinsville,

Fla.,

March 31, 1885.

Lizard, grasshoppers,
beetles.

Dixon county,

Neb .

June, 1865

60 locusts, 5 other insects

Dixon county,

Neb..

Tune, 1865

69 locusts, 3 other insects.

Sarpy bounty,

Neb.,i

Sept., 1873, ....

75 insects.

vVoodville, M

nn.,. . 1

i

April 28, 1888,

Beetle, wasp.

VIEWS OF VARIOUS WRITERS.

Audubon speaks of often seeing these hawks with
long slender snakes hanging from their talons, and ho
gives the following account (quoted from Dr. A. K.
Fisher's Uulletin No. 3) of two stomachs collected in
Texas:

"In the stomach (of one bird) are six snakes, of a very slen-
der form and light-green color, one of them 22V^ inches in
length, together with one large larva, 3 inches long, and two
coleopterous (beetles) insects. Some of the snakes have been
swallowed whole, although bruised, the rest broken into large
|)ieces several inches long. ♦ * * * In another

male shot in the same country, on the same day, the stomach
contained a slender snake 19 inches long, six lizaixls. and four
beautiful, very large coleopterous insects, with two eggs of
reptiles 7V2 inches long."— (Ornith, Biography, vol. v., pp.
372-374.)

This specic^s rarely alights on the ground; Mr. IT.
W. llenshaw slates that he found these Kites common
on the Miami river, Florida, and fn^iuently saw then)

■^Tn*- Hawks and Owls of the United States in Rpl.ition to
Agriculture: Bulletin No. 3, Division of Ornithology and Mam-
molcgy. United States Department of Agriculture, 1893.

i

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til

I

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150

in mid air feeding upon snakes, which appeared to be
their favorite food in that locality. The writings of
Dr. Fisher show very positively, that this Kite never
disturbs poultry, birds or even small mammals, which
last named animals are so often preyed upon by
the smaller and weaker hawks. Dr. Fisher says:

"The Drincipal food of this Kite is small snakes, lizards,
fro^sand various kinds of Insects. It never mo^f ^^^^f ^^^
mammals or birds. Among Insects it Is especially fond of
wasD larvae erasshoppers and dragon flies, and Its ,)Owei lo
ThanKr th^ dfrection of flight Is most markedly shown in
caiirifring the latter insects, for Its efforts to secure them
is often necessary for it to turn almost completely over in Its
evolutions.'

In Florida Dr. C. Hart Merriam often saw these
Kites dart down and pick a wasp's nest from the un-
der side of a leaf of some high palmetto and fly ofC
with it, devouring while on the wing, the grubs it con-
tained.—(Am. Nat., vol. VIIT, 1874, p. 88.)

Mr. H. Nehrling speaks of these birds' food in Texas
as follows:

•In AbguEt and September the birds are often seen in cot-
ton fleldH. where they feed on cotton worms fnd other in^
sects. They are particularly fond of smaU snakes, muh as
I^ptophls, Rhlnostoma cocclnea. lizards (Anolius carol Inensls
and Amelvci sex-llneata.) T have never feen them take a
bird «>r smal! quadruped."-Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. VII,
1882, p. in.)

THE NEST AND EGGS.

"It probablv breeds in suitable localities throughout its
range, even to the northern limit. Its nest has been taken
In Minnesota, and according to a very interesting note by
Mr. Austin F. Park, it is very probaible that a pair bred in
Rennsselaer county. New York, in 18i8€. (The Auk. Vol. Ill,
p 484.) In the southern part of the United States this species
begins to breed about the last of April or first of May, while
farther north It Is past the middle of the latter month before
a full complement of eggs Is deposited. The nest Is situated
in the tops of the tallest trees and Is placed among the smaller
branches, where It Is well hidden by the thick fellas'?. Oc-
caslonallv it Is built toward the end of a large limb. 20 feet
or more from the main trunk, the supporting branch usuaUy
being not more than a few inches in diameter. The nest
oftentimes Is a riide structure, made of sticks only, and re-
sembles closely in appearance that of some of the herons.

151

while others are more substantial, from the lining of Spanish
moss or soft inner bark of the cottonwood which they con-
tain; rarely a nest is composed almost entirely of Spanish
moBS.

"The number of eggs In a set Is usually two, though three
and four, and probably even more are sometimes deposited.
Audubon found a nest near the Falls of the Ohio In 1820,
which contained four young. The male is very attentive and
assists the female In building the nest and incubating the
eggs, as well as In collecting a large proportion of the food for
the young. After the breeding season this Kite is more or
less gregarious; families of four or five are usuaUy found
together, and occasionally flocks of fifty or more. This sipecles
is quite wary and difficult to approach, y.ut if one of the
flock is killed or wounded, the others will fly around It, and a
number may be secured before they take alarm and move off.

ITS FLIGHT EASY AND GRACTEFUL.. ,

"The flight is smooth and protracted, and for grace and
elegance Is not excelled by that of any other species. To fully
appreciate its superiority one must see the bird on the wing,
for no language can describe the beauty of the ever-varying
movements. No matter whether the bird is soaring far above
the earth, skimming lightly over its surface, nr fcllowing the
different gyrations of some fleeting insect, the observer is
surprised as well as charmed at the wonderful exhibition.
Often It will stop in mid air, and with half closed wings and
depresse.J tail, shake itself much after the manner of swal-
lows whilo batjilng. Although it often alights on trees, it
rareJy Is seen on the ground, and even when capturing its
prey it glides swiftly over the surface, reaching down at the
proper mcment to secure the quarry. Tt generally If not
always, feed^. while In mid air, bending its he.ad downward
and toward the ta ons to tear the object in its grasp. It
drinks while skimming rapidly over the surface of the water
Fishe? Bull T)"^' ^^^"°^^ ^^^ '"any other birds."-(Dr.

^

152

MISSISSIPPI KITE.

Ictinia mississippiensis.

DESCRIPTION.

"General form short and compact. Bill ^^^^^ tip emariln-
ated; wings long, pointed; tail rather short, emarginated. taibi

'""-iduZ^-Upper parts of body dark lead color neaHy bj^ack
on rump; head and under parts cinereous ^^f^-f ^^ on abdom^^^^
quills and tail brownish-black; * * * .V^^.^k of nrhnar Is
ashy-white: a longitudinal stripe on each "^^f.^^^^^^^^^^^ll
chestnut rufous." (Length of male about 14 mches extent
al^out ?X>; female a little larger.)— B. B. of N. A.

fZa6«aL - Southern United States, so^V^'^^^f^ ^hTinterior
Carolina on the coast, and Wisconsin and Iowa m the interloi
to Mexico. Hare straggler in Penn^yl\ ania.

I have never met with it in this State. The only
si)ecimen that has been taken here, so far as I can
hnirn, was shot in September, 1892, in Cumberhuid
(•ounty. This specimen is in the museum of the Penn-
sylvania State Collefje.

FEEDS ON INSECTS.

Dr. Fislier's examinations of the stomachs of this
Kite, show that it subsists like the Swallow-tailed
Kile! principally on j,^rasshoppers, large beetles, katy-
dids, crick(^ts, I'tc. It does not visit the poultry yard
and game birds or game mammals are never attacked
by it. IJzards, small-sized snakes and frogs are some-
times preyed upon by this Kite whcm insect fotxl is not

readily secured.

Never having had the opportunity of studying this
bird in life T take the following extracts from Dr.
Fishers Bulletin:

The Mississippi Kite, like the other Americali species, in-
habits the more southern parts of our terrkory. Ic is d s-
IWbuted fiom nuatemala north through oastarn Mexico anl

he soutl ern Ignited States east of the R^cky Mountains.

M ISSISSI PI KITE.

II

COLOR PLATE

.";•>

I5w'

• ' M

MISSISSIPPI KITE.

Ictinia luississippiensis.

DKSCmPTlOX.

"Oeneral form sh.>rt and compac-t. f>il\ ^^^^'^V j^P,f,"|^\f ^I,!
aUMl; winKS ^.n^^ iMunUd; tail rather short, .maigmattd. la. si

"'"^'^AdulL^rw^'V parts of body dark h^ad c.dor yearly blac^k
..n runnr, h.ad a.Ki "";>- pans cinereous. ^arReM>n abdomen,
(|uil s and tail brownish-black, ^U^- "^ nri,-nH.ries

^Ishy-whii..; a longitudinal stripe on .ach u d^ of pumanes
chrstnut rufous." (l.en^-th of male about 14 mchi s extent
.ilnut •'»;: f.niale a little larger.)— B. 1.. ot >.. a. u.nnb

/io6^7a^- Southern United States. ^^^^^"^'''''1.. Z^^^u^^^^^^
Carolina on the coast, and AV sconsin and Iowa >n the interioi
t., Mrxic... Karr stiai;ul.'i- in l^•nll^ y!\ ..ma.

I liave never met with it in this State. The only
spccinKMi lliat has been taken here, so far as 1 ean
I.^arn, was shut in September, 1S1)2, in Cnmberhuid
conntv. This specimen is in the musenm of the IVnn
svlvania Stale College.

FKKDS ON IXSECTS.

in- Fisher's examinations of the stomachs of this
Kite, sliuNV that it snbsists like tlie Swallow-tailed
Kite, princiiwillv on -rasshopi)ers, lar^-c^ beetles, katy-
dids, crickfts, ftc. It does not visit Ihe ponltry yard
and KJ^me birds or j^nme mammals are never attacked
by it'^ Lizards, small sized snakes and froj-s are some-
times preved n])on by this Kite when insect food is not

i-eadily secni-ed.

Never havini: had the opportnnity of stndyin^ this
bird in life T take the f(dlowin<? (extracts from Dr.
l<'ish(M**s Bnlletin:

The Mississippi Kite, like the other Am-ri«Mn ^Pecies. in-
iij.bits thi- mor*' southern parts of our ternrory. It is di. -
tviluited fiom Guatemala north thnm^h r.Mst3ra M'^^'^co an 1
lh- s..utlern rnit-d Siatrs .asl of the R*»d<y Mounlains.

-/"''■ ' '^

I il

M ISSISSI PI KITE

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

153

QCCurrinK regularly as far north as Georgia Southern Illinois,
Indian Territory and Kansas, and casually to I'^^va and \\ is-
conPin. A few remain In the southern United States all win-
ter, but the greater part pass on to Mexico tluring Octoher^
and return again in the latter part of ^April.

"Th^te specimens which Wilson examin-^d ac Natchez, Riifs.,
crntalned the remains of beetles, and he ^aw theiii flying
about the trees feeding on cicadas. Dr. Coues mentions one
shot at Blufflon, South Carolina, whosa stomach was
crammed with the same insects, together with a few Katydids.
It is wonderful at what a distance its keen eyes can detect
a conjparatively small insect. Mr. E. W. Nelson says: 'I
paw them repeatedly dart with unerring aim upon some luck-
less grasshopper from an elevation of at least 100 yards. '—
(Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. LX, 1877, p. 58.)

THE NEST AND EGGS.

"As regards the economic value of this Kite, much of the
same statement may be made as of the previous species. It
does little or no damage, but much good. Soon after arriv-
ing in its summer home it begins to remodel its old nest or the
deserted nest of some other bird, and more rarely, when these
are not available, it builds a new one.. The remodeling con-
sists in patching up the sides with a few sticks and adding
a sparse lining of Spanish moss or green leaves. The nest is
usually situated in the tops of the tallest trees, among the
smaller branches, where it is well concealed by^ the foliage.
The full complement of eggs, usually two or three in number,
is deposited by the middle of May, though in some cases it
must be much earlier, for the writer once secured a young
bird in southern Louisiana the last of May which already
had acquired nearly the adult plumage.

H

NOT A SHY BIRD.

"The Kite is not at all shy, and may be secured easily as
it sits on some tall stub; in fact,. Col. N. S. Goss tells of
shooting a pair from the same tree, as the second one did not
move at the report of the gun, but looked down with sur-
prise on its fallen companion. It is said to be morose and ir-
ritable in captivity and very dimcult to tame. A specimen
which the writer once wounded was the very picture of rage
as with flashing eyes and erect crest it threw itself on its
back and prepared to repel the aggressor with its talons.

"This species is fully as gregarious as any of the other
Kites, and oftentimes may be seen In flocks of twenty or
more circling over a favorite hunting ground. It is observed
most frequently around the border of woods In the vicinity
of water, and Is particularly fond of half cleared ground
where dead trees still stand, these being used for perches.

"its flight Is as varied and graceful as that of the Swallow-
tailed Kite, is long protracted, and the bird often ascends
to so great a height as to be Barely visible. While soaring
high in the air Its flight simulates that of the Turkey Buz-
zard very closely, and as the two birds often are seen to-
gether the Kite looks liTce a miniature of the other."

154

m

MARHH HAWK.
Circus hudsonius.

DESCRIPTION.

Face partly encircled by a ruff ^^^'"P^^if.^.^.^tar^^^
small stiffened feathers as in the owls; J^^^f ^^Vp^^^^/^' "^'"^"^
lon^ and pointed; tail long; tarsus long and slender.

AfW- Light bluish gray above and on ^^'^^J'^^.^'!^^^
niiuer tall-cove-rts and most of under parts white, some
uSSer feather? under wings and lower P^rt of breast ami
abdomen spotted with rusty. Female and /^"^^S, ^^^^.^^^[^v,
brown above streaked on head and neck with i eddish
brown; beUnv reddish-brown much brighter in some speci-
mens than others; upper tail-coverts whte Length
male about 18 to 20 inches; extent about 44; tall 9 or 10 inches,
bill and claws blackish; legs, feet and eyes yellow

Habitat —Nnrih America in general, south to Panama.

The Marsh Hawk, known also as Harrier and Bo^
trotter, is most frequently seen throughout Pennsyl
vania in the spring and fail, but it breeds often in dif
ferenl i)arts of the State, and in some of the southern
counties it is found during all months of the year. Its
nest, with eggs or young, have been found by the fol
lowing gentlemen in their respective counties: Dr.
John W. Detwiller, Northampton; R. C. Wrenshall,
Allegheny; H. J. Roddy, Perry; Dr. Van Fleet, Clin-
ton; Geo. S. Morris, Philadelphia; Hon. G. C. Brown,
York; Otto Behr, Sullivan; W\ W. Stoey, Dauphin,
and J. L. Camp, Bradford. 1 have observed the Marsh
Hawk to be most numerous in the fall, frequenting
the (extensive and grassy meadow lands, chiefly about
the large si reams.

When flying this species nm easily be distinguished
from other hawks by the white upper tail-coverts, so
cons|>ieuous In the females and immature birds, or
those usually met with. Tiu' old male, rare and sel
dom found in this se<ti<n», can be recognized t>y the
bluish white plumage.

1

P«l

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MARS H HAW K

n

ill

ir»4

MARSH HAWK.

Circus hudsonius.

DESCRIPTION.

Face partly r^ncircled by a rufl- ^^^^^^l^^^-^rrils^'^r^l- 'wings
small stiffened feathers as in the ..wis; '^'^f ^l^^^^'t ,^^' '' '"^^
lont? and pointed; tail long; tarsus long a^^^slende

Male.^Ushi bluish gray above- and on ^^^^\^?; Vi. ''lomJ
upptT lail-eoverts and most of under P^. f .>^^, ;« , '.^,^^
un.hT f.athers under wings and lower part ol »>i ^'^^\ ;\"^'
abdomen spotted with rusty. Female and young are la k-
brown above streaked on head and neck with irddish
brovvn; b. low i-eddish-brown. much brighter in some speci-
mens than others; upper tail-coverts white. Length of fe-
male abom 18 to 20 inches; extent about 44; tail 9 or 10 inches;
bill und claws blackish; legs, feet and eyes yellow.

Habitat. -"Srih Ameiica in general, south to I anama.

The M'avhU Hawk, known also as HairitM- and Bo^
(rotlcr. is most frequently seen throughout Pennsyl
vania in Wu^ spring and failbut it breeds often in dit
(riri.i paris of lh(* Stat^', and in some o?' the soul hern
.ouulies it is found during all monlhs of the year, lis
iH'sl. with f .lius or young, hav(; been fotind by the fol
h.wing gcnllemon in ihoir respective counties: Dr.
.fohnV'. Detwillcr, Xorthampton ; \l. <\ Wrenshall.
Allegheny; H. -1. I^^ddy, Perry; Dr. \'an Fleet, (Uiii
ton; Geo* S. Morris, Philadelphia; Hon. G. (\ P.rown.
York; Otto P.chr, Sullivan; W. W. Stoey, Dauphin,
and .1. L. Tjunp. Bradford. 1 have observed the Marsh
Hawk to be mosi numer<Mis in the fall, frequenting
the extensiv«' and grassy meadnw lands, chielly about
(he large streams.

When flying this species ran easily be distinguished
lioni olhei' hawks by llu- white upper tail-coverts, s.i
rcmspieuous in the femah-s and immature birds, or
those usually uk'I with. The old male, rare and sel
dom found in Ihis srrti<m. ean be ?e<'ognized by the
bluish white phnnage.

MARS H HAW K

iir

I'll

H^.

ii

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

-:

155

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The uest of the Marsh Hawk differs from that of all
others of the family which breed here, in being placed
on tlie ground, and usually, it is said, in a swamp or
meadow. Tlie nest, according to different writers, is
composed of sticks, grasses, hay, etc., or sometimes
no nest is made, the eggs simply being deposited on a
hed of grass, moss, etc., on the ground. "Kggs, threo
10 eight, 1.80 by 1.41, white or bluish-white, usually
plain, but often more or less spotted or blotched with
\\i\\v brown.'' — Ridgway.

FEEDS ON MICE.

Notwithstanding the fact that these hawks rarely,
if ever, prey upon any kinds of game except sometimes
an occasional Reed bird, gunners, who so industriously
search over the swamps never fail to destroy every
Mni'sh Hawk which comes within range of their deadly
weapons.

Marsh Hawks rarely disturb poultry, but subsist
mainly on field mice, other small quadrupeds, frogs,
large insects and sometimes, though seldom they catch
small wild birds. In writing of the food-habits, etc.,
of this species Xuttall says: "Tt frequents chiefly,
oixm, low and marshy situations, over which it sweeps
or skims along at a little distance usually from the
jiround. in quest of mic(», small birds, frogs, lizards
Jind other reptiles, which it often selects by twilight
iiK well as in the open day; and at times, pres«e<l by
li linger, it joins the owls, and seeks out its prey even
l»y moonlight."

in fourteen (examinations made bv mvself, seven
liawks had only field mice in their stomachs: three,
frogs; two, small birds (warblers); one, few feathers,
apparently of a sparrow (Meloapiza) and fragments of

•I

\

15G

insects; one, laroe number of grasshoppers with a small
quant it V of liair, evidcMitly that of a yonng rabbit.

AVHAT VARIOUS WRITERS SAY.

Conr-erning the food of this bird different writers
speak as follows:

"When Drov is fliscovered the hawk poises for a moment
over the spot and then drops quickly on it, and if successful
is sure to beat over the same place before leaving. It gen-
erally devours its quarry on or near the spot where captured
instead of carrying it away. Its food consists largely of small
rodents, such as meadow mice, half-grown squirrels rabbits
and spermophiles or ground squirrels. In fact so extensively
does it feed on the last named animals that the writer rare y
has examined a stomach from the West which did not contain
their remains.

FEEDS ON REPTILES AND INSECTS.

In addition to the above it preys upon lizards, ^^''^^^ /^^^.''^'
insects and birds; of the latter, the smaller ground-dwelling
species usuallv are taken. When hard pressed it js ^^aid to
feed on offal and carrion, and in the spring and fall, when
water fowl are abundant, it occasionally preys upon dead
and wounded birds^left by gunners. It seldom chases birds on
the wing, though the writer has seen it do so in a few in-
stances."- Fisher Bulletin No.

•J.

Audubon says:

"The food of the Marsh Hawk consists of insects of various
kinds, especially crickets; of lizards, frogs, snakes, birds.
l)rincipally the smaller sorts, although it will attack par-
tridges, plovers, and even green-winged teals, when urged o>
excessive hunger."

Mr. TT. W. ITenshaw, whose extensive field experi-
ence in th(^ West jxave him abundant opportunity of
thoronj-hly acquainting himself with the habits of this
species, says:

"They were seen at all hours of the day * *, *
in search of mice and gophers, which, when obtainable, con-
stitute the major part of their food. When urged by hunger
it may attack birds, and I remember to have once been robbed
of a widgeon I had killed and kept lying in the water, by one
of these birds; but generally they confine their attacks to
the humblest kind of game, which possess neither thf
strength to enable them to resist nor the activity to evade
the sudden descent of their winged enemy."— Ornith. Wheeler
Survey, 100 Merld., 1875.

M

ni!!

157

♦ .

Mr. Hoberl Kidgvvay found the stomachs and crops
of these hawks which he obtained at Pyramid Lake,
Nevada, "filled to their utmost capacity wdth the re-
mains of small li/ards, and nothing else."

PROTECTS THE CROPS.

There is another way in which it protects crops albeit
unconsciously, as appears from the fo"owing: It is also said
to be very serviceable in the southern rice fields in interrupt-
ing the devastations made by swarms of bobolinks. As it
sails low and swiftly over the fields it keeps the flocks in per-
petual fluctuation and greatly interrupts their depredations.
Wilson states that one marsh hawk was considered by the
planters equal to several negroes for alarming the rice
birds.' "—(Hist. N. A. Birds, Vol. Ill, p. 218.)

"Dr Merriam bears witness to the truth of the foregoing,
for while at Georgetown, South Carolina, he saw an immense
flock of bobolinks driven from a field by one of these hawks,
which simply passed over at a considerable height, and made
no movement to molest them.

"Although the hawk occasionally carries off poultry and
game birds, its economic value as a destroyer of mammal
pests is so great that its slight irregularities should be par-
doned. Unfortunately, however, the farmer and sportsman
shoot it down at sight, regardless or ignorant of the fact that
it preserves an immense quantity of grain, thousands of
fruit trees and innumerable nests of game birds by destroy-
ing the vermin which eat the grain, girdle the trees and de-
vour the eggs and young of the birds." — Dr. Fisher, Bulletin
No. 3.

A FRIEND OF THE FARMER.

A study of this badly abused bird should convince
any fair-minded person that it is one of the most bene-
licial of the birds of prey. It should be allowed to
multiply and not be wantonly slaughtered by farmers
and j;nnners, simply for no better reason than that it
is a "hawk.' It is a most persistent hunter of meadow
mice, which in recent years have done so much dam-
age in many parts of Pennsylvania. This surely enti-
tles it to protection; and if farmers and others who de
stroy the Marsh Hawks which visit their premises were
aware of the benefit these birds do, I am confident
such cruel slaughter would cease, and great good

158

would 800U follow in the decrease of destriirtive ro
dents, which coinniit such serious depredations in the
vineyards, and in the ^rass and j;rain fields.

Tonsultin;; I>r. Fisher's taldes on ih(* food of the
Marsh Hawk we find lli:il ''of V2i sloniaehs examined,
7 contained poultry or game birds; M, other l)irds; Tu.
mice; 22, (»lher mammals; 7, reptiles; 2, fro^^s; 14, in
sects; 1, indeterminate matter; and 8 were empty/'

I i

1 ■!

u

I''

\l

N

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159

^^f\':5/<^.

-«''■- v., ■_•>■•.-'■■

SHARP SHINNED HAWK

^HARP-SHINNED HAWK.
Accipiter velox.

DESCRIPTION.

AdulL-Vpvev parts uniform dark bluish-gray; top o^J^ead

somewhat darker; tail is marked with severa tmnsverse

blackish bands; lower parts white; the ^^^^^^ . ^"^ ^^^^'^

being barred with brownish black or rufous. Ins, reddish-

'^Immature Upper parts dusky; usually, with numerous

lighter spots, and the feathers more or less conspicuously
bordered with rusty; lower parts whitish, marked with brown
and dusky streaks. Iris, light yellow. ^ . ,, , ,

V large female of this species measures about 14 inches in
l.ngth by 26 inches in extent; the even or slightly notched
tail measures about 8^ inches; the male is smaller.

Habitat,— North America at large. Common in Pennsylva-
nia, particularly in sparsely settled regions. .

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is known in different sec-
tions of Pennsylvania by a variety of local names, the
most common of which are, "partridge" or "little quail
hawk," "pigeon hawk," and "brown hawk." Unfor-
tunately much of this hawk's destructive work in the
pcMiltry yard and to game and small wild birds is
wrongfully attributed to the beautilul and servicable
Sparrow Hawk, which, on account of its size, is fre-
(iu(mtly mistaken by farmers, poultry-raisers and
sportsmen for the Sharp-shinned Hawk wliich annual-
ly destroys a large amount of domestic fowls, quail and
grouse.

This extremely daring and spirited little hawk is one
of the most abundant of our North American species.
It is found in Pennsylvania as a resident, but during
the spring and fall migraticms— March, April, Septem-
ber and October — it is plentiful, being fretiuently met
with in the mountainous and heavily wooded district?,
.IS woll ns in the cultivated and rich agricultural re-
i:ions. Although a native throughout the State, It is

., !■

i:,'

ii

COLOR PLATE

159

SHARP SHINNED HAWK

'SHARP-fiHINNED HAWK.
Accipiter velox.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult. -Vjvvvr parts uniform dark bluish-gray; top ''^ ^^^1

somewhat darker; tail is marked with severa transveisc

l,lackish bands; lower parts white; the b^'^^^^ . '^"^ ,^^.^^^

bring baned with brownish black or rufous. Ins. leddish-

"/wmatwrc. —TTpper parts dusky; usually, with numerous
lighter spots, and the feathers more or less conspicuously
bordered with rusty; lower parts whitish, marked with brown
Mud dusky streaks. Iris, light yellow. ^ , ,, , y,^^ :,.

V large female of this species measures about 14 inches in
i-ngth bv 1^6 inches in extent; the even or slightly notoh.Ml
t.ii I measures about S^^ inches; the male is smaller.

IlabitaL-N ovih America at large. Common in Pennsylva-
nia, partieukirly in sparsely settled regions.

The Shaip-.shiniiod Hawk is known in ditferent sec-
tions of Pennsylvania by a variety of local nanu^s, the
most coninion of which are, "partridge" or "little quail
hawk/' "pigeon hawk," and "brown hawk." Unfor-
lunatelv much of this liawk's destructive work in the
[MHiltry yard and to game and small wild birds is
wronufullv attributed to the beautiful and servicable
Sparrow Hawk, which, on account of its size, is fre-
• Hiently mistaken by farmers, poultry-raisers and
s|MM*tsmen for the* Sharp-shinned Hawk wliich annual-
Iv (iestrovs a larije amount of douH'stic fowls, quail and

irrouse.

This extremely daring and spirited little hawk is one
nf the most abundant of our North AuKM'ican species.
It is found in l*ennsylvania as a resident, but during
tlie spring and fall migrations- March, April, Septem-
Imm' and Oetober -it is plentiful, being fre(|nently met
with ill th(> mountainous and heavily wooded districts.
IS well as in the enltivated and rieh agricultural re-
:iofis. .\lthoiigli a native thronghont the State, It is

'

' tllil

I

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

II T-«mnm

I

.1

m\\

IGO

much inoiv numerous duiiug the breediuj,^ season in
thinlv settled and wooded districts. The nests in tliis
locality, aecording to my experience, are mostly built
in low trees, and they are made up almost entirely of
small twigs.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

I have taken two nests, both built in low cedar trees;
these nests were entirely constructed of small twigs,
and were loosely, but firmly made. The cavity of one
nest was quite superficial, but that of the other Avas
well formed. The eggs— each nest contained five-
are deposited about the first of May. They are nearly
spherical, white or bluish-white, marked with large
and irregular splashes or blotches of brown, and meas-
ure about 1.40 by l.K) inches. Gentry, a close ob-
server and facile writer, remarks in his "Life Histories
of Birds," that the "eggs, in some instances, are laid
on consecutive days, but we have positive proofs that
sometimes a single day is intermitted, and at other
times, even two and three days intervene between eacli
deposit." In one of my nests I found two days to in-
tervene after the deposition of each of three eggs, and
the fifth ovum was deposited after an intervention of
three days. Gentry has found them breeding in the
deserted nest of the common grey squirrel. Mr. J.
Hoopes Matlack, of West Chester, informs uui he
found a pair breeding in an old crow's nest; such sites,
however, Gentry advises us, are rarely chosen. It is
said this species will sometimes build on a ledge
of rock or on hollow and decaying tree limbs. One
nest, which I had the opportunity of observing from'
its early commencement, was built by the united labor
of both birds, which occupied a ])eriod of seven days,
(ientrv, who doubtless, has had a more extensive ex-

J'

\i\

IS!

I

i;l!

SHARP SHINNED HAWK.(younG)

^- 161

p(Mi<*Dce, gives three iind four days, according to style,
as llie tiiiK? requisite for the construction of the nest.

Various writeis assert that dry grass, leaves, moss,
etc., aid in the make-up of the nests; such, no doubt,
is the case, but as previously stated, I have found
sticks and twigs to solely constitute the nests.

Incubation is alternately engaged in by both birds,
which, while they show great solicitude for their off-
spring, repelling all bird intruders with the mosst de
Ici'inined zeal and pugnacity, will, when molested by
man, show marked timidity, and leave to his desecra-
tl(»n their nest and its contents. The young are care-
fully watched and fed by the parents, chiefly- on a diet
of small birds — sparrows principally — until, (lenir.v
savs, thev are about six weeks old, when thev are able
to provfde food for themselves.

FOND OF POULTRY AND SONG BIRDS.

This hawk occasionally feeds upon insects, mice and
reptiles, but the greater portion of its food consists of
wild birds and poultry, particularly young poultry.
When a pair of Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawks nest
in the neighborhood of a farm, where young chickens
can readily be captured, they, if not speedily killed,
will visit the place almost daily until the young chicks
have all been destroyed, and if the hawks are not mo-
lested after a few visits to the coops, they seem to be-
come more bold and daring every day.

KILLS GAME BIRDS.

This hawk does not by any means devote his atten-
tion exclusively to young poultry when he comes about
the farm yard, but often may be seen to attack and
kill chickens when two-thirds or even full grown;

11 -TT

> I

COLOR PLATE

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

SHARP SHINNED HAWK (young

1(U

|M ri(MH(*, ;;ives (hn^e Jind four days, according; to style,
;,s jho lini(» rcMiuisite for the construction of the nest.

\';nious writers assert tliat dry j,n'ass, leaves, moss,
ri... aid in the nialve-np of tlie nests; such, no doubt,
is I he case, bul as previously stated, I have found
sii. ks and twigs to solely constitute the nests.

Incubation is alternately engaged in by both birds,
wliich, while they show gn^at solicitude for their olf-
spiing, repelling all bird intruders with the most dc
Icnnincd /( al and ])Ugnacity, will, when molested by
iii;ni, show marked timidity, and leave to his desecra-
timi ilicii' nest and its contents. The young are care-
fully watclied and fed by the parents, chiefly on a di(M
of small birds — sparrows ))rincii)ally — until, (JciiIin
sjivs. I hey are about six weeks old, when they are able
lo jii'ovide food for themselves.

FOND OF POULTRY AND SONG BIRDS.

This hawk occasionally feeds upon insects, mice and
i< pliles, but the greater portion of its food consists of
wild birds and poultry, particularly young poultry.
\\ li(*n a pair of Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawks nest
ill the neighborhood of a farm, where young chickens
• Jill readily be captured, they, if not speedily killed,
will \isif I he place almost daily until the young chi(;ks
li;i\«' all been destroved, and if the hawks are not mo-
I<M«'d after a few visits to the coops, they seem to be-
< "iiic iii(>r(» bold and daring every day.

KILLS CAME BIRDS.

Tltis hawk does not bv anv means devote his at leu
ti<»!i <'xclusively to young poultry when he comes about
111* laini \ai*d, but often mav be s(»en to attack and
Ivill •'hick(ms when two-thirds or even full irrown.

11 TT

ii I

m

I

« M

It

162

w

Pheasants or Ruffed (imuse, both old and young, nisu
quail, are destr(>yed in considerable numbers by the
8harp-»hinned hawks. Young rabbits and siiuiiivls
are occasionally captured by these hawks, and on one
occasion, a few years ago, a hunter of my acquaint ^
ance shot and presented to me a pair of these hawks
which had killed several young wild turkeys, which he
said were about one-third grown. I have known botli
the Sharp shinned and Cooper's Hawks, which had
probably been watching coveys of quail, to suddenly
swoop down and seize a quail which had been shot.
when the sportsman was only a few yards from th('
(piail he had killed or wounded. Doves, which in re-
cent years or since the wild pigeons have disappeared
from this region, are eagerly sought after by sports
men in many sections of the State, are very often de-
stroved bv these hawks, and they also sometimes at
tack domestic pigeons.

According to Nuttall:

"This species feeds particularly upon mice, lizards small
birds, and sometimes even squirrels. In thinly settled dis-
tricts this Hawk seems to abound, and proves extremely <l'
structlve to young chickens, a single bird having been known
regularly to come every day until he had carried away be-
tween twenty and thirty."

The same writer relates a circumstances, where he
was one day conversing with a planter, when one of
these hawks came down and without any ceremony
or heeding the loud cries of the housewife, who most
reluctantly witnessed the robbery, snatched away ;i
chicken directlv before them.

Dr. Cones says:

"Tt prevs chieflv upon small birds and quadrupeds captm-
Ing in the dashinp manner of all the species of this group.
and, like its small allies, feeds to some extent upon Insects.

163

Since the advent and alarming increase of the Eng-
lish Sparrow, it is not unusual for the Sharp-shinned
Uawk to pay occasional visits to towns and villages
where he should be heartily welcomed for the destruc-
tion he causes among these feathered pests.

Dr. A. K. Fisher very properly says:

■ "Little can be said in favor of this hawk, although its dar-
ing courage and Impudence are to be admired. On this and
the two following species (Cooper's Hawk and Goshawk)
mainly rest the responsibility for the ill-favor with which
the other hawks are regarded. A score of valuable species
suffer because they belong to a ci'iss which includes two or
three noxious kinds. However, like most villains, it has at
loast one redeeming quality, and that is its fondness for the
Enj^lish Sparrow, our imported bird nuisance."

SOME SMALL BIRDS IT DEVOURS.

;»W>

The Sharp-shinn*ed Hawk is known to kill and feed
ii[)on the following species of small wild birds which
are common in this State:

Meadow Lark,

Common Robin,

(.*row Blackbird,

Cow Blackbird,

Hlue Bird,

Flicker,

Downy Woodpecker,

Goldfinch,

Savanna Sparrow,

Baltimore Oriole,

Chickadee,

Hermit Thrush,

Red Eyed Vireo,

Hlack Throated Green Warbler,

Ucd-winged Blackbird,

Red-headed Woodpecker,
Cat Bird,
English Sparrow,
Song Sparrow,
Tree Sparrow,
Snow Bird,
Fox Sparrow,
Chipping Sparrow,
Orchard Oriole,
White-throated Sparrow,
Brown Thrush,
Myrtle Warbler,
Common Pewee,
Oven Bird.

This list could be considerably enlarged, as there are
many other kinds of birds which different observers
lijive identified among the stomach contents of this
liawk. The list is, however, sufficiently large to give
the general reader a very clear idea that the Sharp-
sliinned is ever ready to capture and prey upon almost

IK

164

I''-'
p.

,■1'

VI ;

I (I'll

1-1* ;

;'

iuxy bird he can iiiaslur. The stomach coiifeiils u\
twoDty-seveii Sharp-shiuned Hawks exaiuined by thr
writer, are ^iven in the followini^ table:

1..

3..
4..
5,.
6..

<>•

8..

9..

10^.

11,.
12..

13,.
14,.
IS..
16..
17..
18,.

18,.
80..

21..
22..
23».

24.

25.

26.

27,.

September 7, 1878,.
September 14. H78, .
November 20. l'^78,
November 17, 1871^, •

May 3, 1S79

September 10, 18?J, .

May 30, 1880

June 2. 1880

June 3, 1880,

August 23, 1881, ....

October 16, 1881. ...
October 29, 18^1. ...

June 22. 1881

October, 1881

May 23. 18^2

December 13. 1882, .

April 3, 18b2,

September 2). J^84..

October 3, 18b.G

November 26, 1886,.

August 15, 1887

September 19. 1887,.
November 17, 1887,.

June 20, 1888

October 1. 1890

August 27. 1891. ..
December 10, 189.'),

Chester county, Pa., ..
Chester county, Pa., ..

Newark. Delaware

Chester county, I 'a.. .'.
Chester county, I'a , ..
Chester county, Pa., ..

l^elaware county. Pa.,.
Chester county. Pa., ..
Chester county. Pa.. ..
Chester county, Pa., ..

Chester county, Pa.. ..
Chester county, Pa., ..

I^ancEPter coimty. Pa..
Chester county. Pa.. ..

York county, Pa •

Chester county, Pa.. .*.
Chester county. Pa, ..

Chester county. Pa

Chester county. Pa., ..
Chester county, Pa., ..

T.ycomlnK county. Pa...
Dauphin county. Pa.,
Delaware county, la..

Lackawanna county. Pa.

McKean county. !^a .

Chester county. Pa., .

Luzerne county. Pa..

1

Song sparrow.

Quail.

Chicken.

Snowbird.
I'-ield mice.
English sparrow .ml

Held micee.
Chicken.
Chicken.
Chicken.

Grasshopi)ers and bee-
tles.
Quail.
Quail and fragments of

beetles.
Chicken. ; ,

Meadow lark.
Warbler.
Song sparrow.
Robin.

Field sparrow.
English sparrow.
Song sparrow and f"N

sparrow.
Mourning dove.
Ruffed grou.se.
Common pigeon, thl k

adee.
Red-eypd vlreo :in i

chicken.
Downy wood peck' r ami

snowbird.
Brown thrusli and bee-
tles.
Field mice and Engllsli
sparrow.

i-.. ''

m

COOPERS HAWK

COLOR PLATE

ion

COOPEK'S HAWK. -

Accipiter cooped.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult,— Above uniform bluish-gray, and top of head black-
ish; tail has several transverse blackish bands; lower parts
white; breast and sides being barred with dusky or reddish-
brown. Iris reddish amber.

Immature, —Above dusky, more or less spotted with white
ana reddish brown; tail banded; lower parts whitish with
long brown spots. Iris yellow. A large female measures
from 18 to 20 inches in length by 36 in extent; ^the long and
rounded tail measures about 8Vi> inches; the ma'le is smaller.

fZaftiia^— North America in general. Common in Pennsyl-
vania, particularly in wooded and mountainous districts.

This much destested and commonly called "Long-
tailed Chicken or Pheasant Hawk" — a native — is resi-
dent but it is not nearly so plentiful during the winter
season as througliout the late spring, summer and
rarly autumn.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Nest building is commonly begun in this locality
about the middle of April, and lasts for a period of
I'lom three to five days. Occasionally this bird will
deposit its eggs in a deserted crowds nest. I believe
Ihey prefer to erect their own nests, and, from my ob-
servation, am quite positive they only appropriate the
iH'sts of other birds when their own have been de-
stroyed. The building of the nest is the conjoint li'bor
of both birds.

It is usually built in a thick woods, and when a ^iuv
f>f Cooper's Hawks begin housekeeping in woodlan<l
iH'iir the farmer's poultry yard and they are not soon
'•iiiil(»d up nnd killed or I heir nest and its contents de-
shoved, Ihe chances are thev will dc^strov a sfood manv

1?

lliil

COOPERS HAWK

1 (;r»

COUl^EK'S HAWK.
Accipiter cooperi.

DESCRIPTION.

AdulL -A])(tVQ unilorm bluish-sray, and top of head blacU-
isli; tail has several transverse blackish bands; lower parts
white; breast, and sides beinj? barrtd with dusky or reddish-
f.iown. Iris reddish amber.

Immature. — Abovf dusky, more or less spotted with white
;iii(i reddisli ])rowii; tail banded; lower parts whitish with
long brown spots. Iris yellow. A large female measures
iroiM 18 to 20 inches in length l)y o6 in extent; the long and
Kiunded tail measures about 8VL» inches; the male is smaller.

Habitat, —Sovth America in general. Common in I'ennsyl-
vaiiia, particularly in wooded and mountainous districts.

This iiincli desic'stod and coiiimonlv called '^Loiijjr-
lailed Chicken or Pheasant Hawk" — a native — is resi-
dent but il is not nearly so plentifnl dnrin<>- the wintcM-
scjison as throtif^iiont the late S[)rin^, sufinner ;ind
('.nlv anluMin.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Xest l)uildin<»' is commonly be«»nn in this locality
iihoul the middle of April, and lasts for a period of
linni lliree to five davs. Occasional! v this bird will
<l<'l>osit its e^<j:s in a d(\serted crow's nest. I believe
iluy i)refer to erect their own nests, and, from my ob-
^« I Nation, am (piite positive* they only appropriate the
iKsis of other birds when their own have been de-
siioyed. The bnildino- of the nest is the conjoint Itibor
<'! both birds.

M is nsiially built in a thick woods, and when a ;)air
•f trooper's Hawks be^in housek^'e|nn,i; in woodland
'I'lr (he farmer's poultrv vard jind thev ni*e not soon
''iiiiird lip iiiid klMod or ihoir nest and its contents de-
>^iioy<Ml, the chnnccs are tliev will d(*st]*ov n j^ood manv

"•\ I]
ill

; I

M

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

•'.)

/•.

5

P

ICG

dollars worth of poultry before they and their youuj;

leave the locality.

Externally the nest is built of sticks varying much
in size. It is generaly lined with the inner layer of
bark, although, frequently, blades of grass, featluMs
and leaves enter into the construction of the interior.
While certain writers have described the nest as broad,
with but a slight concavity, I have invariably found
the concavities to be well marked. The eggs measure
about 1.92x1.50 inches and usually number from three
to four, although it is not a rare occurrence to find five.
In color they are a dull, bluish-white. Sets are some-
times taken with numerous and unevenly distributed
brown or reddish spots. The period of incubation is
given by Trof. Thomas Gentry (Birds of Eastern Penn-
sylvania), to be 18 days. Although in this particular
my observation has been somewhat limited, I am fully
convinced that the time required for this, likewise
other of our birds of prey, is three weeks or over. Tlie
young leave the nest in about 25 days; when about 8
or 9 weeks old they are able to provide food for them
selves; to this time, however, they are carefully guard
ed by the old birds and fed almost entirely on a diet
of small wild birds, chickens, an occasional mammnl
and some few insects.

AN AUDACIOUS POULTRY THIEF.

While it is true that the Cooper's Hawk preys to a
much greater extent on full grown poultry than does
his daring little relative the Sharp-shinned Hawk,
there is no doubt that at times individual Coopers
Hawks are equally as bad about destroying young
poultry as are the Sharp-shinned Hawks. For impn
dent daring this present sp:'cie.s, without doubt, ranks
pre-eminent among tjie raptorial genera. Almost every

167

Inrnier or poultry raiser can recount instances of
NN here he or she was the victim of pillage by this boUl
;iiid audacious robber. In the spring of 1878 the
writer was presented by a friend with a Cooper's
Hawk which he had caught in a steel trap, but not
until he and his mate had destroyed some fifty young
chickens. In one day these two hawks killed twelve
chickens.

A BOLD ACT. .

\ii(luh(in f-ays: "This maraucUr pometimes attacks birds far
superior to iiself in woight and sometimes possessed of a
( ourage and strength equal to its own. As I was one morning
..bserving the motions of some parakeets, near Bayou Sara,
in l^uisiana. in the month of November, I heard a cock
(lowing not far from me and in sight of a farm house. The
mxt moment the hawk flew past me and so close that I might
have touched it with the barrel of my gun had I been pre-
pared. Not more than a few seconds elapsed before I heard
the cackling of tho hens and the war cry of the cock, and at
th." .same time observed the hawk rising, as if without ef-
fort, a few yards in the air and again falling toward the
ground with the rapidity of lightning. I proceeded to the spot
and found the hawk grappled to the body of the cock, both
tumbling over and over and paying no attention to me as I
ar.proached. Desirous of .seeing the result, I remained still
until, perceiving that the hawk had given a fatal squeeze to
Mu' ])rave cock, I ran to secure the former but the marauder
liad kept a hawk's eye upon me, and, disengaging himself,
rose in the air in full confidence. The next moment I pulled
tlu' trigger and he fell dead."

A MIXED DIET.

Dr. Coues (Birds of Northwest) says, in speaking of this
liavvk: "Possessed of spirit commensurate with its physical
Ixwirs, it preys upon game little if any humbler than that
of our more powerful falcons. It attacks and destroys
liarfs, grouse, teal, and even the young of larger ducks, in
tlie state in which they are known as 'flappers,' l)esides cap-
turing the usual variety of smaller birds and quadrupeds.
It orcasionally seizes upon reptiles or picks up insects. In
securing its prey it gives chase openly and drives down Its
quarry with almost incredible velocity."

COOPERS HAWK .( young )

Tho following quotations from Dr. Fisher's Hawk and Owl
l^ullotin No. 3, page 39. show how extensively the Cooper's
Ha\vl< feeds on game and domestic birds. Nuttall says: "His
food appears principally to be of various kinds; from the
spa I row to the Ruffed Grouse, all contribute to his rapacious

COLOR PLATE

1(>7

COOPERS HAWKm fCUNG)

l;,,ni(M' or poultry raiser can recount instances of
uhere lie or she was the victim of pillage by this bold
and audacious robber. In the sprino of 18TS the
uiiler was presenhMl by a friend with a Cooper's
Hawk which he had caught in a steel trap, but not
,11, 111 he and his mate had destroyed some fifty young
cliirkens. In one day these two hawks killed twelve
rhickens.

A BOLD ACT.

\ii(IiiIm.ii suvs: "This maraud* r snmt t hues attacks l>ir(ls fai
-iiIMrinr to i'tsflf in woiRht and somotimes possessed of a
( ..iii;t«e and stren.i?th e«iual in its own. As T was one mornins
uhs. ivinj? tlie motions (»f some parakeets, near Bayou Sara,
ill Louisiana, in the month of November. I heard a cock
.towing not far from me and in sij-ht of a farm house. The
11. xl moment the hawk flew past me and so close that T might
have touched it with the ])arrel of my gun had I been pre-
l.atcd. Not more than a few seconds claps«'d before I heard
tlir. cackling of the liens and the war cry of the cock, and at
til- same time obseived the hawk rising, as if without ef-
f',v\, a few yards in the air and again falling toward the
ground with the rapidity of lightning. I proceedetl to the si)ot
and found the hawk grai)pled to the body of the cock, both
luinbling over and (»ver and paying no attention to me as \
appreached. Disiious of .seeing the result, I remained still
iiniil. perceiving that the hawk' had given a fatal squtM-ze to
l.iave cock, I ran to secure the former but the marauder
kept a hawk's eye upon me, and, disengaging liimself,
in the air in full confidence. The next moment 1 pulh-d
trigger and he fell dead."

1 ll

; lie

lia.l

A MIXED DIET.

hr. Cones (Birds of Northwest) says, in speaking of this
liawk: "Possessed of spirit commensurate with its physical
l'"U' IS, it preys upon game little if any humbler than that
"f our more powerful falcons. It attacks and destroys
liaies. grouse, teal, and even the young of larger ducks, in
tlie slate in which they are known as *flapi)ers,' besides cap-
turing the usual variety of smaller birds and quadrupeds.
It ef casionally seizes ui»on reptiles or jucks up insects. In
securing its piey it gives chase openly and drives down its
(luarry with almost incredible velocity."

'IMi^ following quotations from Dr. Fisher's Hawk and Owl
liulleiiii No. :;. page :\^. show how extensively the Cooper's
Hawk feeds on game and domestic birds. Nuttall says: "His
f'joil appears i>rini'ipally to b-^ of various kinds; fiom the
sparr<nv to th* Ruffed Grouse, all contribute to his rapacious

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

if

108

appetitf ==' '' * His depredations among di)mesii(

fowls are very destructive.' (Land Birds, 1832, p. 90.)

Mr. H. Nehrling says: "This very common and impudent
robber Is the most destructive of the Raptores to the barn-
yard fowls; in a short time all the young chickens turkeys
and ducks are killed by it." (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol.
VII, 82, p. 174.)

Mr Thomas Mcllwaith says: "This is one of the chicken
hawks, and it well deserves the name, from the havoc it
makes among the poultry." (Birds of Ontario, p. 137.)

DESTROYS QUAIL.

"Mr Henshavv informs me that the Cooper's Hawk is very
partial to quail flesh in California and the southern territories,
and that it undoubtedly secures many victims. He once saw
a young female dart into a bevy of Gambel's quail and seize
one with the utmost ease, though the birds were flying at full
speed. In an instant the flock scattered In every direction and
sought refuge in the bushes, from which it proved next to im-
possible to dislodge them. They had recognized their enemy
and evidently knew that their only chance for safety lay in
close hiding."

FEEDS ON DOMESTIC PIGEONS.

"Cooper's Hawk is very destructive to domestic pigeons,
and when it finds a cote which is easy of approach, It is very
troublesome. Dr. William C. Avery, of Greensboro, Alabama,
informs us that during one year he killed and wounded at
least a dozen of these hawks before the inroads among his
doves ceased. Among the smaller birds, this hawk is very
fond of meadow larks, robins and flickers. The writer, on
several occasions, has secured specimens in hot pursuit of the
last named bird, which gave expression to their alarm by lou.l
and continued cries."

KILLS GROUSE AND OTHER GAME.

The common name of "Long-tailed Pheasant Hawk,"
by which this swift- winged plunderer is best known in
the mountainous and sparsely settled regions, is given
because of the great damage this hawk does by de
stroying Ruffed Grouse. For several years past th«'
writer has every season visited different localities in
Tennsylvania, for the purpose of hunting the RufT< «l
(Irousc or Pheasant, and from porsDnal observation i<
well aware that the Cooper's Hawk is a most destrnr

169

tive foe of this toothsome game bird. Hunters and
woodsmen have often told me that these "pheasant
hawks," referring to both the Cooper's and Sharp-
shinned, kill almost as many birds as the average
sportsman, and judging from the way in which a good
many sportsmen "shoot" when they are in the brush
after the wily grouse it is very likely that this state-
ment is correct. The Cooper's Hawk feeds upon the
gray rabbit (common cotton-tail) and the mountain
jack or white rabbit (Varying Hare); squirrels are oc-
casionally killed and young wild turkeys also suffer
considerably from the attacks of this bird. Besides
(l<»stroying poultry and game of different kinds these
hawks annually kill great numbers of small wild birds
such as woodpeckers, sparrows, thrushes, etc.

The Cooper's Hawk has been known to kill and feed
upon the following species of birds and mammals
which are present in this State:

BIRDS.

Ruffed Grouse,

Quail,

Common Dove,

Goldfinch,

Robin,

Shore-lark,

Tree Sparrow,

Towhee,

Red- winged Blackbird,

Wild Turkey,

Wood Duck,

Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

•opossum.
Gray Rabbit,
Varying Hare.
Field Mice,

Meadow Lark,

Screech Owl,

Flicker,

Red-headed Woodpecker.

White-breasted Nuthatch.

Songr Sparrow,

Crow Blackbird.

Snowbird,

Field Sparrow.

Savanna Sptirrow,

Blue Bird,

Engrlish Sparrow.

MAMMALS.

Chipmunk,
Red Squirrel,
Common Rat,
Woodchuck (young).

The stomach contents of 48 Cooper's Hawks ex-
nmined by the writer gave the following result: 18,
••^••'^^•iis and ph(\'isants: 12, small birds— sparrows;

11* rr

p\

^

til

170

warblers, meadow larks, woodpeckers th -heB, .
n„ail; 2, doves or domestic pigeons; 1, bull-froj,', ...
Tee rats and insects; 1, opossum; 1. young wood-
,ruck and remains of wood duck; 2, ha.r and otl,..
remains of small quadrupeds.

AT LEAST ONE GOOD TRAIT.

The (X.oper's Hawk, sometimes like the Sha.p-
^hirl^ed Nicies, visits .vards and parks in town^ an
villages in quest of the English Sparrow, a bnd whu 1
Ubv reason of its pugnacious habits dnven many of
r. native and benefi.ial song birds fron. the habUa-
lions of man.

"./>

171

' AMTRICAN GOSHAWK

GOSHAWK.
. Accipiter atricapillus.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult,— Aho\e dark lead color, with blackish shaft streaks;
top of head black; white stripe over eye, and more or less
indistinct about occiput (back of head); tail has four or five
indistinct blackish bars; ends of tail feathers whitish; lower
parts pale ashy white, with a faint leaden tint, sharply
sti-eaked with blackish and finely mottled or barred with whfte.
Iris, reddish amber.

Immature, — Dark brown or grayish above, ' the feathers
edged and spotted with whitish and pale reddish-brown;
lower parts yellowish-white and marked with blackish spots
or narrow stripes. Iris yellowish.

Length about 25 inches; extent, about 46; tail about 12 V^.
Tlio male is smaller.

Habitat,— Northern and eastern North America, breeding
moslly north of the United States. Resident In a few of the
higher and wooded mountainous regions of Pennsylvania.

The Goshawk is not common in this State. Usually
this fierce, powerful and predatory bird confines him-
self to the mountainous and heavily wooded regions.
It is rather exceptional for these birds to be found in
the populous farming districts and when they are seen
in such places it is generally during severe winters,
when their favorite mountain retreats are visited by
heavy falls of snow.

Hunters and woodsmen know the adults of this spe-
'ies by the name of "Big Blue Hawk." Audubon
r<Mind the Gosliawk breeding in the Great Pine Swamp
in this State.

Some twenty-five years ago these hawks, it is said,
\\v\v very frequently seen during all seasons in the
'•oimlies of Cameron, Warren, Elk, Potter, Wyoming,
F(Mest, McKean, and Sullivan, where they then, no
<lonht, bred regularly. Mr. M. M. Larrabee, of Em-
P^'iinni, Cnmeron county, says he always saw Gos-

fi:

COLOR PLATE

171

1 1

\.

AMERICAN GOSHAWK

GOSHAWK.

Accipiter atricapillus.

DESCRIPTION.

AduU.~Aho\e dark lead color, with blackish shaft streaks;
i(»p of head black; white stripe over eye, and more or less
indistinct about occiput (back of head); tail has four or five
indistinct blackish bars; ends of tail feathers whitish; lower
parts pale ashy white, with a faint leaden tint, sharply
St. caked with blackish and finely mottled or barred with white.
iiis, reddish amber.

Immature,— Uarh brown or grayish above, the feathers
rd^'ed and spotted with whitish and pale reddish-brown;
lower parts yellowish-white and marked with blackish spots
or narrow stripes. Iris yellowish.

Length about 25 inches; extent, about 46; tail about 12%.
The male is smaller.

Habitat,— Sorihevn and eastern North America, breeding-
nioslly north of the United States. Resident in a few of the
lii.j-;lier ;ind wooded mountainous regions of Pennsylvania.

The (Josliawk is not common in this State. Usuallv
this fierce, powerful and predatory bird confines him-
self lo the mcuntainous and heavily wooded rej^ions.
11 is rather exceptional for these birds to be found in
tlie populous farmin^^ districts and when thev are seen
ill such i)hices it is generally during severe winters,
Nvlicn (heir favorite* mountain retreats are visited by
heavy falls of snow.

Hunters and woodsmen know the adults of this spe-
••i<'« by the name of "Bio- Blue Hawk." Audubon
'' 'Mid (lie Goshawk breeding in the Great Pine Swamp
in this State.

S.inie Iwenly-five years ago these hawks, it is said,
w.'iv vcMv frequently seen during all seasons in th(»
•yiiMlies of Cameron, Warren, Elk, Potter, Wyoiuing,
*^'<"*'st, MeKeaii, and Sullivan, where they then, no
•>'•"»•<. bred regularly. Mr. M. M. Larrabe(^ of Km
i""iiiiii. (\nMeron county, says he always saw Gos-

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

172

hawks about the neHtin« places of wild P'SW b"'
when (he i.igeons left his locality these hawks also dc
parted, uud are now seeu there chiefly as winter vis.t

ors.

BREEDS IN SULLIVAN COUNTY.

The Goshawk is a regular breeder on North mo.u.
tain, Sullivan county, Pa. I have seen birds of this
species in Clinton and Centre counties of this State in
June and July, hence am inclined to think the>- may
also breed in these counties. Messrs. Otto and Her-
man Behr of Lopez., l>a., have found, during the last
Ave or six years, s.-veial nests of these hawks on Nortl.
mountain. Within a radius of four or five miles of
their home at least three or four pairs of these birdH
have bred regularly for many years.

In the latter part of May, 1896, Mr. Herman
Behr found the nest of a Goshawk about three miles
from his home; it contained three young birds. Tl.e
nest was a verv bulky structure, probably not less
than three feet high by three feet in diameter, and
made up almost entirely of sticks. It was built on a

large beech tree.

During the present year (1897) the Messrs. Behr in-
form me they have found the nest of a Goshawk and
secured the eggs.

GOSHAWKS AND WILD PIGEONS.

Mr. Behr informs me that some thirty-five years ago
there was a wild pigeon roost or breeding ground fully
seven miles square, on North mountain, which was an
nually resorted to by these birds every spring. On
one occasion Mr Behr counted forty-six i)igeons' nesl-
on a single beech tree. Wild pigeons, until within Ih''
last three years, bred regularly in small numbers on

I

|:P'

i

tl{

if

iiii

AMERICAN GOSHAWK (YOUNG)

173

Norili mountain. The last wild pigeon observed
in that region bv Messrs. Otto and Herman Behr was
laken in the spring of 1893. The Goshawk, also the
(Jooper's and Sharp shinned species, in common with
ihe Great Horned and Barred owls, destroyed great
numbers of pigeons. Of all these raptorial birds the
cruel, daring and blood-thirsty Goshawk was by far
the most persistent and destructive enemy to the

pigeons.

The owls, like other nocturnal marauders, such as
(he wild cat or bay lynx, the red fox, the mink and
agile weasel, all preyed upon the pigeons. The wea-
sels would frequently climb the tree to get the pigeons'
eggs and young, or often to capture the old birds when
at rest. The other mammals previously mentione<l
depended mostly on catching squabs which fell from
the nests.

WHAT GOSHAWKS PREY UPON.

The Goshawk feeds upon chickens, turkeys, ducks,
grouse, quail, robins, hares and squirrels and other
small rodents. Although at times this bird is very
(Icslructive to poultry the greatest damage done by
Ihis species in the State appears to be to game, especi-
ally grouse.

The following paragraphs concerning this daring
and destructive hawk are taken from Dr. A. K. Fish-
er's Report, Bulletin No. 3:

"This species is one of the most daring of all the hawks,
and while in Dursuit of its prey is apparently less concerned
by the presence of man than any other. It will dart down
unexpectedly at the very feet of the farmer and carry off a
fowl." • '

The following from the pen of the late Dr. William
Wood ffives evidence of its boldness:

,1; I

' !i

¥

COLOR PLATE

^-:

AMERICAN GOSHAWK (YOunG)

173

Vorlh mountain. Tho last wild l)ij;(M>n ohsorvcMl
,„ (|,a( n-ion by Messrs. Olio and Merman Behr was
laken in the sprin<,^ of 181):^ The Goshawk, also the
roopeivs and Shai*]) shinned speeies, in common with
ihe Great Hinned and Barred owls, destroyed j;reat
nimd)ers of pi^tMrns. Of all these raptorial birds the
rrnel, darino- and blood-thirsty Goshawk was by far
I he most persistent and destrnetive enemy to the

|ti«r(-ons.

The owls, like other nocturnal marauders, such as
ih(^ wild cat or bay lynx, the red fox, the mink and
;ioii(» weasel, all ])reyed upon the pi<?eons. The wea-
sels would frefiuently climb the tree to get the pigeons'
.oirs and youn-, or often to capture the old birds when
;it rest. The other mammals pri»viously mentione<l
(h^pended mostly on catching squabs which fell from
llie nests.

WHAT GOSHAWKS PKKY UPON.

The (loshawk feeds upon chickens, tuik(^ys, ducks,
;4nmse, quail, robins, hares and squirrels and other
small rodents. Although at times this bird is very
dcstriiclive to poultry th(» greatest damage done by
this species in the State a])pears to be to gam<', especi

'.\\\\ grouse.

The folhming ])aragra]djs concerning this daring
iiiid destructive hawk are taken from Dr. A. Iv. Fish-
er's Report, r>ulletin No. *5:

"This species is one of tho most daring: of all the hawks,
and while in Diirsiiit of lis prey is apparently less concerned
\>y the presence of man than any other. It will dart down
unexpectedly at the very feet of the farmer and carry off a
fowl."

The following from the pen of the late Or. William
Wood ixivea evidence of its l»oldneas:

I ',"

I''!

l!'t!

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

174

THE DESTRUCTION OF POULTRY.

"The Goshawk is one of the most daringr and venturcsonn'
of any of our diurnal birds of prey. A farmer who resides a
few miles from my offlce, wishing to perpetuate the old New
England custom ot having a chicken pie for Thanksgiving
dinner, caught some fowls, took them to a log, severed the
neck of one, and threw it down beside him. In an instant the
Goshawk seized the struggling fowl, and, flying off some ten
rods, alighted and commenced devouring his prey. The bold-
ness of the attack so astonished the farmer that he looked
on with blank amazement. Recovering from his surprise,
he hastened into the house and brought out his gun, which
secured him both the hawE and the fowl. Another instance
of still greater daring occurred near East Windsor Hill, Con-
necticut. A Goshawk flew after a fowl near a dwelling house;
the door being open, the hen flew inside; the hawk followed,
and seized her in 'the room occupied by an old gentleman and
his daughter. The old man hastened to the rescue, and struck
the hawk with a cane before it released Us grasp. The
daughter caught the hawk as it attempted to fly out of the
door, and killed it." (Amer. Nat. Vol. X, 1876, p. 134.)

Capt. Charles E. Bendire informed the writer that at Fort
Klamath, Oregon, he once shot at a Goshawk and slightly
wounded it with fine shot, and in the course of a few minutes
it returned and attacked a chicken. Numerous cases are on
record where it has flown through windows to attack canaries
or other cage birds.

AN ENEMY OF THE WILD FOWL.

"In the general character of its flight, as well as the mode
of hunting and capturing its prey, it closely resembles
C!ooper's Hawk, though it frequents the thick woods rather
more than the latter bird. In the fall this hawk is common
along the smaller water courses where it is very destructive
to wild ducks and other water fowl, and is able to strike
down a bird as large as a full grown mallard. If its prey is
a bird of this size it rarely eats more than the flesh from the
breast, leaving the rest of the carcass untouched. Scorning
to feed upon carrion, another victim is secured when hunger
returns.

A SUCCESSFUL GROUSE HUNTER.

"Of the upland game birds the Ptarmigan in the north and
the Ruffed Grouse in the middle districts suffer severely
from the attacks of this powerful hawk. Dr. William H.
Dall, who found it common in the valley of the Yukon river,
states that it feeds largely upon the White Ptarmigan, the
flocks of which it follows from place to place. E. W. Nelson
and L. M. Turner both corroborate its destructiveness among
these birds. In some parts of the country the Goshawk hunts
the Ruffed Grouse so persistently that it is known by the
name of "Partridge Hawk," and this bird probably has no
worse enemy except man. As Audubon was passing down the
Ohio he observed one of these hawks dive into a flock of

175

crackles which was crossing the river and kill fo^^^ or flve^of

bd ^^i^^^^^^^rX^^r ^^ "^ ''''' '"

turned and picked all from the surface.

The fierce nature of this species is well shown in the
roncluding paragraphs from the pen of my friend, L.
M. Turner:*

PTARMIGANS ARE EASY PREY.

Temlle for as he launches high in the air. ratt ing his hoarse
nX of defiance to any other male of its kind in the vicinity.
thTGLtwr^'r^^from a patch of alders or wiUows^^^
frnm the edffc of the neighboring bluff, and with a. aasn iney

X toMT ground, often within ^f^- y^.^-^^. °*/Sfstan[°I;
vfripkpn female who now seeks safety in flight as aistaru as
her wings wfll carry her. I have seen this hawk sail without
a qiJivefof its pinions until within seizing distance of its
(tuarry. and suddenly throw its wings back, when with a
crash they came together, and all the vicinity was AHed with
white feathers, floating peacefully through the air I secured
both birds, and found the entire side of the Ptarmigan ripped

''^On another occasion I shot a fine individual as it rose /r^"^
a small clump of willows, to which I had ^PP^^^c^ieil un-
observed by the bird. It had been devouring ^ Ptarmigan
which it had secured but a little while before. The flesh of
the bird was yet warm, though nearly all devoured. The
Goshawk was only wing-tipped with shot and proyed to be
quite vicious, seizing my boot with its talons and striving to
grasp my hand with its beak. The bird was so quick that I
had to call the assistance of a native to detach the claws
from my clothing. Upon skinning the bird I found its crop
to be full of the flesh of the bird it was eating when I flushed

•Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska, results of
investigations made chiefly in the Yukon district and the
Aleutian Islands: conducted under auspices of the United
States Signal Service, extending from May, 1874, to August,
1881, by U M. Turner.

ir

176

to fll'*^i.hMfi" "'I impresRjon that the Goshawk is not able
a rPBlrtPn nJ ,1 "'^'^•'*. °' ">« Ptarmigan in its claws. It s
Tn sprfng" ^ '"'"■'°'' ^""^ ""^^^ '° '•>« ''"^s' <»"lte early

The Goshawk can fly readily with an adult Ruflfed
Grouse or Pheasant in its grasp. Last November, on<.
of my friends when hunting grouse, saw a large bird
fly with great rapidity from a clump of shrubberv
where he had gone to loolc for a Pheasant which he
had a few minutes before flushed. He shot and killed
the bird, which proved to be an adult female Goshawk
and on going to pick it up ho was surprised to find if
had in its claws a Pheasanf.

r I

177

•■<. i -•

1

KED-TAILED HAWK.
Huteo borealis.

DESCRIPTION.
The adult is easily recognized by its red tail. The tails of

band? T«n f^y^'f^^^ll ashy-brown, with about ten darker
^bu^ -D in both old and young is generally tipped with

S^own. ?n ^?hi ^^.'^^"^^ T"^^^ ^P^"^^ °^ marked with reddish

nnnTprm.c i l^^"""?; ^""^^^^ ^« P^^^ White eUClOSed by

extent Of tTn^.."'?f^ "^'/7 ^^^^^^ °^ "^^^^' 1» to 22 inches^
inches- extent ^^V fl\^^''- ^l ''"''^xS^- ^^male, length, 22 to 24

over o'nf hnndrL .f .'i!'''^^^;. ^f'*"' ^ ^^^^^"^ examination of
oyer one hundred of these hawks, I have found that thpv

ngrof^'hefr'ofum\^^r^' not only vary greatly in tSe marT
ings or their plumage, but also show marked differences in
the color of the irides. The iris of the adult, though usually
bMTthe TrT^lZ'n' ^«t\^rT'^ ^'^^ yellowish.' InTmmatuie

nearlv wh tP fn^"'"'''?'^ fi^""^^ ^°^^^' ^"^ sometimes it is
nearly white, and occasionally, though rarelv is brown- in

other specimens I have seen on.-half^of tSe iris brown while
the remainder would be white or yellowish "'"^" ^niie

are'^frT^en"!'^ ^^''^^' "^^^'^^^^^^^ i^^^^s with'specks of brown

-Era6t7af.-Eastern North America, west to the great olains
Common and breeds generally throughout Pennsylvania.

This hawk, one of the most abundant of our raptorial
hirds, is the large "Hon Hawk'' of the farmer. The
Hed failed Hawk is exceedingly shy and wary, and is
taken wi(h difficulty, unless approached on horse-back
or in a sleigh or wagon. Red-tailed Hawks in their
fall migrations are gregarious. One clear, cold au-
tumn afternoon in 1870, I saw, near West Chester, a
Mock of these hawks. The sky was destitute of clouds,
except a cumulus stratum directly beneath, and ap-
parently about half-way between the hawks and the
earth. In the center of this vapor was an opening of
sufficient size to enable me to watch the gyrations of
the birds; two of them suddenly separated from the
main body, approched each other screaming, and ap-
imrently in great rage. They descended screamin-
12-TT

RED TAI LED HAWK.

1 <■ i 1

COLOR PLATE

177

RED TAI LE D HAW K

KED-TAIJ.KD llAWK.
Hiiteo borealis.

i)b:SCKlPT[ON.

The adult is easily reoogni/.ed by its red tail. The tails of

hanS? Tnn fn^'?>?^"iX ashy-brown, with about ten darker
1}?\?^' J in bnth old and young is generally tipped with

rown- ?n ?fi''^ ^^'''^^^ T^'^^-^' ^"P^*^^^^ ^'^ "^^^'ked with reddish
brown, in the young, breast is pure white enclosed hv

eTnro? win^.."^4f^i""% -^^11^^^ ^^ ^^^'^ '' trol^'Trfche"^';

nrhes- exfenf^n tn r-^'- ^l '"'"'^'l^' ^^^^le. length. 22 to 24

mcnes, extent, f.l to 5o inches. From a careful examination of

Incfother 'T:'r'' "1 ^"^^'^ ^^^^^'^^' ^ ^^^'^ round that tSey
like other of the raptores, not only vary greatly in the mark

ings of their plumage, but also show marked drften^ices in

the color of the irides. The iris of the adult though usua^v

hh'dT'the Iris^^s'^n ^^^•\''--" --^ yeilowish.' iriV^matu •?.
mas the Ills is <onim..nly straw color, but sometimes it is
nearly white, and oceasionally. though rarely. sbTovvn in
other specimens [ have seen one-half of the ir s l^rown vhi e
the remainder would be white or yellowish "^'^^" ^^""^

an^'fV'^.nionT.'' ^'''^''' ^'^^^"'''^'''^^^^ ^^'^^^^'^ with 'specks of blown

^a6»7a«,-Ka.stern North America, west to the great plains
C'ommon and breeds generally throughout Pennsylvania!

This liawk, mw of llie most abundant of our raptorial
»H»ds, is (ho Iar<j:o "Hen Hawk" of tlu* fanner. The
l^'(l l.iihMl Hawk is exceedinoly shy and wary, and is
l.ikcn Willi diniciiliy, unless approached on hor.se-back
•'»* in a slei^rh or wa^ron. Red-tailed Hawks in their
r^ill mi-rations are ^re^rari(Mis. One clear, eold an
"nnn afternoon in ISTd, I saw, near West Chester, a
Moek of these hawks. The sky was destitute of clouds,
^•xeept a cumulus strnjum directly beneath, and ap-
pJirently about half-way lietween the hawks and the
''JH'th. m the cent(M' of this vapor was an opening of
suftici(Mit size to enable me to watch the gyrations of
Ihe birds: two of tluMu suddenly separated from the
main body, approched each other screaming, and ap-
parently in gn^at rage. They descended s'creamin-
12- TT

I

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

178

ii.'i

and, to all appearances, clinched, to within about one
hundred yards of the earth, when they parted. Evi-
dently neither bird had received much injury, as they
both, after taking short flights across the meadow,
ascended in company with two or three of their com-
panions that had accompanied them part way down
to main body. Another individual closed his
wings until the body presented a triangular outline,
descended with almost lightning-like rapidity to the
top of a sycamore, where it alighted, and remained
for some seconds pluming itself. This party of hawks,
after performing for nearly twenty minutes these
and numerous other aerial antics, continued their
southern flight.

THEY BATTLE IN MID-AIR.

Combats in mid-air are quite common among Red-
tailed Hawks. I have repeatedly witnessed such bat-
tles, and am fully convinced that in the great majority
of cases food is the incentive to such action. Illustra-
tive of the superior vision of this hawk— and the same
applies to other of the Rapacia— the following is given,
as observed by the writer: A clear morning early in
March, I saw a Red-tail circling over, the meadows;
every circle took him higher and higher irf the air,
until, at an altitude where he appeared no larger than
a blackbird, he stopped, and with nearly closed wings,
descended like an arrow to a tree near by me; from
this perch, almost the same instant he had alightc^l.
he flew to the ground and snatched from its grassy
covert a mouse. The momentum with which this bird
passed through the atmosphere produced a sound not
verv unlike that of the rush of distant water.

179

HANDLE A WOUNDED HAWK CAREFULLY.

Tiiis species when wounded, like all other rapacious
birds, will defend itself with its claws and bill against
all advances. A stick or gun barrel presented to it
when crippled, will be grasped, and the bird can be
carried pendant from the same a considerable distance
before it will loose its hold. With such tenacity do
they hold on that a friend of mine who had winged
one, in his endeavors to capture it alive, had the bird
to fasten on his forearm with both claws; to relieve
liimself he was obliged to take out his penknife and
sever the tendons of both legs.

WHEN RED-TAILS WERE ABUNDANT.

Fifteen years ago birds of the genus Buleo, especi-
ally the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered species, and the
Rough-legged Hawk, likewise the handsome little Spar-
row Hawk, were very numerous about the fields and
grassy meadow lands in most of the farming districts
of this State. The passage of the Scalp act of 1885
stimulated many persons to make a regular business
of slaughtering these hawks, as well as other animals
and as a result thousands were killed during the ac-
tive enforcement of the unwise law. In the winter of
1884 I took a drive along the Brandy wine creek, and,
m a distance of two miles above Chadd's Ford Dela-
ware county, saw five Rough-legged Hawks, nine Red-
tailed, four Red-shouldered, and three Sparrow Hawks
or twenty-one in all. Several times, in winter, sincJ
i«8o, I have driven over the same route and at no
<'me have I seen more than two or three of these spe-
cies, and generally the birds that were observed on
these last trips were Sparrow Hawks.
The meadows along) the Brandywine, in the locality

180

noted above, are favorite feeding grounds for birds of
prey which subsist on meadow-mice.

MICE DESTROYED THE GRAPE VINES.

The experience of a farmer, Mr. Worth, who re
sided along the Brandywine a few miles above the
place last referred to, shows the utter folly of destroy-
ing the mice-eating hawks and owls.
' Many birds and mammals are, at times, destroyed
with the consent of the farmer, who evidently dots
not realize that they come to his premises to prey upon
insidious fo<3S which attack his crops. In this con-
nection it will not, perhaps, be out of place to give the
experience of Ebenezer Worth, a farmer who resided
in Chester countv, Pennsvlvania, along the P>randy-
wine creek, a few miles from West Chester, where he
owned a large vineyard.

Th(^ fields and meadow lands about his grape vines
were frequented in the winter season by hawks and
owls of different kinds. During the winter of 188(>
and 1887 over a hundred of these birds were killed
within a radius of two miles of his farm, and the fol-
lowing winter a hawk or owl w\is seldom seen about
his premises. Field or meadow mice became abund
[\nt in that vicinity and before the winter was over
several hundred grape vines were destroyed by these
little rodents. Mr. Worth was convinced that the(
birds of prey had kept in check, during former years,
the mice, and had the hawks and owls that had so
faithfully guarded his possessions, both by day and
night, been left unmolested his vineyard would not, in
his opinion, have been almost ruined.

For generations the game-keepers of Great Britain
have persistently destroyed the birds of prey, and as a

181

result we read" of great invasions of voles (meadow
mice) which ruin a vast amount of property.

If the persecution of the hawk and owl tribe in this
country is not checked, we may expect such ruinous
invasions of these sleek-co-ated rodents.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Nest building generally occurs in March and lasts
from eight to fifteen days. The nest is built in the
woods, commonly on a large oak or hickory tree. A:
pair of these hawks resorted for five consecutive years
to a large oak tree for nesting purposes, in a belt of
timber adjacent to the far-famed Deborah^s Rock,
p]ast Bradford township. The nest, a rather bulky
structure, is made, externally, of sticks and twigs,
some of the former being an inch in thickness; inter-
nally, it is lined with leaves and the inner layer of
bark — usually from oak and chestnut trees. This
lining of bark is frequently torn in shreds.

Certain ornitliologists, Audubon among the number,
liave found riva eggs in their nests. I have, however,
mostlv found two, and on no occasion have I found
more than three to constitute the full complement.

The eggs, about 2.40 by 1.85 inches, vary much in
their markings. Their ground color is a dull white or
rusty white, marked with minute brown spots, or with
large purplish dark-brown blotches, often covering the
greater part of the (»gg. Incubation lasts about three
weeks. Certain writers claim that this species will
boldly defend invasion of its home on the part of man.
Such may have been the experience of others, but such
statement is the reverse of my experience. T have
taken both eggs and young, and, as yet, 1 have en-
countered no opposition; but have found them coward-
ly, flying away, in fact, beyond gunshot at my ap-

^\ ii

™

182

proach, uttering cries of distress, and seemingly to en-
gage in mutual condolence over their misfortune.

HOW THEY CATCH SQUIRRELS.

During the breeding season they frequently hunt to-
gether for food for themselves and young "and if, per-
chance, they spy a squirrel on a tree, one will drive it
while the other poises itself ready to seize it if it
dodges to the other side to evade the grasp of the first
hawk. From the two there is no escape. Grasping
it firmly by the neck, the assailant practically demon"-
strates the possibility of garroting its victim, when the
ill-fated squirrel is carried to the eyrie and torn to
pieces to satiate the cravings of their rapacious
young." — Wood.

WIT.L TAKE CHICKENS.

Red-tailed hawks, when mice or other food supplies
are not readily obtainable, unquestionably will catch
poultry, and they do not, at such times, hesitate to at-
tack full grown fowls. It may be that they prefer to
make warfare on sick or weakly chickens, but, of this
I am not convinced, as I have known of a number of
instances where these hawks have attacked and killed
chickens in full vigor of life. Observations of this
bird, however, lead me to believe, that except in win-
ter when its preferred and natural bill of fare— mice,
shrews and insects— are hard to obtain, or, in the
breeding period, when its young require m inucli food,
it is rather excepHonal for the Ked-tailed to attack do
mestic fowls. A good many rabbits and squirrels are
eaten by the Red-tail, yet the farmer should not com
plain as these mammnls are no benefit to him.

183

RED-TAILS ARE GOOD MOUJiERS.

In consequence of limited space it is impracticable
to give in detail the results of dissections which I have
made of this species, but would state briefly that my
examinations of one hundred and seventy-three Red-
lails captured in Pennsylvania, chiefly in Chester
county, reveahKl, in one liuiidred and tw(^nty-eight,
principally field-mice {Arvicolce) nnd other small quad-
rupeds, also seme few small birds; in nine of these one
hundred and twenty-eight hawks, small birds were
present in addition to the quadrupeds. Fourteen had
fed on chickens; six, small birds— meadow larks and
sparrows; six, rabbits; three, quail; three, red squir-
rels; three, mice and insects; three, snakes; two, re-
mains of skunk: two, carrion; one, ham skin; one,
meat, probably Ix^ef. I have repeatedly found three
and four mice in 1h(* viscera of one bird, oftentimes
hyi% and in a few instances as manv as seven of these
destructive little rodents were obtnined from the crop
and stomach of one hawk.

i

184

RED SHOULDERED HAWK.
Buteo lineatus.

DESCRIPTION.

v.^r.V'^lJ^l'^n^A PT-^^®' 2^ ^^ 23 inches; extent about 44 Inches;
im^h^r« ^ ^" ^,o^"?^?^o ^^'^ ^S ^o 20 inches; extent about 40

j!J I* "^' -^2; tail. 8 inches.
y.^f^Jtu^'^^lH^^ ^^^^ reddish-brown; rest of upper parts
m^H^i«\i'*'Sl^t'^ Y^^^ reddish-brown, white and dusky; pri-
^y^ll^^\^^':}^^^^^^^^ove Rud spotted with white; tail with

whuo h^o ^J,'"'' .^'^^i^ ^l^^^ ^^^^' between which are narTow
mnr/.^^"'^''' l'^' ?^ .^""^^ whitish; under parts reddish-brown

immatur? Th?^'^ ""^''^ ^"^^-^^ ^"^ ^^^^^^ with white,
and wh nch ~^>f "K^^i^ P^^^.^ brownish, varied with rusty
s^dlfhi rl!^ .c^'^vf*'''"^fl^^ *" '"^"y specimens show con-
s.deiable red, tail brownish white, with several small blackish
bars lower parts white and yellowish-white. Tithstri^^^^
and largo oblong spots of brown. «iripes

-Hafti^af. -Eastern North America, west to Texa^ anri t\^^
Plains, south to the Gulf coast and Mexico Tollrably common
summer resident in mountainous districts of PennsylvaniS

Like the preceding speeies this bird is known to
farmers and si>ortsmen as "Hen-hawk.^' Dnrinj? the
summer season Red-shouldeied hawks are quite ""plen
tiful in many of the mountains and wooded regions of
the State.

In winter tliese hawks frequent principally the large
water courses, meadow lands, and the vicinity of
ponds, and not unfrequently an individual of this spe-
cies can be observed on its percli overlooking a spring-
head. When the streams and meadows are frozen T
have noticed that they especially resort to such lo.
cahties as last named. When disturbed from its
perch it utters, in a ])laintive and impatient voice the
note keeo, keeo. Its flight, genernllv short, is graceful
and very owl like.

This Hawk, like its relative, thc^ Red tnil, mav be ob-
served sitting by the hour on some favorite tree or
stake adjacent to swampy or boggy ground, watchin

COLOR PLATE

¥\

H!'

4

RED SHOULDERED HAWK

184

KKDSHOITLDEKPJI) HAWK.
Bnteo liueatus.

DESCRIPTION.

uiT?.^^M^^"^t^' r^T-^^^' -^ *^ 23 inches; extent about 44 inches;
inch'-^^jnt '2"tan"8 tnchj' ^'' '' ^"^'^^^ ^^^^"^ ^^"^^ ''
M^ofT^l*"'^^'*"^^!^''^ ^'''^ reddish-brown; rest of upper parts
anef i.if^'u-'t;^ T'^ roddish-brown. white and dusky; pri-
maiies blackjsh above and spott^Ml with white- tail wi^h
thre.3 or inuv broad black bars, between whic h' are naiTow
white baiids; tip of tail whitish; under parts red dish brow^

^matm^ Th"^'"' ''''''' ''''''''' ^"^ ^'^^^^^^ with white

^mwarw?c. -ihe upper parts brownish, varied with rusty
and wliitiyn The shoulders in many specimens X w con^
bars''loV;;;^p^.H?\:^^ w^^Ite with s'everal smaU ^^ackish

i5"b.!^^\;bl^n^^^P^!;^;r ^'^t/^^^-'i^l-'hite. with stripes
JZa6i<0<. - Kastern North America, w.st t(, Texas -ind tl,..
Plains, south to the Gulf coast and Mexico Tolerably com no
summer resident in monntainous districts of Pemfsylvanra

I-iKc llic picccdino: spn-wH this bird is known to
fanners and sportsmen as ^'Hen-liawk.'' Dnrin- the
snminer se.'ison K(Ml-sli(,.iI,I(Mid liawks arc (luite'plen
lifnl in many of i]w monnlains Mnd wooded re-ions of
tiN' Sfjile.

Tn Nvinirr lliese liawks frecinent i)rineipallv the larjre
water eonrscs, meadow lands. ;ind th(' vieinitv of
ponds, nnd not nnfrecpienlly an individual of this spe-
<'b's can be observcnl nn its perch overlooking a sprin-
lioad. AVhcn the streams and meadows arc froze m "l
I'.-nv nc.ticed that they cspeciallv resort to such hy
cahties ns h.st named. When disinrbed fron. its
l»'i'<*h it ntt(Ms, in a plaintive .ind impatieni voiee thr^
note kc(N,. keen. Its flioht, -cM.erallv short, is -rneofnl
and very owl like.

This nawk. like its relaMv<v the ^^.d ij.il, n.av be ob
served sitiinir by Ihc hour (,n scnne fa vorite tree or
stake adjacent to swmnpy or hn^^^ry <rpo,md. watchi.pr

u

I

RED SHOULDERED HAWK

jk-. 't.J

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

RED SHOULDERED HAWK. (YOUNG)

185

for small quadiniKMls and bactrachians, wliich coiiKsti-
tute its principal fare. Young birds, which arc
known to many as Winter Falcons, are, according to
my experience, much more frequently met with than
full plnmaged adults.

s»

A

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Like other birds of this genus, the Red-shouldered
Hawk nests in trees, usnally in April and May in this
locality. The eggs, two to four in number, are very
similar to. those of the Red-tail, but smaller.

"The nest cloee-Jy resembles that of the crow, except that it
is larger and lacks the compact and neat appearance common
to the ne^t of t^e latter bird. It is composed of coarse
sticks loosely placed together with finer ones toward the cen-
tral cavity, whicrfi is lined with the bark of the grape vine and
(•ther fibres, or, in sonic- cases, with pieces of the rough outer
bark of the oak and hickory, and not uncommonly, as with
many of the other birds of prey, green twigs with leaves at-
tached are used.

•Bottom lands grown up with large deciduous trees, or the
neighboring hillsides, are the favorite nesting sites of this
bird. The nest is placed in one of the larger trees 40 to 80
feet from the ground, and usually in the fork where the main
branches diverge from the trunk. A pair will inhabit the
same locality for years, and often occupy a nest for st^veral
seasons. * ♦ * it is stated that this species remains
mated through life, and that even during the winter months
mates appear very much attached to each other, differing in
this respect from the Red-taiK"— Fisher.

DOES NOT PREY ON CHICKENS.

Although this hawk is frequently charged with de-
stroying domestic fowls, observation in the field and
numerous dissections of food-receptacles of this spe-
cies do not by any means justify such a statement.
My experience on this subject agrees in the main with
that of Dr. A. K. Fisher, who savs:

"Some authors insist that the Red-shouldered Hawk Is de-
structive to poultry, but the writer in all his field experience
has never seen one attack, a fowl, nor has he found the re-
mains of one In the stomachs of those examined. In making
this statement, ho does not include poultry which is eaten in

' i' liii

!'

i

\

COLOR PLATE

RED SHOULDERED HAWK.( YOUNG )

L85

for «ni{ill qnji(]ni|H'(ls mikI hjicl I'jM'liijiiis, wliicli consli-
liite i(s [)rin(i|)iil i^iwe. Voiinj;' birds, wliioli arc
known to nuiny ns W'inler Falcons, are, according to
my experience, inncli more freqncntly met with than
full plnma«>ed adnlls.

THE NEST AND lOGGS.

Lil<e other birds of this j^'cniis, th(» Red shouldered
Hawk nests in trees, nsnallv in April and .\rav in this

* I *

locality. The eg.t;s, I wo lo four in number, arc* vovy
similar to (hose of the Ued-lail, but smaller.

'"Jhe n(i?t clci-ely resembles tliat of the crow, except that it
is larger and lacks the compact and neat appearance common
to the nes^t of t'le latter bird. It is composed of ciarse
sticks loosely placed together with finer ones toward the cen-
tral cavity, which is lined with the bark of the grape vine and
other fibres, or, in sr n)( cases, with pieces of the rough cuter
bark of the cak and hickory, and not uncommonly, as with
n.any of the other birds of prey, green twigs with leaves at-
tached are used.

"Bottom lands grown up with large deciduous trees, or the
neighboring hillsides, are the favorite nesting sites of this
bird. 1'he nest in placed in one of the larger trees 10 to SO
Icet from the ground, and usually in ihf^ fork whcie the main
branches diverge from the trunk. A pair will inliabit the
same locality for years, and often occupy a nest for s^^veral
seasons. - ■• * it is stated that this species :vniains
mated through life, and that even during the winter months
mates appear very much attached to each other differing in
this respect from the Red-tail."— Fisher.

DOES NOT PREY ON CFIICKENS.

Altliou<i:h this hawk is friMpiently cliar^ed with de-
stroying- domestic fowls, observation in the field and
numerous dissections of food-receptacles of this s{)e-
cies do not by any means justify such a statement.
My experience on this subj(^ct a<i:rees in the main with
that of Dr. A. K. Fisher, who savs:

t-

"Some authors insist that the Red-shouldered Hawk Is de-
structive lo poultry, but the writer in all his lield experience
has never seen one attack, a fowl. n<»r has be fnunti the re-
mains cf one in the stomachs of those examined, in making
this statement, he- does not include poultry which is eaten in

1.' I

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

186

the form of offal, for in severe weather when the ground
^1 c^\'^»'^'<:^ with snow and when food is scarce, the Red-
shouldered Hawlc will devour dead chicliens which have been
thrown out from the yard, as well as other refuse found on
the compost heaps or in the vicinity of slaughter houses.
At such times the writer has often captured specimens of this
hawk, as well as of crows, blue jays, red and flying squirrels
in steel traps set near a pie^e of chicken, rabbit or beef
fastened in a tree "

EATS FROGS AND INSECTS.

XuKall remarks that this hawk lives principally on
frogs, and probably insects and craw-fish in the winter.
Gentry tells us that the food of the young consists of
f ragmen Is of quadrupeds, besides an immense number
of young grasshoppers and beetles. In my examina-
ti(ms of fifty-seven of these hawks which have been
captured in Pennsylvania, forty-three .showed fields
mice, some few other small quadrupeds, grasshoppers
and insects, mostly beetles; nine revealed frogs and in-
sects; two, small birds, remains of small mammals and
a few beetles; two, snakes and portions of frogs. The
gizzard of one bird contained a few hairs of a field-
mouse and some long black hair which appeared verv
much like that of a skunk. The bird on dissection
gave a veiy decided odor of skunk. In two of these
hawks, shot in Florida, I found in one portions of a
small catfish, and in the other remains of a small
mammal and some few coleopterous insects (beetles).

i

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.■yyi.. . X

i

3

BROAD WINGED HAWK

COLOR PLATE

187

. BROAD- WINGED HAWK.

Buteo latissimus.

DESCRIPTION.

I.ength of female about 17; extent about 36; tail about 7*^
inches.

Adult— Upper part umber brown and many feathers edgred
with rusty or whitish; tail crossed by three black and two
white bands, and narrow white tip, lower parts white or
yellowish- white, variously streaked and spotted with rusty.
Immature birds are duTler and have showy dark cheek
patches; tail grayish-brown, with white tips and crossed
with five or six indistinct dusky bands; lower parts similar
to adult, but paler and spotted or streaked with black and
dusky. Iris brown; legs and feet yellow.

HabitaL—KsiBtem North America, from New Brunswick and
southward to Central America, northern South America and
the Saskatchewan region to Texas and Mexico, and thence
the West Indies.

Of the genus Buteo, in this section, the Broad-
winged is the least abundant. It is a native and resi-
dent. The movements in the fiir of this hawk are easy
and beautifully graceful. When in quest of food, its
flight is in circles. At times, when circling, like the
Sparrow Hawlc, it will stand for an instant beating
the air, and then descend with great velocity upon its
prey, which it secures, not in its descent, but as it is
on the rise. I have on more than one occasion wit-
nessed this species take aliment in the way described.
I incorporate it, notwithstanding that it disagrees
with certain good authority.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Nest-building takes place from the first to the mid
die of May, and the four nests which I have found
liave all been located in high trees; three in hickory
trees, the other in an oak. All of these nests were
over fifty or sixty feet from the ground. The nest is

I

l!<7

I ;:i,

A^ .-'^

BROAD WINGED HAWK

HK()AJ)-WIN(IK1) HAWK.

Hnteo latissimiis.
DKsnni'Tiox.

lA'U^lh of female about 17; cxlont about liG; tail about 7'i
inches.

^dwi^.— Upper part umber brown and many feathers ed^od
wiLh rusty or whitish; tall crossed )»y three black and two
white bands, and narrow white tii), lower parts white or
yellowish- white, variously streaked and spotted with rusty.
Immature birds are du'lor and have showy dark cheek
patches; tail grayish-brown, with white tips and crossed
with five or six indistinct dusky bands; lower parts similar
to adult, but paler and spotted or streaked with black and
dusky, ills )>rown; legs and feet yellow.

Habitat, — Eastern North America, from New Brimswick and
southward to Central Ameiica. northern South America and
the Saskatchewan lesion to Texas and Mexico, and thence
the West Indies.

Of the ^eiius Buteo, in tliis section, the Broad-
\vin<j^e(l is tlio least abnndant. It is a native and resi-
dent. The movements in tlie air of this hawk are easy
jind beautifully <;ra('efnl. When in quest of food, its
flijj;ht is in circles. At times, when cirelinj^, like th(»
Sparrow Hawk, it will stand for an instant bcMitin*;-
Ihe air, antl Ihen descend with «»reat velocily upon its
|»rey, wliich it secures, not in ils descent, but as it is
on the ris^*. T have on more than one n-ceasion wit
nessed this species take alimenl in lh(» wav described.
T incoiporale ii, notwithstanding that it disa<;'rcc.>4
with certain j^ood authority.

THE NEST AND ECIGS.

Xest buildinj^: tak(\s place from the first to the mid-
dle of Mny, and the four nests which I have found
have all boen located in hiji^h trees; three in hickory
lr(»es, Ihe other in an oak. All of Ihesr* nests wer(»
over fifjy or sixtv feet from Ihe L^'ound. The nest is

"Mt

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

188

verj siiriilar to Ihat of the Cooper's Hawk; it is madu
of sticks, twigs, leaves, rootlets, lined with featiiers;
one I Jiave found lined with l>aik. Tiie coniplenieni
of eggs are somewhat larger Ihan those of the Cooper's
Hawk, with a dull white, grayish ground color, with
brownish red spots, which vary in size from specks to
large patches, frequently confluent.

IS AN UNSUSPICIOUS BIUD.

This hawk is generally easily captured, appearing
quite tame and unsuspicious. To this fact, no doubt,
is largely due the scarcity of the species in many sec-
tions of our State where in former times, or before
hawks wei'e hunted for bounty, these birds were quite
plentiful. I liave always found the Kroad-winged
Hawk to be cowardly, and never knew it to evince any
disposition to repel an invasion, by man, of its nest.

It would seem, however, that the disposition of this
bird, under certain circumstances, is very variable.
Mr. A. G. I5oardman, of Maine, who has found several
nests and secured the eggs, finds it to be courageous
and s{)irited. A man whom he had employed to ob-
tain a nest, was attacked wilh great fury, while as-
cending the tree; his cap was torn from his head, and
he would have been seriously injured if the bird had
not been shot. Another inslance is mentioned by Dr.
Wood, where this hawk attacked a boy climbing to
her nest, fastened her talons in his arm, and could not
be removed until beaten off and killed with a club.
Tn speaking of this bird, Dr. Wood says:

"Seldom, if ever, floes it seize its prey on the wing, but se-
cures It mostly on the ground, subsisting on frogs, snakes,
mice and small birds, devouring the latter without removin^^
the feathers. This hawk in its habits is not as neat in prepar-
f^^f .^* J^"^^ ^^ T""^^ ""^ '^^^ genus; holding its prey with both
feathers •'^^''^ ^^^^ without much regard to cleanliness or

<i\-\

I

189

FOOD OF THE BKOAD-VVING.

Careful investigations in bo'th held and laboratory
demonstrate conclusively that this hawk does not dis-
turb the fanners' poultry and that it rarely attacks
small wild birds. Its dietary is made up principally
of insects (different kinds of grasshoppers, crickets,
locusts, beetles and larvae) the smaller species of
mammals, reptiles, and batrachians. (3ccasionally,
when other food supplies are not readily obtainable,
this hawk will catch yo-ung or disabled birds. Toads,
frogs and snakes are eagerly hunted and eaten by this
species. Kef erring to its fondness for toads, frogs,
snakes and injurious larvae (grubs), Dr. A. K. Fisher
savs:

"In spring, when toads frequent ponds to spawn, it devours
large numbers of them, and later in the season it is not an
uncom.mon occurrence to see an individual with a frog or
snake dangling from its talons." Continuing, the same
writer adds: "The only act of the Broad-winged Hawk which
seems injurious to agriculture is the killing of toads and
small snaks; the former of which are exclusively insect
eaters, the latter very largely so. In one respect its enormous
value ranks above all other birds, and that is in the destruc-
tion of immense numbers of injurious larvae of large moths,
which most birds are either unable or disincUned to cope
with."

In twelve specimens examincMl by myself, four re-
vealed mice; three, small birds; four, frogs; one*, killed
the 22d of May, 1882, was gorged with crawfish, with
which were traces of coleopterous insects (beetles).

WHAT OTHER WRITERS SAY ABOUT ITS FOOD.

Audubon says: "In the stomach of this bird I found wood
frogs, portions of small snakes, together with feathers, and
the hair of several small specimens of quadrupeds." (Ornlth.
Biography. Vol. I, p. 463.)

Mr. J. W. Preston says: "Their food consists of small
squirrels, frogs, and, in fact, any small quarry easily cap-
tured. Never have I known them to molest the poultry."
(Ornlth. and Oologist, Vol. XIH, 188. p. 20.)

Mr. J. G. Wells, speaking of the bird in the West Indies,
says: "Numerous; feeds on Hzards, rats, snakes, young

li

i!

I

190

birds, i^tr. and uccasioiially makes a raid nn Hip puuKiy
yard." (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. IX, 1886, p. 622.)

Dr. F. W. Lang<lon says: "The stomach of a specimen of this
hawk taken in Madisonvillo, in April, 1877, contained the
^^reiiUr pait of the skeleton and hair of a small wood mouse
(Arvlcola ansterus), a lizard (Eumeces) about six inches long,
and ten or twelve small beetles, with numerous elytra of the
same." (Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. I, p. 116 )

''1

i

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ROU

GGED HAWK

F^OUGH LEGGED HAWK.

Archibuteo lagopus sancti-joliaiiiiis.

DESCRIPTION. .

"Adult male and female: Too variable in plumage to be con-
cisely described. In general the whole plumage with dark
brown or blackish and light brown, gray or whitish, the
lighter colors edging or barring the individual feathers; ten-
dency to excess of the whitish on the head, and to the forma-
tion of a dark abdominal zone or area, which may or may not
include the tibiae: usually a blackish anteorbital and max-
illary area. Lining of wings extensively blackish: tail usually
white from the base for some distance, then with light and
dark barring. The inner webs of the flight feathers ex-
tensively white from the base, usually with little, if any, of
the dark barring b'j prevalent among buteonine hawks. From
such a light and variegated plumage as this, the bird varies
to more or less nearly uniform blackish, in which case the tail
is usually barred several times with white. * * Length
of a female, 22.00; extent, 54.00; wing, 17.50; tail, 9.00; iris light
brown; bill mostly blackish-blue; cere pale greenish-yellow;
feet dull yellow; claws blue-black. This is about an average
^ize: the male averages smaller.". — Coues' Key.

Habitaf,— Whole of North America north of Mexico, breed-
ing north of the United States. Winter resident in Pennsyl-
vania.

Til any plumage this bird can easily be distinguished
fi'oiu other of our hawks bv the tarsus, which is thick-
ly feathered in front to the toes. I have found the
Rough-legged or Black Hawk in Pennsylvania only as
a winter sojourner, about the meadows and grass fields
along or near large streams. In the winter of 1879,
when hunting along the Brandy Avine creek I saw seven
of these hawks at one time, perched about on trees in
a meadow of some five acres in extent. In this lo-
cality the species is usually found singly or in pairs.
Rough-leg.^ generally migrate northward about thel
middle of March; I have, however, observed them here
late in April.

"Its migrations appear to be quite regular and oxtensivo—
more SO, perhaps, than is generally supposed— though prob-

I

i

COLOR PLATE

i!n

1 III

I ! :

f •

ROUGH LAGGED HAWK

KOlKUl LKCKJKI) HAW K.

Arc'hibuleo. lago[)us sancti-joliauiiis.

DESCRIPTION.

"Adult male and female: Too variable in plumage to be con-
cisely described. In general the whole plumage with dark
brown ov blackish and light brown, gray or whitish, the
lighter colors edging or barring the individual feathers; ten-
dency to excess of the whitish on the head, and to the forma-
tion of a dark abdominal zone or area, which may or may not
include the tibiae: usually a blackish anteorbital and max-
illary area. Lining of wings extensively blackish: tail usually
white from the base for some distance, then with light and
dark barring. The inner webs of the flight feathers ex-
tensively white from the base, usually with little, if any, of
the dark barring sj prevalent among buteonine hawks. From
such a light and variegated plumage as this, the bird varies
to more or less nearly uniform blackish, in which case the tail
is usually barred several times with white. * ♦ I^ength
of a female, 22.00; extent, 54.00; wing, 17.50; tail, 9.00; iris light
brown; bill mostly blackish-blue; cere pale greenish-yellow;
feet dull yellow; claws blue-black. This is about an average
-ize: the male averages smaller.". — Coues' Key.

II nMfaf, —Who\o of North America north of Mexico, brood-
ing north of the United States. Winter resident in Pennsyl-
vania.

In liny [>! innate tliis bird can easily be distinguished
I'loni oilier of our hawks by the tarsus, which is thick-
ly feathen^l in front to the toes. I have found tli(»
Kou^^h Ie^<j:ed or Black Hawk in Pennsylvania only as
a winter sojourner, about the meadows and jjjrass fields
along or near lar«;e streams. In the winter of 1870,
when huntinjjf alonu^ the l^rand.vwine creek I saw seven
of 1hes(^ hawks at one time, ])erched about on trees in
a meadow of some hve acres in extent. In this lo-
cality the species is usually found sinjijly or in pairs.
Rough-le<»s ;j:enerally migrate northward about th(iJ
middle of Afarch; T have, however, observed them here
late in April.

"Its migrations appear to be quite regular and extensive -
more 50, perhaps, than is generally supposed— though prob-

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

192

ably it does not differ from hawks in this respert. Birds of
this family must follow their prey, wherever this leads them,
and only a few of the more powerful species, able to prey upon
hares and ptarmigran, pass the winter in our highest latitudes.
Tile Rough-legged is a rather northerly species, rarely, if ever,
breedingr within the limits of the United States, and becom-
ing rarer towards its southern terminus."— Coues.

AN ERROR CORRECTED.

I desire to correct here an error which was made,
but throiiirli no fault of mine, in the first issue of the
lUrds of Pennsylvania, pp. D2--93, where I stated, on
the authority of Mr. Samuel B. Ladd, of West Chester,
Pa., that he (Mr. Ladd) had, April 5, 1886, found a nest
and two egji:s of this bird in a thick woods at Fite's
Eddy, on tlie Susquehanna river. A description of the
nest and ejr^^s was published in my first report, as
f^iVQu to me by Mr. Ladd, but I have since learned from
Mr. Ladd that he did not secure or even see the hawks,
hence T am satisfied that this ^'record'' was without
doubt based on erroneous identification. Dr. C. H.
Merriam, of United States Department of Ai?riculture,
Washington, D. C, informs me that he is not aware of
a single authentic record of the breeding of the Rough
legged Hawk anywhere within the limits of the United
States.

SUBSISTS MAINLY ON FIELD MICE.

hi the Rough-legged Hawk, we find another exam
ple'of one of our larger feathered mouse liunters, which
is often slandered by the name of "hen-hawk.'^

Since the Scalp Act was in force, and thousands of
the most beneficial hawks were slain, this species has
become, T might say, almost a rare visitor to marshy
lands where in former years, T have found it frequently
quite ])lentiful. The viscera of sixteen of the.se hawks
which the writer has examined, containc^d onlv field
mice and a few other small rodeurs. The food tnljle.

'Mi

\9H

-iv(^n by Dv. A. K. Fisher, of 49 stomachs, shows con
rlusivelv that meadow mice constitute almost wholly
the food of the species. Prof. Samuel Aiighey found
the remains of a gopher, a small lizard, and seventy
insects in the stomach of a Rough-leg killed in Ne-
braska, in September, 1872; however, such food ma-
terials according to most authorities, are seldom taken.
Of the 49 stomachs referred to by Dr. Fisher, 40 con
tained mice, chiefly meadow mice; usnallv, 2 or 3 in
'ach stomach, sometimes 4 or 5, and' in several
stomachs, each contained 6 or 7 of these little animals.

DESTROYS ENEMIES OP THE ORCHARD.
"The Rough-lei; is one of the most nocturnal of our hawk«^

low re?ch^or'h/«Hn *^^;,^^*"^ twilight watohin.^ from J^me
low perch, or beHtln^ with measured, noiseless flight over Its

.ecu dif^ ItsTod '' ''^'Ir^'-l^- very differenf methods In
^nH i.^.lJ* ^4^1^' ^"^ ^^' ^ittinR on some stub or low tree
?h?^i'^:^?^.^^''^ ^^''""^ ^'^^ ^^^ appearance of its prey as
above the^ion^cc'nV fl^' ^'^"'^ by beating back and forTh.'^just
vrpM^ nf*l ^\^^ ^^"^ ^''^'^'^ ^^ bushes, and dropping upon its
V ictim, after the manner of the Marsh Hawk. Its food "on
s.sts principally, if not almost exclusively, of the TmaUer
rodents, and most prominent among these are the arvl^W
7ivti ^"^ ^^"^^^^^^^ As is wen known the meadow mrcp
ynlJ'"''^''^^ ^r ^^^^'y distributed over the NorTh Tempemte
fain 'JoH^l "^^n^ .^^^"^ ^" immense numbers, overrunning rtr-
rrops as'well'^n^'^ country, and doing irreparable Samfge to

''Tflrtl*^S^ ^® ^"^ ^^"^ ^"*^ ornamental trees,
trefs^and renr;^^^^^^^^ orchards, consisting of hundreds of
destroyed bt-^ thfH ^ freat money value, have been totally

the'^cSn?" Tn' Which th.^ Rou^l.-^.^.^'^'J^^T, L^""^-' "ver
nnd furnish n npvpr fani^cr -,.^lli *^ - - , ^^^ summer home.

killed hundreds of these hflwl^a nr. *»,« i^ wnier rnat he has

ROUGH LEGGED HAWK.(YOUNG)

COLOR PLATE

1 !):^

uivcii by Dr. A. K. Fisher, of 49 stomachs, shows con
<Insively thni meadow mice constitute almost wholly
'he food of the species. Prof. Samuel Au«rhev found
ihe remains of a .u:oi)}ier, a small lizard, and seventy
insects in the stomadi of a Uon^'h-le<r kJUe^] ]„ tsTc
l»raska, in SeplfMuber, 1872; how(^ver, such food ma
icrialsaccoidin- to mosf auth(^^ili(^s, are seldom taken.
Of the 49 stomaclis referred to by Dr. Fisher, 40 con
'.lined mice, chietlv meadow mice: usually. 2 or :\ in
'•acli stomach, so-metimes 4 or 5, and in several
-lomachs, each contained H or 7 of these little animals.

DESTROYS KNKMIKS (>P THE ORf'TlARD.

. ,\7^r2J^^u^^'''^^ l^ """^ ""^ *^^^ "i^-'^t nocturnnl of our hawks
I. w ^Prnh n '^vf '\ " ^^^^/-^^i"- t^vm^^ht watrhirm from some
-w perch, or bcntinpr with m.-asiiml. noiseles.s fli^^ht nvor ifc.

-"fiirlnff Its food, one by sitting- 07i some stub ..r lew tree
Mi^-rttohin^ Ih.. ^roniHl for the appearanr. ..f its prev a^

m-e fhe^lon.'nV th^o" '^^"'' ^v »^-tin^ back and fo,^th "^ji.st
votim nnp^^\2 ^'as.^ or bn.v'hes. and dn.ppin^^ „pon Its

Mohm. after the manner of tho Marsh Hawk. Its food -on-
Ms s principally, if not ahnnsf oxrlnsively. of the smaller
'Hlents, and mo.st prominent anionic these are the arvl^oline
^v^.f^^ ^^^"^'"^'•^- -^^ '- ^vNl known, th. mea(tow mro^.
7 .np^''l^-^ ^J^ ^'^^'^' distribute.1 over th. North Temperate
rPn'JI^ ''^^^l' ?.^''"^' '" immense numbers. ov.rrunnh^C eer-
"opsTs'wH,'' '^' count,, ,^, ^oln^ irreparablo^damaVTo

•^T^lrZl^ A^ *^ * * ^^'•'^^ ''^"'^ or.iainental trees,
t'-ef; and rei.rJs?n;'' ^^^^••'^';'^ -onsistln^^ of hundreds of

;;£>y£ ^^"S•-sK:- v;;r:;L;;:;;ris^^do^ ^:^!^'
:;^^ c!^!^::!^ ^l;:;^;.^ t,:::r 'an;; ;!;us:nrt>f;:-"d£^--

J^Tl^!^^^:f';:r'^ '^r' "^^"^"^^" iV not'!;b'indar.t.
-ntrat nnd nnr/i! tt"; ^""'"^''^^ '^"<^ rriarsh lands of the

Tn \,hL i "''/**^^^''" ^^Mited States and temp^-rate Canada

'he somiern ImU f u '"''''' ^f ^^^''^^^ '" ^'^"^''^^^ '^^^^^ tha?
/ho'^o^ll^rT In'^^hlc^l? tV"; h"^^^^. lem;nl4s':re"!;;rnc;^!^f ^ r;

1811

♦•X

ROUGH LEGGED HAWK.iYOUNG)

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

194

amlned all contained the remains of meadow mice. He further
states that h*- never found even a frog in its stomach or saw-
it attack anything larger than a rat or meadow mouse. Dr.
Miohaner (in U. S. Agr. Rept., 1863, p. 291), says of the Rooigh-
leg: "The number of meadow mice which this species destroys
ought, one wculd thinR, to insure it the protection of everv
husbandman." Dr. J. C. Merrill states that the stomachs of
those killed al Fort Klamath, Oregon, usually contained fleM
mice. (Auk. Vol. V. p. 145.) Mr. A. Hall, writing of this
hawk in Nebraska, Fays: "This species is very abundant in
winter, and subsists entirely upon mice, frogs and small
rodents. It seldom, If ever, preys upon birds." (Forest an*l
Stream, Vol. XX, May 10, 1883, p. 284.' ) (Dr. A. K. Fisher's
Report.)

(^

.ill

M

M

ill

.•■>'-,•

•»

' ;".. ' ■ .■

'•'. , "' •'. { '

"•* ■

"*■*'■«

.(•..'V./-.

*•*

if-.i'i'-Y

^..•:.^.■. ; '•

4*.i«.

■f"!

6

GOLDEN EAGLE

J 95

GOLDEN EAGLE. V
Aquila chrysaetos.

DESCRIPTION. .

T ^y^^l ^u"**!^^ feathered all around to base of yellow toes.
J J 7/ ^^°"* 2 ^eet' extent 6^^ to 7y2 feet.

f.tT:L~^P^^V^} ^^^?^ ^^^^ brown; the lengthened pointed
feathers of hind neck golden brown; feathers of tarsi pale
yellowish-brown; tail blackish and grayish.
ieiZTnlTutZ^^^^ two-thirdfl of all tall white, with a blackish

/?3.T.^ . '^ X?' ^'J^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ lighter than adult.

//a&i^a«.-North America south to Mexico, and northern
parts of the Old World. A winter resident in Pennsylvania.

This large bird occurs in Pennsylvania as a winter
visitant. The only species with which it is sometimes
confounded is the Bald or White-headed Eagle in im-
mature plumage. The two species can always be dis
tinguished at a single glance, if you remember ttat the
Golden Eagle has the tarsus densely feathered to the
toes, and the Bald Eagle has a bare tarsus. One of
the largest Golden Eagles I ever saw was captured in
December, 1889, by a hunter in Cameron county. This
bird, which was handsomely mounted by my friend,
Mr. M. M. Larrabee, of Emporium, weighed, Mr. Larra-
beei informed me, twentj-live i)ounds. The si)ecies
hreeds in high mountainous regions and the Arctic
countries.

There is a specimen of the Golden Eagle, in the
Museum of the Pennsylvania State College, captured a
few years ago in Clinton county, where for several
^ays, when deep snow covered the ground, it lingered
about a farm house and preyed upon chickens and
turkeys, and when it was shot it had just swooped
down on a favorite pussy which spent mo«t of her time
in a swampy, grassy thicket, near the barnvard, watch
iiig lor small birds and i-abbits.

•I

111

ii

lii
ill

■ ' 111'

I)

i!

I

COLOR PLATE

G

GOLDE N EAG LE

195

GOLDEN EAGLE.

Aqiiila chrvsaetus.

DESCRIPTION.

Taibi densely featlieied all around to base of yollow toes.

j''f 7/ ^^^"^ ^ ^^^^' extent 61/2 to 71/. feet.
^rfw«. -General color dark brown; the lenj,'thened pointed
feathers of hind net-k golden brown; feathers of tarsi pale
yellowish-brown; tail blaokish and ^ravish.

tefn.innf h^r.^f ^^ two- thirds of all tail White, with a blackish
tei minal hand, lower parts much lighter than adult.

^a6t^a«.-North Amoiira south to Mexico, and northc-rn
parts of the Old World. A winter resident in Pennsylvania.

This lar«4e bird (kcuis in Peimsylvania as a winter
visitant. The only species witli which it is sometimes
confounded is (lie Mahl or \Vlii(e-head(*d Eagh.' in im-
niahire plumagv. The two species can always be dis-
lintiuished at a single i»lance, if you remember that the
(iolden Eajrje has the tarsus densely feathered io tho
toes, and the Hald Ea^d(^ has a bare tarsus. One of
the largest Golden Eagles I ev(M' saw was captured in
December, 1881), by a hunter in (Jameron county. This
hird, which was handsomely mounted by my friend,
Mr. M. M. Larrabee, of Emporium, weighed, Mr. Larra
hee informed me, twenty-five poainds. The sp(M'ics
breeds in high niountninous regions and the Arctic
countries.

There is a specimen of the Golden Eagle, in the
•Museum of the Pennsylvania State College, captured a
few years ago in Clinton county, where for several
♦lays, when deep snow covered the ground, it lingered
about a farm house and preyed upon chickens and
turkeys, and when it was shot it had just swooped
down on a favorite pussy which spent mo«t of her time
in a swampy, grassy thicket, near tlie barnyard, watch
ing lor small biids jiiid rabljits.

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

196

THE GOLDEN EAGLE AS A PET.

The following mention of the peculiarities of the
(rolden Eagle in captivily I gleaned from conversation
with Mr. B. M. Everhart, the well-known botanist of
West Chester, Pa., who for several years kept one in
his yard. This bird, in consequence of a gun-shot
wound in the wing, was unable to fly off. All the yard
situated to the north and east of the house was known
as Nero's (bird's name) domain. Along the walk lead
ing to my office was his perch, a dead tree stump some
eight ffeet high. When satiated with food he would
sit there for hours at a time. If at any time during
the day a cat or domestic fowl happened to enter his
ground, it had to make a speedy departure or be killed.
The latter was mostly the case, for Nero seldom "went
for" anything without his capturing it. When I ne-
glected to give him his daily allowance (two pound*:
meat), as was sometimes the case, he wandered about
the yard uttering a ventriloquial, gutteral sound,
which had the effect of bringing around him birds and
chickens. Occasionally the former, and invariably
the latter, would be killed. Towards people, other
than myself, ho displayed great animosity, this being
particularly the case with children and timorous indi-
viduals. One day Joshua Hoopes, a school teacher at
that time, brought a party of his boys to see the bird,
and T noticed one of their number, a puny and delicate
lad, the eagle continually eyed and several times en-
deavored to make at him. A female domestic, who
had annoyed him by throwing water on him and pok-
ing at him with a stick, he showed great antipathy to:
we were eventually obliged, for her personal safety
and our own convenience, to discharge the girl, ns she
could not go into the yard without being attacked.

1

197

An rrishman one dav slvlv entered the vard, but in
crossing Nero's province he was set upon by the bird.
In the fleshy part of the man's thigh he imbedded his
talons, and it was with considerable difficnltv his hold
was loosened. Erin's son declared that never before
in his life had he met "sich a divil," and that nothing
short of the eagle's life could appease his injuries.

Examination showed that although there were ugly
rtgsh wounds, nothing of a serious nature would fol
l^w. This information being imparted, and a two dol
lar bill tendered to the Irishman, his sufferings were
iiHich relieved. He stated that although he looked
ujpon the "critter'' as a "bold, bad burd," still he
deemed him a fit subject to "kape frum" any intrusion
in the back yard, and that in the future, whenever he
had any business with Bridget, he would enter the
front gate and make known his wants at the front
door.

HE DEVOURED THOMAS CATS.

The strongest and largest tom cat he could manage
with ease. When anyone had a specially objectiona
ble cat which they wanted disposed of, they would bag
it up and bring it to the eagle. As soon as he saw
the bag the bird, which an instant before sat moping,
ruffed-feathered and seemingly half dead, suddenly, as
if by magic, changed, as it were, into a new being;
body erect, feathers close to the body, tail expanded,
the sunken eyes, with ten-fold increased lustre, fol-
lowed with argus gaze every motion of the bag and
occupant; soon as grimalkin w^as liberated the eagle
swooped down and grasped it. If the cat was of or-
dinary size, Nero displayed little concern in dispafeh
ing it; but if it was a Thomas feline, of hugh dimen
sions, all the powers of the bird were brought into

ti

198

191)

requisition. Tlien the true nature of the eagle was
seen. The e^es, before bright, now shone like balls of
fire, the crest feathers standing up; his voice, before
hushed, now added discord to the dying yells of his
struggling victim, so inextricably fixed in his relent
less talons. He could kill a cat in from two to livo
minutes. , ,^ ;^' : : >;

.1 /

WOULD SEIZE GH1MAI>KIN BY NECK AND BACK.

\3':

Commonly, the eagle would grasp the cat around the
small of the back with one foot and with tlie other he
encircled the neck, thus retaining his hold until the
animal had ceased its struggles, which were soon over,
as they were greatly augmented by fright and exces
sive violence of action. When the cat became quiet
the eagle would raise his wings, which he had allowed
to drop, draw his body up as high as possible from his
prey, and proceed leisurely to tear off the skin from
his captive's back and side, exposing tlie muscles and
viscera, which he ate.

FOOD OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

Golden Eagles are rather rare in this State, hence
their depredations to poultry, game and live stock
occasion comparatively little loss within our State's
boundaries. Domestic fowls, ducks and turkeys es
pecially, are o-ften devoured; different species of water
birds, grouse and wild turkeys suffer chiefly among the
game birds. Fawns are sometimes attacked and
killed; occasionally it destroys young pigs, and frt»-
quently many lambs are carried off by this eagh*.
Many rabbils are preyed upon; in this State, the Vary-
ing Hare and common Gray Rabbit or "cotton-tail"
form a portion of its menu. • ^''*- * *

Last winter a farmer residing near Harrisburg, shot

one of these eagles, which was feasting on a large
gander, which he had just killed; but as the man sold
the eagle, a fine male, for three dollars he lost nothing
by the death of his goose. When other food is scarce
it feeds on offal and carrion like many other species
of the birds of prey are wont to do when deep snowj^
cover the ground. When there is a paucity of wild
game, its natural food, this powerful bird, it is as-
serted, often becomes very troublesome and frequently
attacks the young of domestic animals, such as lambs,
calves and pigs.

-Vv

EAGLES DESTROYED MANY LAMBS.

To illustrate the damage which eagles sometimes do
(Ml sheep ranches, Dr. Fisher publishes the following
letter to Col. Alexander Macbeth, ot Georgetown, S.
t'., which, fully explains how destructive eagles may
occasionally become. This letter, as Dr. Fisher ob
serves, "may refer in part to the Bald Eagle^':

Rbems, Georgetown County, S. C, May 30, 1SM».
Dear Sir:— Yours 22d instant at hand, and in reply will say
that the eagrles are more destructive to the sheep-grrowing
industry in this section than dogs. On one ranch this spring,'
one shepherd alone killed over forty himself, principally by
us;ng strj'chnine. They were worse than we ever knew oi
before. Wf lost fully 400 or 500 lambs, as they devour them
as Cast as they drop from the old sheep. ♦ * ♦ ^^
frequently see during eagle or lambing season fifteen t«)
twenty eagles in a covey (or bunch), which shows at a glance
that they are very destructive. We have also a few wild-
cats that devour the young sheep, but can manage them better
than eagles.

Yours very truly,

T. RHEM AND SONS.

' • • . -

ADULT DEEK ATTACKED.

Some years ago I saw the remains of a Golden Eagle
hanging, with some pelts, on a hunter's cabin in the
wilds of Clinton county, Pa., and on making inquiry,
learned that the bird had been shot in the act of at-

i

I

I

2(N)

tacking a smalJ doe. Mr. C. F. Morrison writing of a
similar case which had been called to his attention,
says:

"The bird had captured and killed a good-sized black-tailed
deer, and was hot while sitting ujxjn its body. (O. & O..V0I
XIV, 1889.)

Dr. Fisher publishes the following paragraph by Mr. Henry
Seebohm: "The Golden Eagle has been known on one highland
sheep farm alone, in the course of a single season, to carry
off as many as thirty-five lambs. * ♦ ♦ In deer for-
ests eagles are of the greatest service; for although they some-
times take a .sickly deer calf, they live almost entirely on
blue hares, so troublesome to the deer stalker; and most cer-
tainly deer are better for the removal of the weak anti sickly
ones, which would only possibly live to transmit their disease-
to posterity. ♦ • • The Golden Eagle (noble as he i^
thought to be) will eat carrion when pressed for food. *
♦ ♦ The Golden Eagle also preys upon various species of
birds, notably the blackcock and red grouse, ptarmigan
curlews and plover, dropping upon them unawares or slmnlv
taking the young and weakly ones; for never does the bird
pursue or strike them like the true falcon."

201

V,

i

t

8

BALD EAGLE

BALD EAGLE. ? l

» •

Haliaeetus leucocephahis. •

DESCRIPTION.

Tarsi feathered only about half way down.

ifale.— Length about 3 foet: extent of wln^H about 7 feet.
Female larger, measuring sometimes 8 feet in extent. .

^dfiW.— Head, neck, tail and upi>er coverts of latter, white:
rest of plumage dusky-brown; bill, feet and eyes yellow.

/mmafure.— Entire plumage dark brown; some are grayish-
brown, and tail more or less spotted with white; bill dark-
cniored; eyes brown.

Habitat,— l^orih America at large, south to Mexico. Breeds
sparingly In Pennsylvania.

The name ''Bald" which is given to this species is
not applied because the head is bare, but because the
feathers of the neck and head in the adults are pure
white. In Pennsylvania, as well as throughout th(»
rJnited States, we have but two species of eagles.
The "Black," Gray" and "Washington" Eagles are all
vonng of the Bald Eagle. Three years, it is stated,
are required before this species assumes the adult
f>Iumage.

The Bald Eagle is found in Pennsylvania at all sea
sons of the year.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

A few of these birds annually rear their young along
the Susquehanna river, and also in a few other local!
'i<»8 in this State. The nest, a bulky affair, built usually
<»n a large tree, mostly near the water, is about four or
tive feet in diameter. Tt is made up chiefly of large
><licks, lined inside with grasses, leaves, etc. The eggs
commonly fwo— rarely three — are white and measun-
• bout 8 bv 2^ inches. A favorite article of food with
this bird is fiah. which he obfjiiiis, chjefiv bv .^tratp•-v
-iihI ijipine.

COLOR PLATE

201

Wi

BALD EAGLE

RALD EAGLE.

Raliaeetus leucocephalns.

DESCRIPTION.

Tarsi feathered only about half way down.

Male,— I jonsth about ?, r<Mt: oxtent of a inns about 7 feet,
ppmalo larger, measuring sometimes 8 feet in extent.

Adult— Henri, neck, tail and upper coverts of latter, white.
fpf^t of plumage dusky-brown; bill, feet and eyes yellow.

Immature,— Kutlve plumage dark brown: some are grayi.sh-
iirown. and tail more or less spf)tted with white; bill dark-
roiored; eyes brown.

Habitat,— 'North America at large, south to Mexico. Breeds
sparingly in Pennsylvania.

The name "Bald" which is j^iven to this species is
not applied because the head is bare, but because the
feathers of the neck and head in the adults are pun*
white. In Pennsylvania, as well as throughout th<*
r^niled States, we have but two species of eagles.
The "Black," Gray" and "Wasliington" Eagles are all
voung of the Bald Eagle. Three years, it is stated,
are recpiired Ix^fore this species assumes the adult
plumage.

The Bald Eagle is found in Pennsylvania at all sea
^niis of the vear.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

A few of fhese birds annually rear their young along
fhe Susquehanna river, and also in a few other local!
i<'s in tliis State. The n<'st, a bulkv affair, built usuallv
n a large tn^i-, mostly near the water, is about four or
ive feet in diametrr. Ft is madr up cliicfly of larg(»
-"^icks, linod inside with grasses, leaves, etc. The eggs
ommonly lw<> -rarely three — are white and measun-

• bout .? bv 2.) inches. A favorite article of foo^ with
•lis bird is fish, which he obtjiins. chii'llx bv srratr"-v

• ih] i;i[)in('.

i;r II

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

202

THE BALD EAGLE AND OSPREY.

The Bald Eagle is quite plentiful in the vicinity of
large rivers, where the Fish Hawk is common; unlike
this last named bird, however, he cannot be called pis-
civorous, as he subsists largely on ducks, geese, and
other aquatic birds. Referring to this eagle, Audu
bon savs:

"No sooner does the Fish Hawk make its appearance alon^?
our Atlantic shores, or ascends our numerous and large rivers,
than the eagle follows It. and, like a selfish oppressor, robs
it of the hard-earned fruits of its labor. Perched on some
tall summit, in view of the ocean, or of some water course,
he watches every motion of the Fish Hawk while on wing.
When the latter rises from the water with a fish In Its grasp,
forth ruslies the eagle in pursuit. He mounts above the Fish
Hawk, and threatens it by actions well understood, when tho
latter, fearing perhaps that its life is in danger, drops its
prey. In an instant the eagle, accurately estimating thf*
rapid descent of the fish, closes his wings, follows it with
the swiftness of thought, and the next moment grasps it."

SOMETIMES FISHES FOR HIMSELF.

According to Audubon the Bald Eagle catches tisli
for himself.

"This bird now and then procures tish for himself by pur-
suing them In the shallows of small creeks. I have witnessed
several instances of this in the Perkiomen creek, in Pennsyl-
vania, where, In this manner, I saw one of them secure a
number of red fins by wading briskly through the water and
striking at them with his bill. I have also observed a pair
scrambling over the Ice of a frozen pond to get at some fish
below, but without success. It does not confine itself to thes*-
kinds of food, but greedily devours young pigs, lambs, fawns,
poultry and the putrid flesh of carcasses of every description,
driving off the vultures and carrion crows or the dogs, and
keeping a whole party at defiance until It is satiated."

KILLS LAMBS AND PIOS.

I>r. Fisher publislies the following notes from the
Forest and Stream concerning the destruction of do
mestic animals:

A number of eagles have recently been shot In various
parts of Pennsylvania. One. shot by John Hodman In North
Coventry. Chester county, had carried off bodily a large lamb

i

203 '

andi returned 'the following* day, after another." (Vol. V. 1875, p.
195.) "A large White-headed Eagle swooped down on a flock
of sheep here (Hornellsville, New York) and made a break-
fast on Iamb chops before he could be driven off." (Vol. X,
1878, p. 319.) "It (the Bald Eagle) was killed by a Mr. Towry,
near Smithville, Mississippi. When found by Mr. Towry it
had killed two of his hogs and was dining on one of them."
(Vol. VIII, 1877.)

Dr. Fisher also rrfers to an article published in the
Forest and Stream (Vol. IV, 1875, p. 166) in which a
Bald Eagle was seen to fly five miles with a live lamb
in its talons.

HOW THEY CAPTURE GEESE.

Dr. Fisher reproduces from Bulletin of the Nuttall
Ornith. Club, the following very interesting note from
Mr. Wm. Brewster, and which refers to the manner
in which the Eagles catch wild-fowl in the vicinity of
Oobb's Island, Virginia:

"In the winter the eagles are much more numerous than at
any other time of the year, and my informant has, on sev-
eral occasions, seen as many as eight at once. At this sea-
son the neighboring bays and creeks swarm with wild fowl,
and upon these the eagfes principally live. He has never
Icnown them to catch fish of any kind, although they not
unfrequently rob the Fish ttawk. Geese and brant form
their favorite food, and the address displayed in their capture
is very remarkable. The poor victim has apparently not the
slightest chance for escape. The eagle's flight, ordinarily
slow and somewhat heavy, becomes in the excitement of
pursuit exceedingly swift and graceful, and the fugitive is
• luickly overtaken. When close upon its quarry the eagle sud-
denly sweeps beneath it. and, turning back downwards,
thrusts its powerful talons up into its breast. A brant or
duck is carried off bodily to the nearest marsh or sand bar.
but a Canada goose is too heavy to be thus easUy disposed
of The two great birds fall together to the water beneath,

}}? i^^ ^^^^^ literally tows his prize along the surface
until the shore is reached. In ffiis way one has been known
to drag a large goose for nearly half a mile." -^

t\'ILL. SOMETIMES ATTACK MANKIND.

If newspaper and numerous written accounts are
true (and unfortunately many are not) it would ap
ponr that even man is not exempt from the attacks

BALD EAGLE. (YOUNG

COLOR PLATE

BALD EAGLE (YOUNG

203

and returned the followingr day, after another." (Vol. V. 1875, p.
195.) "A large White-headed Eagle swooped down on a flock
of sheep here (Hornellsville, New York) and made a break
fast on lamb chops before he could be driven off." (Vol. X,
1878, p. 319.) "It (the Bald Eagle) was killed by a Mr. Towry,
near Smithville, Mississippi. When found by Mr. Towry it
had killed two of his hogs and was dining on one of them."
(Vol. Vlir. 1877.)

Di'. Fislier also icferni to an article published in the
Forest and Stream (Vol. IV, 1875, p. 1(>(>) in which a
Raid Eaji^le was seen to fly five miles with a live lamb
in its talons.

HOW THEY CAPTURE GEESE.

Dr. Fisher reproduces from Bulletin of the Nuttall
Ornith. dub, the followinjj^ very intcM'esting note from
Mr. Wm. Hrewster, and which refers to the manner
in which the Eagles catch wild-fowl in the vicinity of
Tobb's Island, Virginia:

"In the winter the ea^fles are muoh more numerous than at
any other time of the year, and my informant has, on sev-
eral occasions, seen as many as eight at once. At this sea-
son the neighboring bays and creeks swarm with wild fowl,
and upon these the eagres principally live. He has never
known them to catch fish of any kind, although they not
unfrequently rob the Fish Hawk. Geese and brant form
their favorite food, and the address displayed in their capture
is very remarkable. The p^or victim has apparently not the
slightest chancp for escape. The eagle's flight, ordinarily
slow and somewhat heavy, becomes in the excitement of
pursuit exceedingly swift and graceful, and the fugitive is
• luickly overtaken. When close upon its quarry the eagle sud-
denly sweeps beneath it. and. turning back downwards,
thrusts its powerful talons up into its breast. A brant or
duck is carried off bodily to the nearest marsh or sand bar.
but a Canada goose is too heavy to be thus easily disposed
of. The two great birds fall together to the water beneath
while the eagle riterally tows his prize along the surface
until the shore is reached. In tliis way one has been known
to drag a large goosv for nearly half a mile."

WILI. SOMETIMES ATTACK MANKIND.

If newspaper and numerous written accounts are
true (and unfortunately many are not) it would ap
jK'nr that even man is not exempt from the attacks

:i-|

I'

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

204

»

of these predaceous birds. 1 have repeatedly seen in
newspapers, accounts of combats between men and
eagles; frequently the bird would be the aggressor.^
While it is admitted that these reports are largely^
due to the imaginative reporter, it is believed that sucli
occurrences do occasionally take place. Veritable in
stances are related of their carrying off infants. Ac-,
cording to Wilson: ^

"An attempt of this kind was made upon a child lying by its
mother, as she was weeding a garden, at Egg Harbor, New
Jersey, but the garment seized upon by the eagle giving way at
the Instant of the attempt, the child's life was spared." Nut-
tall speaks of an instance said to have happened at Peters-
burg, Georgia, near the Savannah river, "where an infant,
sleeping in the shade near the house, was seized and carried
off to the eyry, near the edge of the swamp, five miles dis-
tant, and when foilnd, almost immediately, the child was
dead." , - ....

DESTROYS POULTRY AND GAME.

This bird very often preys on birds and mammals.
I have knowledge of at least two of these birds which
have killed poultry (tame ducks and turkeys) along thr
Susquehanna river. Duck linntors assured me thai
they have, on several occasions, seen Bald Eagles at
tack and kill wild ducks and geese which are often
quite numerous during migrations on the Susquehann.i
ri ver.

Sometimes, like the Golden Eagle, this species will
attack raccoons, and skunks; and on one occasion 1
found two or three spines of a porcupine in the body
of an immature Hald Eagle which I secured in Clinton
county. This led me to infer that the Bald Eagle
might, sometimes, attack this animal which is so well
able to defend himself, and which seems to be of no use
in our hemlock forests but to ruin hunting dogs, and
gnaw everythiHg which is the least bit saltv. that thev
find in their noctural ramblings about the lumber
camp«.

I

mi

DUCK HAWK.

COLOR PLATE

205

St. DUCK HAWK.

Falco peregrinus anatum.

DESCRIPTION.

Size as well as colors variable. A female before me is 20
inches long, and measures from tip to tip 46 inches; tail, 8.
Male smaller.

Above blackish-brown or slaty-black, and many feathers
with paler edgings; chin, throat, forepart of neck and upper
breast yellowish-white, and sometimes nearly immaculate,
but usually more or less streaked or spotted; showy black
ear patches; frontal feathers whitish, rest of under parts
barred and streaked with blackish and lighter colors. Im-
mature birds are more brown and lower parts are much more
spotted with dark and less barred. Bill bluish-black, except
about base, like cere is yellowish; legs yellow; iris brown.

Habitat, — North .America at large. Resident and breeds
sparingly in Pennsylvania.

This bold and predatory hawk, the largest of the
typical falcons found in this region, retires, usually
during the summer time, to the mountainous districts,
generally in the neighborhood of large streams, and in
the winter season (fall, winter and early spring), it is
found as an irregular visitor in nearly all sections of
onr Commonwealth. •

i

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The Duck Hawk breeds in several localities in Penn
sylvniiia, and in some parts of the state it is reported
to be quite co-inmon. The late Judge Libhart, of Lan-
caster county, twelve or ftftet^n years ago, observed it
as a ^'resident, common on the Susquehanna.*' Dr.
Treichler, Mr. Roddy and other more recent observers,
report the Duck Hawk in Lancaster county as a rather
rare visitor, commonly seen in winter. The following
gentlemen report this species as a native: Hon. Gerard
0. Brown, Casper Loucks and George Miller all of

Ji

205

JJUOK HAWK.
Falco peregrinus anatum.

DESCRIPTION.

Size as well as colors variablt^. A female before me is 20
Inches long, and measures from tip to tip 46 inches; tail, S.
Male smaller.

Above blackish-brown or slaty-black, and many feathers
with paler edgings; chin, throat, forepart of neck and upper
breast yellowish-white, and sometimes nearly immaculate,
but usually more or less streaked or spotted; showy black
ear patches; frontal feathers whitish, rest of under parts
barred and streaked with blackish and lighter colors. Im-
mature birds are more brown and lower parts are much more
spotted with dark and less barred. Bill bluish-black, except
about base, like cere is yellowish; legs yellow; iris brown.

Habitat. — North .America at large. Resident and breeds
sparingly in Pennsylvania.

This bold and predatory liawk, the largest of the
typical falcons found in this region, retires, usually
(luring the siimmer time, to the mountainous districts,
generally in the neighborhood of large streams, and in
the winter season (fall, winter and early spring), it is
found as an irregular visitor in nearly all sections of
(Mir Commonwealth.

TIIK NKST AND KOGS.

'Ill** Durk Hawk breeds in several localities in Feun
sylv.niiji, and in some parts of the state it is reported
to be quite ((Hnmon. The late Judge Libhart, of Lan-
caster county, twelve or fifteen years ago, observed it
as a **resident, common on the Susquehanna.*' Dr.
Treichler, Mr. Roddy and other more recent observers,
report the Duck Hawk in Lancaster county as a rather
rare visitor, commonly seen in winter. The following
gentlemen report this species as a native: Hon. Gerard
C. Brown, Casper Tx)ucks and (leorge Miller all of

3

DUCK HAWK.

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

20(>

207

York county, state that it is a regular breeder
on the high cliffs about the Susquehanna. (Joneernin«(
the bird Mr. George Miller furnishes the following
notes: "Found nest of Duck Hawk April 7, 1880. It
contained four eggs slightly incubated; hawk on nest
when discovered, along Susquelianua river near mouth
of Codorus creek. Nest about one-tliird down from
top of a high cliff on shelf with overhanging rock; nest
made of rorkj debris found lying about. Remains of
birds, such as tame pigeons, flickers, blackbirds, etc.,
upon which the Duck Hawks had evidently been feed
ing, were found plentifully scattered over the rocks.

I shot the male soon after collecting the eggs, and
have it now in my collection of birds." Dr. W. L.
Hartman, of Luzerne countv, savs:

"The Great-footed or Duck Hawk breeds regularly
in this locality (Pittston) in an almost inaccessible
ledge of rocks." Mr. Thomas S. Gillin, Ambler, Mont-
gomery county, says: "I have had many opportunities
of observing them, having shot twelve inside of a ra-
dius of five miles of this place; in fact see them regu
larly, and know of two nesting places in this state."
Dr. T. Z. Hazzard, Allegheny county; Mr. O. B. Hark,
Northampton county, and W. P. Bolton, Montgomery
county, also mention it as a breeder. Dr. John \V.
Detwiller and Mr. Samuel Mack, both residents of
Bethlehem, have, on different o<?casions, found Duck
Hawks' nests. With regard to their breeding in this
State, Dr. Detwiller (letter November 2, 1889), says:
"Duck Hawk; se<ured set of four eggs from the cliffs
of Camel's Ledge, l>ittston, 1880; 1886, secured two
sets of four eggs in each set, one at Skinner's Eddy and
the other at Buttermilk Falls, Susquehanna river
(East Branch). 1887, secured a set of four eggs, and

another of three, at 'The Narrows,' Delaware river.
Month of incubation, April." Reports which 1 have ,
received from other naturalists and collectors, show
that the Duck Hawk has been observed in other parts
of the State as a straggler in the spring and fall, or as
a rather rare and irregular winter visitor. I have
never found the nest of this bird. . ^

Dr. Coues states that it "breeds as far south as Virginia
at least: eggs, 2-5, oftener 3-4, 2.10 to 2.35x1.60 to 1.75, averag-
ing about 2.25x1.65; white or whitish, spotted, blotched,
wreathed, clouded, etc., with the reddish-browns, from choco-
late or even purplish to the ochres." — Key, N. A. Birds.

• • KILLS DOMESTIC FOWLS. . - /- . .-

This hawk, like the Cooper's and Sharp-shinned spe-
cies previously described, is detrimental, but fortu-
nately for the farmer and fruit grower the Duck Hawk
is a comparatively rare bird, and, except in winter,
is found usually about the larger rivers. However,
when a pair of these birds begin house-keeping on a
high, rocky ledge in the neighborhood of farm houses,
I hey frequently destroy a good many domestic fowls.

For several years past a pair of these hawks have
nested in an inaccessible nook on a high rocky bluff
along the Susquehanna river across from Northumber-
land, Pa., and several poultry raisers in that locality
have had a good many of their fowls killed bv them.

Two years ago, in mid- winter, a farmer living along
Ihe Brandy wine creek near West Chester, brought to
my office two of these hawks wliich he had killed one
evening nt his carp pond where, he stated, they went
to watch and catch his ducks and chickens. He said
Ihat this pair of hawks had killed eight chickens and
three ducks for him in about a week, and that they
had also caught several of his pigeons.

I

I

'■"%.

208

i

' ' PLAYED HAVOC WITH TERNS.

I>r. O. Hart Merriam (Birds of Oonn., 1877, p. 82,) re
ferring to a Duck Hawk which was shot on Falkner
Fsland, Connecticut, sajs:

t^JPo"'**^^^*'!'' ^^'^^^ ^*®*^ ^^® ^a<^ "»*^*ie sad havoc among tlu
mn?!?; t?Ki K^i 5^*?.^ ^^^ greatly distended with their re-
mains, which had been swallowed in incredibly large nieces
whole legrs and long bones of the wings were foLnd entire
The r'lmlfn^^V ""f ^^ l^^ ""** perfectly gorged, and contained
Latch^ ySung '-^ '""'' ''^'■"'' ^^'*^^" ^ "^^^^ ^' "^^y-

KILLS WILD FOWL. ' ^ '

I have seen this species catch the Coot (Fulica) and
a Wood Duck on the Susquehanna river. Audubon

savs :

* .- - • . ....

' • •-

and r'ais with .i ^^^7 ^""^ J!'^* ^^^^^ ^" ^*v^"& ^^ seizes them
come irt^e renorr'n '^ ^^^ ^^*^^- ^ ^^^'^ ^^^'^ ^^is hawk
stens dulr^f f^ 1 ^ ^"" ^""^ ^*'^y ^^ a- ^eal not thirty

.frf/rinl ^'^^ ^^^"^ ^^^ sportsman who had killed it with
:^n«f v"^ assurance as surprising as unexpected ThW ^o,.

act'eVlsUc't'rlu'o^^^^^^^^ ^^ manf individu^aV'and i?l%ha :
at,Lerjsuc irait or this species. The Iaree«»t kiih f^oT i

vvaTi"/ fowl" Hb"|!J '''"'' "■?'■ '"'"'•■^■'•i-- 'ontent himself will.

Pinions '^^d even blackbird's Tan Jl!""'^'"'^. ^"^ ""^"^^ °f
ranks, and forolne them tn n/.V^ ^'"^ ?''^*' '^"O'" '" 'heir

the grasp oT his ^i/ead^d "ta'^ons '" orstl.'r'L'!' h"°"%'" '''"^'^
one of them that had taulr, « ^^o .■ ,®^v'^>^a' days I watched

pigeons, to secure which Uwent"^ so fa"rY/,r°^'° T'"« ^"^""^
at one of the holes splzeL ^fPn > • *» to enter their hous,-

an Instant causing such terror amo"n.r'X%''^ *"°'''«'- ""'^ '"

[rt"e',;''s^h'ot''?^^o >er.a?or E" ^'^f H^-ev^^-^rfoT

flsh .hat have "-.ea^;^^°^shoT^ro;7a^„rb"a^;;'^.l!;*d''u"bo'n^.•'"
r l.nve oxamined but three of these hawks; the.
s o.na..hs of two were destitute of food material , the
..theroonta.ned a few feathers of a domestic pigeon

THKY FKET ON SONQ BIHDS.

IM'. FiHherWeport shows that of twenty stomach,
of Dnrk Hawks examined, not less fh;,n four fifths, or

209

sixteen, contained poultry (chickens oi ducks), game
birds (quail or wild ducks) and small wild birds of
which the following species were identified:

Meadow Lark,

Warbler,

Robin.

Crlssal Thrasher,

Gray-cheeked Thrush.

Catbird,

Mourning Dove.

The only mammal eaten as shown by these records
were two mice which were taken from the stomach of
one of these hawks killed at Elmira, N. Y., in De
cember, 18S7. Another of this serif*s captured at
Portland, Conn., in April, 188(J, had the remains of a
tame duck and some beetles in its stomach; "small
bird's" remains, which could not be identified, with
'^drag(ni flies," were discovered in another hawk taken
October 1, 1884, in Hrookhaven, \. Y. Th(» four re-
maining stofrijichs of the twenty last referred to were
(MUpty.

i, J-

■*1

.-j«3 -.

I -1

14 II

210

Ji

PIGEON HAWK.

Falco colutnbarius.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult Male,-Entire upper parts bluish-slate color, every
feather with a black longitudinal line; forehead and throat
white; other under parts pale yellowish or reddish white; every
feather with a longitudinal line of brownish-black; tibiae light
lerruginous, with lines of black; quills black, tipped with ashy-
white; tail light bluish-ashy, tipped with a white and with a
wide subterminal band of black, and with several other trans-
verse narrower bands of .black; inner webs nearly white- cere
and legs yellow; bill blue; iris brown.

Younper — Entire upper plumage dusky brown, quite light in
some specimens, and with a tinge of ashy; head above, with
narrow stripes of dark brown and ferruginous, and in some
specimens many irregular spdts and edgings of the latter color
(»n the upper parts; forehead and entire under part dull white
uie latter witn longitudinal stripes of light brown; sides and
Hanks light brown; tibia dull white with dashes of brown-
pairs of circular spots of white; tail pale brown, with about
six transverse bands of white; cere and legs greenish-yellow

xoung — Upper plumage brownish-black, white of the fore-
head and under parts more deeply tinged with reddish-yellow
.lark stripes wider than in preceding; sides and flanks with
wide transverse bands of brownish-black, and with circular
spots of yellowish- white; quills black; tail brownish-black,
tipped with white, and with about four bands of wnite- cert-
and fefit greenish-yellow.

' T^^?iV^i«^l^' ^^"^^^f ^^ ^""^^ ^^^*^^^' ^^"e 8 to 9 inches; tail
;. to 5% inches. Male, total length. 10 to 11 inches- wine
7>^ to 8 inches; tail 5 inches.-Baird's B. B. of N A ^

Hahxtat.-Th^ whole of North America, south to the West
Indies and northern S(^uth America.

This little falcon breeds chiefly north of parallel 43
dejrrees, though, as Dr. Fisher adds, "in the mountains
W extends south of this latitude, and in the mountains
of some of the West Indian Islands it is a summer
resident.'^ T have observed this hawk only as a visitor
(Innnj? the winter season; further investigations, how-
(*ver, may show that it, as some assert, occurs as a
native in some of our higher mountainous districts.
According to my ex|>erience this species is rather rare

'I

PIGEON HAWK

II

210

no EON HAWK.
Falco eoluinbarius.

DKSCRII'TIOX.

Adult Male. -Kniivt upper parts bluish-slate color, every
leather With a black longitudinal line; forehead and throat
white; other under parts pale yellowish or reddish white; every
feather with a longitudinal line of brownish-blacl<; tibiae light
I'^iruginous, with lines of black; quills black, tipped with ashy-
white; tail light bluish-ashy, tii)ped with a white and with a
wide subterminal band (jf black, and with several other trans-
verse narrower bands of .black; inner webs n»^arly white- cer,^
and legs yellow; bill blue; iris brown.

Younfjer — Entire upper plumage dusky brown, quite light in
some specimens, and with a tinge of ashy; head above with
narrow stripes of dark brown and ferruginous, and in' some
specimens many irregular spots and edgings of the latter color
..n the upper parts; forehead and entire under part dull white
iMc latter Willi l.-iigitudniMl sinpes nf light brown; sides and'
Hanks light brown; tibia dull white with dashes of brown-
pairs of circular spots of white; tail i)ale brown, with about
six transverse bands of white; cere and legs greenish-yellow

loung,-Vx>\nr plumage bmwnish-black. white of the fore-
head and nnrler parts more deeply tinged with reddish-yellow
■ laik stripes wider than in precMling; sid* s and flanks witii
vvide transverse bands of brownish-black, and with circular
spots ot yellowish-white; quills black; tail brownish-black
tipped with white, and will, about inur hands ..r wiiite- cci-.'
and feet greenish-yellow.

Total length, female Jl' to 14 inches; wing 8 to 9 inches- tail
..to 5% inches Ma e. total length, lo to 11 inches; wing
' t}\^ inches: tail n inches.— Baird's B. B of N A

Ilahxtat. 'I he whole of Xo.th America, .south to the West
Indies and northern South America.

This lifllr falcon lnecds clncfly innlli of parallel 48
Hc^^nvcs, Ihouj^li, as Dr. Fisln^r adds, 'in Iho mountains
if oxlcnds south of Ihis laliludc, and in the mountains
of somo o.f the West Indian Islands it is a summer
resident." I have observed this hawk only as a visitor
<hirin- the winter season; furtiuM- investigations, how
ever, may show that it. as s<mie nssert, oecurs as a
native in some of our liij^iK.,. mountainous districts.
Acrordin;: to my experience this species is rather rare

4^\

PIGEON HAW K

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

pp

M

i

• 211

in this Stale, and is oftener met with in tlie mouu
(Hinous and wooded districts tlian elsewhere.

FEEDS PRINCIPALLY UN BIRDS.

Field observations and post-mortem examinations
made by numerous naturalists show very conclusively
that although the Pij>:eon Hawk will sometimes de-
stroy poultry, tame pigeons, and even game birds as
large as tlu^ Ptaimigan, it preys mainly on various
kinds of small wild birds. It sometimes catches in-
sects, and small quadrupeds.

The following is taken from my note book in rela-
tion to a pair of these hawks: Two Pigeon Hawks dur-
ing the lale fall lurked about the southern suburbs of
the borough of West Chester, preying at regular inter-
vals on the pigeons of a blacksmith. In one week the
hawks killed or drove away fifty of these birds. The
hawks would enter the boxes and take from them the
pigeons.

DEVOURS MANY BENEFICIAL BIRDS.

An examination of Dr. Fisher's food-table of this
species shows very conclusively that these birds prey
on a great varfety of birds, particularly those of the
sparrow family. In the stomachs of fifty-one Pigeon
hawks mentioned by Dr. Fisher, forty-one contained
small birds and of these the following sp(*cies were
identified:

Song Sparrow,
English Sparrows.
Indigo Bird,
Field Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrows.
Chipping Sparrow,
Goldflnchs,
Thrush.

Swift.
Flicker.
Warblers.
Bobolink,
Tree Swallow,
Red-eyed VIreos.
Brown Creeper.
Blue-headed Vlreo.

l^»fW

212

S:

w

VIEWS OF DIFFERENT WRITE KS.

The following paraj^raphs are quoted froiu Dr.
Fisher's repoi*t:

"The food of the Pigeon Hawk consists mainly of small and
medium-sized birds, especially the gregarious species, insects,
and occasionally small mammals. Pigeons, flickers and
grackles are about as large birds as it usually attacks, though
Dr. Dall, in one instance, saw It kill a ptarmigan, and Dr. E. A.
Mearns speaks of a specimen shot in the act of destroying a
hen. Among the insects dragon flies are favorite morsels for
this hawk, and the apparent ease with which it captures these
nimble-winged insects demonstrates better than anything else
its remarkable power of flight. The writer has also found
grasshoppers, crickets and beetles among the stomach con-
tents.

Lrike the Duck Hawk, the species under consideration occa-
sionally captures small mammals when its ordinary food is
scarce, though according to Dr. J. G. Cooper, it sometimes
feeds quite extensively on them. He says: "Though small, the
Pigeon Hawk has all the flerceness and courage of a true fal-
con, and captures birds fully as large as itself. It, however,
chiefly follows the flocks of gregarious birds, such as black-
birds, doves, etc., and preys much on mice, gophers and squir-
rels. I have not heard of its attacking domestic poultry, and
those farmers who shoot every 'chicken hawk' that comes
around the house would do well to observe them more closely,
and will discover that these small species are not the young
of the larger ones, and should rather be encouraged than (!♦•-
stroyed. (Ornlth. Gala., Land Birds, 1870, p. 461.)

Wilson sums up its food as follows: "When the reed birds,
grackles and red-winged blackbirds congregate in large flights,
he is often observed hovering in their rear, or on their flanks,
picking up the weak, the wounded or stragglers, and fre-
quently making a sudden and fatal sweep into the very midst
of their multitudes. The flocks of robins and pigeons are hon-
ored with the same attentions from this marauder." (Am.
Ornithology, Vol. I, 1831, p. 61, 62.)

Audubon speaks of its food as follows: "It .seizes the red-
breasted thrush, the wild pigeon, and even the golden-winged
woocJr>ecKer on land, u^hilst along the shores it chases several
species of snipes, as well as the green-winged teal." (Ornith.
Biography, Vol. I, p. 467.)

Mr. John Murdoch mentions four Pigeon Hawks which, on
September 5, came out to the vessel as it was crossing the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, and says: "The flrst that appeared had
a Leach's petrel, dead, In his talons. He alighted with this on
the fore cross-trees, and proceeded to eat It." (Bull. Nutt
Ornith. Club, Vol. II, 1877, p. 79.)

Dr. Coues, speaking of the species in Labrador, say a- "On
the 25th of the same month (August), at Henley Harbor, an-
other Individual was seen foraging among the Immense flocks
of curlews {Numeniua borealis) which then covered the hills
In the vicinity." (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phlla., 1861, p. 216 )

In Texas, Mr. George B. Sennett secured a bird whose crop

213

contained nearly the whole of a ground dove. Mr. Thomas Mc-
Ilraith mentions seeing one of uiese falcons dive into a flock
of blackbirds on one of the marshes of Ontario, and says: "1
once saw him 'stoop' on a flock as they hurried toward the
marsh for shelter. How closely they had huddled together,
as if seeking mutual protection, but he went right through
th*i flock arid came out on the other side with one in each
fist." (Birds of Ontario, 1886, p. 149.)

Occasionally the Pigeon Hawk is quite destructive
to young chickens, as the following from the pen of
the late Dr. William Wood will show:

^ - . -. ■' ', .

■«.fV

};

*'In May, 1860, a gentleman who resides some five miles dis-
tant. Informed me that a simall hawk came almost every
day and carried off a chicken for him. ♦ ♦ ♦ ^p^e next
day the same little hawk returned and was shot, and is now
in my collection, a beautiful representative of the Pigeon
Hawk.' (Am. Nat.. Vol. VII, p. 342.)

<■ f

';

214

SPARROW HAWK.
Falco sparverius.

DESCRIPTION.

"Small, wings narrow and pointed; top of head bluish-gray
<''* dark slate, the crown with or without a rufous patch.

Male, —Tail chestnut rufous, crossed by a broad black band
near end; wings grayish-blue, more or less spotted with black.
Above: Rufous, with or without black bars or spots. Below:
Varying from white to deep rufous, with or without black
spots.

Female, -Tail, wings and back crossed by numerous narrow
bands of dusky." (Fisher.)

Length, 10 to 12 inches; extent of wings 18 to 23 inches; tail
4Vf to [5^2 Inches. Iris brown; legs and feet yellow.

Habitat — Whole of North America. Fouth to northern South
America. Common and breeds generally throughout Pennsyl-
vania.

The Sparrow Hawk is the smallest and most beau
tifnl of the American hawks. Durinjj: migrations in
the sprin** and antumn and throughout the summer
months tlie Sparrow Hawk is eommo-n in nearly all
sections of thfs State, except perhaps in the heavily
wooded mountainous districts where, according to my
experience, tlie species is rather rare. Tn southern
Pennsylvania, especially in Chester, Delaware, Lancas
ter and York connties, this bird is of frequent occui-
rence as a winter resident, but in the central and
northern counties of our State it is regarded as w
rather unusual winter sojourner.

NKST. EGGS AND YOITNG.

Tn southeastern P<*nnsylvania where this species was
in former years a verv common summer resident thev
begin nesting in April. The eggs, usually five in num
ber, are deposited in hollow trees, generally the de-
serted hole of a woodpecker. The e^g9> measure about

COLOR PLATE

SPARROW HAWK

214

SPARROW HAWK.

Fiilco sparverins.

DKSCKIPTION.

"Small, win^s narrow and pointed; top of head bluish-gray
^"■^a^'k slate, th«' emwn with or without a rufous patch.

Male. — Tail chestnut rufous, crossed by a broad black band
near end; win^^s grayish-blue, moie or less spotted with blacli.
Above: Rufous, with or without black bars or spots. Below:
Varying from white to deep rufous, with or without black
spots.

Female, -Tail, wings and back crossed by numerous narrow
bands of dusky." (Fisher.)

Liength, lo to 11' inches; extent of wings 18 to 23 inches; tail
4'/- to r)'.-> inches. Iris brown; legs and feet yellow.

Habitat,' \\'\\n\i' of North .America, south to n<>r-thern South
America. Common and bit-Mls generally throughout P<>nnsyl-
vania.

TIh' Sparrow Hawk is the smallest and inosl Ix'aii
tifnl (»r Ihc AiiKMicaii hawks. Durin;^ mi^ialions in
th(* spring jiihI anitium and tln'oniilhiul I la* siiininfr
niontlis Mi«' S|)air()w Hawk is connnon in nearly all
srclidns of Ihis Sfatc except perhaps in the heavil.v
u'ooded nionniainons dislricts w liei'e. accordin^: to ni;
experience, Ijie species is ralhei' rare. In southern
F*ennsylvania, especially in ('heater, Dehiware, L:incas
IrM- and VorT< connlies, Ihis ])ird is of fi'eipienl (H'cnr
lence as a winler residenl. but in lh(» cenlral ;ind
norlhein c(:nnJi(»s of onr State il is re^ai'ded as ;i
rather nnnsnal uinlei* sojourner.

.\i:sT. i:<a;s \xi) vmi'\<;.

Tn stMitheaslern INiinsylvania where this sp(»cies was
in former years :i very common summer resident they
bepin nesting": in April. The ej-jjs. usually five in nnm
ber, are dep(»sil(>d in hollow trees, jjenerally the de
serted hole of a woodpecker. The eo:p:s measure about

SPARROW HAWK

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

215

1.33 by 1.18 inches and are of a whitish or pale-yellow
brown color, blotched all over with dark brown.

When the young or eggs are disturbed the parent
birds will sometimes defend invasion of their home
with great temerity.

Some few years ago I was endeavoring to secure the
young from a nest of this species. I had climbed the
tree to the hole, about thirty-five feet from the ground,
wherein were snugly packed five young, one of which
1 removed, when both old birds assailed me. They
several times struck my head and arm?' with their
talons and wings. So persistent were their attacks
that I, desiring to obtain the young alive, directed a
companion who stood nearby to shoot both birds. 1
have repeatedly tak(*n the eggs and young of this bird
but never, (»xcept in the above cited instance, encoun-
tered such determined oppo-sition.

When reared from the nest the Spa now Hawk will
soon become attached to its master. T raised two.
which were given their freedom. Both birds would
come at my call and alight o-n my outstretched artn
or shoulders, anxiously waiting fo-r a grasshopper or
piece of meat, which was always th(Mr recompense.

This hawk will resort for si'vcM'al consecutive vears
io the same ivt^o for breeding purposes. From Doctor
Wood's "Birds of Connecticut,'' the following remarks,
with regard to the nesting of this bird, are taken:

mi

"One of my coUector.s found a n<'st of four eggs in the top
of a stump about ten feet from tho ground. This nest was
composed of grass, and was discovered by the grass protruding
through a crack In the stump. Whether this hawk constructed
this nest, or whether It had been made by some other bird, it
is Impossible to tell, but i** this hawk constructs no nest, as
asserted by Dr. Brewer and others, it must have obtained
it piratically, as the nest was new. In another Instance, which
occurred in Granby, Connecticut, the nest was known to have
been obtained in this way: A farmer made a dove house in-
side of his barn, with holes through thp sides of the building

216

communicating with It. A pair of doves that had mated werp
attacked and killed by a pair of Sparrow Hawks, who took
possession of th^ir nest. laid four e^gs and commenced In-
cubating'.

rncubation, which lasts for iibout a period of from
twentyono to twenty-four days, is engaged in by both
birds, and while one is sitting its mate supplies it with
food. Wiien first hatched the young are covered with
a white down. The food of young, while under pa-
rental care, I have found to consist chiefly of insects.

PROTECT THE SPARROW HAWK.

The farmer, fruit grower and sportsmen shouldj
learn the true value of this little hawk, as he is one
of the most desirable feathered visitors and should not
by even the most casual observer be mistaken for that
destructive marauder the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Tho
Sparrow Hawk preys to a very considerable extent on
English sparrows.

Popular ignorance of the great service which this
species does to the farmer and pomologist, by destroy
ing myriads of noxious insects, together with the in-
disposition or inability to distinguish Sparrow hawks
from the Sharp-shinned and smaller individuals of
Cooper's hawk, which so many people have, have re
suited in placing Sparrow hawks under ban, and they
are destroyed by farmers and gunners in many s(»c
tions with the same eagerness that they kill the de-
structive Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks.

'Phis useless slaughter, which, of course, was mater
ially aided by the inducement which a "scalp act" af
forded, has biought about a very noticeable decrease
in the number of Sparrow hawks one sees nowadays.
Twelve or fourteen years ago T have often counted
from the car windows in riding from Philadelphia to
Harrisburg from twenty to twenty five of these little

217

falcons; but in recent years, 1 have never observed at
any season of the year, when going over the same
route, more than four or f\\e of these birds.

WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE OBSERVED.

Allen, in his "Ornithologrical Notes on the Birds of the Great
Salt Lake VaUey," says: ''The Sparrow Hawk, however, was
by far the most numerous of the Falconidae; thirty were seen
in the air at one time near the mouth of Weber canon, en-
gaged In the capture of the hateful grasshoppers, which seems
at this season to form the principal food of this and other
birds." Audubon mentions that he had one of these birds
tamed. It was allowed its liberty. "In attempting to secure a
chicken one day, the old hen attacked him with such violence
as to cost him his life." Dr. Wood says: "When they can-
not readily procure their favorite food, mice and small birds
are greedily devoured; and, according to a writer in the Amer-
ican Naturalist, they are not wholly devoid of the piratical
habits of the Bald Eagle. "A tame cat was crossing the
street and bearing a large mouse in her mouth; a Sparrow
Hawk came flying over, and seeing a mouse in her mouth,
made a sudden swoop and tried to seize it with its talons, but
did not succeed. The hawk continued its attempts until they
reached the opposite side of the street, when the cat disap-
peared under the sidewalk.' If it catches a mouse that proves
to be lousy and poor, it will leave it and seek another."

The following quotations from Dr. A. K. Fisher's
work (Hull. No. 3, U. S. Agr. Depart.), shows the great
fondness this hawk has for insect food:

"The subject of the food of this hawk is one of great in-
terest, and considered in its economic bearings is one that
should be carefully studied. The Sparrow Hawk is almost ex-
clusively insectivorous, except when insect food is difficult to
obtain. In localities where grasshoppers and crickets are
abundant these hawks congregate, often in moderate sized
flocks, and gorge themselves continuously. Rarely do they
touch any other form of food until, either by the advancing
season or other natural causes, the grasshopper crop is so
lessened that their hunger cannot be appeased without undue
exertion. Then other kinds of insects and other forms of life
contribute to their fare; and beetles, spiders, mice, shrews
smaU snakes, lizards or even birds may be required to bring
upthe balance. In some places in the west and south telegraph
lines pass for miles through treeless plains and savannas; for
lack of better places the Sparrow Hawks often use these poles
for resting places, from which they make short trips to pick
up a grawhopper or mouse, which they carry back to their

218

219

i

perch. A I times, when grasshoppers are abundant, such a line
of poles is pretty well occupied by these hawks.

"A dozen or more stomachs collected by Mr. Charles W.
Richmond, in Gallatin county, Montana, during the latter part
of August and early part of September, 1888, • ♦ * contained
little else than grasshoppers and crickets." . . •

GRASSHOPPERS A FAVORITE FOOD.

-Mr. W. B. Hall, of Wakeman, Ohio, writes: * * *
'The Sparrow Hawk is a most persistent enemy of the grass-
hopper tribe. While the so-called hawk law was in force in
Ohio I was township clerk In my native village and issued cer-
tificates to the number of eighty-six, forty-six being for the
Sparrow Hawk. I examined the stomachs and found forty-
five of them to contain the remains of grasshoppers and the
elytra of beetles, while the remaining one contained the fur
and bones of a meadow mouse.' "

"Mr. W. E. Saunders writes from London, Canada: "Spar-
row Hawks are one of our best grasshopper destroyers; four
out of every five I have killed contained grasshoppers alone.'
The following from the pen of Mr. H. W. Henshaw substan-
tiates what WQ have said in regard to its fondness for grass-
hoppers: *lt finds * • • an abundant supply of
game in the shape of small insectivorous birds, but more es-
pecially does its food consist of the various kinds of coleopter-
ous Insects and grasshoppers, of which it destroys multitudes.
In fact, this last item is the most important of all, and where
these insects are abundant I have never seen them have re-
course to any other kind of food* (Explor. West of 100th Merid..
Wheeler, Vol. V, 1875, p. 414)."

"And subsequently the same author writes: 'The west side
of Chewaukan Valley has suffered severely from a visitation
of that scourge of the western farmer, the grasshoppers. Here
in August Sparrow Hawks had assembled in hundreds and
were holding high carnival, and although in instances like the
present their numbers proved wholly insufTicient to coim*
against the vast myriads of these destructive insects, yet the
work of the Sparrow Hawk is by no means .so insignificant
that it should not be remembered to his credit and earn him
well. merited protection. His food consists almost entirely of
grasshoppers when they are to be had, and as his appetite ap-
pears never to become satiatod, the aggregate in numbers
which are annually destroyed by him must be enormous.' (Ap-
pendix O. O., of Annual Report of Chief of Eng., U. S. A. for 79.
p. 314)."

"In the vicinity of Washington, D C. remarkable as it may
appear to those who have not interested themselves specially
in the matter, It is the exception not to find grasshopprs or
crickets in the stomach of Sparrow Hawks, even when killed
during the months of January and February, unless the ground
is covered with snow."

"It is wonderful how the birds can discover the half-con-
cealed semi-dormant insects, which in color so closely resemble
the ground or dry srass. Whether they are attracted by a
slight movement or distinguish the form of their prey as it aits

motlonlesss, it is difficult to prove, but in any case the acute-
ness of their vision is of a character which we are unable to
appreciate. Feeding on insects so exclusively as they do, it is
to be presumed that they destroy a considerable number of
beneficial kinds, as well as spiders, which they find in the
same localities as the grasshoppers. However, examination
of their stomach contents show the number to be very small
compared with that of the noxious species, that it is hardly
worth considering."

"After the several frosts of autumn and in winter, when in-
sect life is at its lowest ebb, the Sparrow Hawks devote more
time to the capture of mice and small birds. As a rule, the
birds which they capture at this time are ground-dwelling
species, which simulate the movements of mice by running in
or about the dry grass and weeds. They are mostly sparrows
more or less seed-eating, and hence not among the species most
beneficial to the agriculturist. At this season it is common
to see Sparrow Hawks sitting on the poles over hay stacks or
stationed where they can command a good view of the sur-
roundings of a hay mow or grain crib, ready at any moment
to drop upon the mouse which is unfortunate enough to show
itself. In this way they manage to destroy a vast number of
mice during the colder months."

"The following is an extract from a letter from W P Mc-
Glothlin, of Dayton. Washington: 'There is a small hawk here
called the Sparrow Hawk. It comes about the 1st of March
and leaves with its young about August 1st. On their arrival
they are in large flocks and seem hungry. I have had a num-
ber follow my team all day long, and even alight Tor a moment
on the plow beam. When a mouse was unearthed it was cap-
tured In an Instant and quickly killed. The hawks seem to
know just when their victims are dead. They settle on some-
thing suitable to their fancy and commence eating the eyes
and then soon finish. For two weeks this mouse catching

b?rd«^"' mlir M^'^'^^V/"'^^! ^^^" -r^*'^"' ^'^^^^ ^"^ ^^^^h small
1893)" Hawks and Owls, by Dr. A. K. Fisher.

When breeding, the Sparrow Hawk has been known
to capture young chickens; their depredations, how-
ever, in this direction are not worthy of consideration
when compared with the great benefits the hawks do
by destroying injurious insects and mice.

FED MAINLY ON MICP] AND INSECTS

The stomach contents of forty-eight Sparrow Hawks-
captured in Chester county. Pa., and examined by the
writer are given in the following table:

220

Date of
Capture.

Birds.

MamtnalM.

Insects, Btc.

July,
July.

1886.
1886,

Apr. 3, 1886.

Dec. 29, 1886,

Dec. 28, 188<;.

Dec. 29, 1S86,

J^an. 17. 188U,

y^b. 8. 1886,

Dec. 1. 1886,

Dec. 8. 1886,

Dec. 9. 1886.

Dec. 9. 1886,

Dec. 16. 1886,

Nov. 26, 1886.

Peb. 7. 1887.

Meadow mouse. .

Mouse.

Moupe

• • • • • • {

Sparrow.
Songr sparrow.
Tree sparrow.

Feathers of Hinall
bird,

Snow bird.

Feathers of small
bird

• ••• <• •••■•••••••••••••!

Jan. 17, 1887,
Jan. G. l><8").

Tree sparrow.

March. 188"),

Jan. 1887.

Jan. 1887.

Dec. 20. 1886.

Jan. 10. IKN,.

Feb. 9, 18S6,

Jan. 13. 1887,

Jan. 13. 1887.

Jan. 25. 1887.

Jan. 25, 18S7,

■Ian. 2*"., 1S87,

Jan. 27. 1887.

Feb. 1. 1887,

Feb. 1887.

Feb. 1887,

Song sparrow.

White-footed mouse.
White-footed mou.se.
ivioHdnw mouse, ...

Meadow mouse,
two shrews.

Mtjciiluw mouse, ...
Meadow mouse. ...

Grasshopper an<l

cricket.
Grasshopper h nd

cricket.
Caterpi liars.

Crickets atxi

fras«hoppei8

Grasshoppers aii<!

larvae.
Beetles.

Meadow mouse. ...
Meadow mouse.

Tree sparrow.

Nov. 2J).
July 3.
D»ec. 30.
Dec. 16,
Jan. 17.
Oct. 27,
Deo. 23.
Jan. 12,
Jan. 17,
Sep. 24.
I'Vb. 16.
.Fan. 1,
Aug. 26,
July.
Jan. 16.
Feb. 7.

1886.
18^6.
1879,
1879,
1881,
1880,
1S80.
1881.
1881,
1880,
1880,
18S0.
1876,
1179,

itn,

18S7,

Meadow mouse, ...

House mouse,

Meadow mouse, ...

House mouse.

Meadow mouse, ...

Meadow mouse.
Meadow mouse, ...

White-footed mouse.
Two meadow mice.

Meadow laik.
Hnow bird, .

Crickets.

Ciickets, caterpil
lars, spider.

Caterpillars, spi
• Itr.

Grasshoppers, lar-
vae.

8 larvae, spider
I^arvae.

Grasshoppers,
beetles, laiVue

<ira8sh<)i>pf rs, lar-
vae.

Grasshoppers,
beetles, laivae.

Crickets, larvae.

Grasshoppers,
larvae, spideis.

Caterpillar, ci i. k
ets. spider.

Caterpillars.

grasshopper**,

spiders.
Insects.
Insects.

Meadow lark.

.Snow bird,

Mice.
Mice.

Mice.
Mice.

.VI Uje.

Mice.

Bat.

Mice.

Insects.
Insects.

Grasshopper.
Injects.

«'nterj»illar.

221

PISH HAWK.

I*aiidion haliaetus carolineusis.

DESCRIPTION.

Wings long and pointed; second and third quills longest.
Three first primaries emarginate on inner webs; bill stout with
a very long hook and sharp end; feathers oily to resist water,
those of head lengthened and pointed; thighs and little of the
front parts of tarsi are covered with short feathers which lie
close; legs, tarsi and feet very strong and robust; claws all
same length, very large and sharp. The tarsus all round cov-
ered with rough scales; toes padded below and covered with
numerous hard-pointed projections to aid in holding their slip-
pery prey.

AdulU^Uppev parts dark brown or grayish-brown; most of
head, neck and under parts white (chest in female and some-
times in male, is spotted with brown), the tail usually paler
than the back, is tii)ped with white, and has six or seven
dusky bars. The immature, very similar to adults, have upper
parts spotted with pale reddish-brown or white. Iris in som^
specimens reddish, but mostly yellow; bill and claws blue-
black; tarsi and toes grayish-blue. Length (female) about 2i,
mohes; extent about 52.

-ffa6«a<.— North America, from Hudson's bay and Alaska
south to the West Indies and northern South America. Breeds
sparingly in Pennsylvania.

The Fish Hawk, although most numerous about the
sea coast, is quite frequeotlj met with along our \argv
rivers. This bird arrives in Pennsylvania generallv
about the last week in March, and remains sometimes
as late as the first or November.

. THE NEST AND EiOGS.

Althoujrh the Fish Hawk commonly rears its youu^r
along the sea coast, it is frequently found breeding
near the borders of lar^e rivers or in the vicinity of
large inland lakes. The nest, a particularly bulkv
structure (from four to eight feet in diameter) com-
posed chiefly of sticks, and lined with sea-weeds,
grasses, etc., is built usually on a large tree, near the
water. In Florida 1 have found eggs and young of
this bird early in March. This hawk is a regular but
by no means common breeder in Pennsylvjmia. Th<'
nosf of this bird may be found almost every year along

FISH HAWK

COLOR PLATE

221

PISH HAWK.

I'inidion haliaetus carolineiisis.

DESCRIPTION.

Wings lon^ and pointed; second and third quills longest.
Three lirst primaries emarginate on inner webs; bill stout with
a very long hook and sharp end; feathers oily to resist water,
those of head lengthened and pointed; thighs and little of the
front parts of tarsi are covered with short feathers which lie
close; legs, tarsi and feet very strong and robust; claws all
same length, very large and sharp. The tarsus all round cov-
ered with rough scales; toes padded below and covered with
numerous hard-pointed projections to aid in holding their slip-
pery prey.

Adult, — Upj)er parts dark brown or giayish-brown; most of
head, neck and under parts white (chest in female and some-
times in male, is spotted with brown), the tail usually paler
than the back, is tijjped with white, and has six or seven
dusky bais. The immature, very similar to adults, havo upper
parts spotted with ))ale reddish-brown or white. Iris in som*-
specimens reddish, but mostly yellow; bill and claws blue-
black; tarsi and toes grayisb-blue. Length (femal*') about 'T.
inches; extent about 52.

Habitat,— l<ioYiY\ Ameri^>a, from Hudson's bay and Alaska
south to the West Indies and northern South America. Breeds
sparingly in Prnnsylvania.

TIh' Fi.sli Hawk, jilthough ino.sl nmuerous about the
sea cuasf, is (piite frequently met with along our large
rivers. This bird arrives in Pennsylvania generally
.■•bout the last week in March, and remains sometimes
as late as the first of November.

THK NKST AND K(U;.^.

Althoiigli (he Fish Hawk commonly rears its young
along the s<*a coasi, il is frecpientlv found breedinir
near the holders of larg(» rivcMs or in the vi(;inity of
large inland lakes. The nesi, a particularly bulky
structure (from four to eight feet in diameter) com-
posed chiefly of sticks, and lined with sea-weeds,
grasses, etc., is built usually on a large tree, near the
water. In Florida 1 have found eggs and young ef
this bird early in March. This hawk is a regular but
by no means common breeder in Pennsyhanin. The
nesf of this bird may be found almost (»verv year aiou'"

FISH HAWK

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

222

223

the Susquehanna river and about some of the larger
lakes in the northeastern sections of the State.

A GOOD FISUKRMAN.

During (he spring, summer and auhinm months
Ihese hawks, generally singly, but sometimes in pairs,
if not disturbed, will regularly visit mill dams and fish
ponds where they can secure their finny ])rey.

Tlon. Hiram reoi)les, of New Providence, Lancaster
county, who devotes much attention to fish culture,
raising large quantities of bass and gold-fish for the
markets, informs me he loses a great many fish from
visits of the Fish Hawk. In fact, he says the depreda-
tions of these hawks beiame so numerous that he of-
fered a bounty of fifty cents each for every one which
was killed on his premises.

Kingfishers also annoy Mi-. Peoples by stealing his
iish, but he easily disiH>s(\s of these unwelcom<' visitors
by setting steel traps on stakes or posts about his
ponds. Last year h(* caught, by this means, twenty-
four kingfishers.

THKY LIVE ON FISH.

•

The writer has examined the stomach contents of
twenty-three of these hawks captured in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Florida,
and found only the remains of different species of fish.
It may be, as some writers assert, that the Fish Hawk
when breeding subsists in part on reptiles and batra-
cliians; however my opinion is that these birds never
touch other food unless they are unable to catch fish.
The Osprey, as this hawk is often called, does not, as
some farmers believe, disturb domestic fowls, nor does
it molest wild birds. Orackles sometimes build their
nests in the interstices of the commodious nest of the
Fish Hawk.

£,

■ T/;

THE OWLS.

in the daytime to hide, or
one of his main articles of
inhabits the woods, but on
in quest of food. His visits
that he also is familiar to

Ten representatives of the families Strigidae and Bubonidae
are credited to the fauna of Pennsylvania.

Owls, like the eagles, hawks and other diurnal birds of prey,
embrace numerous species of which, it is stated, about two
hundred occur in different parts of the world.

The incalculable benefits conferred by this group of birds,
particularly the smaller species, to the husbandman, are gen-
erally overlooked. This is largely due, perhaps, t«» the fact
that these birds prey extensively on mice and insects which
become most active at night time when the tiller of the soil is
resting fiom the arduous labors of his calling.

Some are common residents in all parts of the State; otheis
breed in boreal regions and are found with us as irregular
or accidental winter visitants. The little screech owl, dressed
in his coat t)f red or gray, or a mixture of both, is one of the
most common and best known birds of this group. He is
found in cities and towns, as well as in the rural districts. In
the hollow limbs of trees in old apple orchards he delights to
conceal himself in daytime, and also to rear his family. He
Is often found about barns and other buildings where he goes

frequently at night to catch mice,
livelihood. The Great Horned Owl
the approach of night he goes out
to the poultry yard are so common
residents of the country, where he
is usually known from his loud cries as "Hoot Owl." The Barn
Owl, a southern bird, breeds sparingly and most frequently in
the southern parts of our State. The Snowy, which rears its
family In the Arctic wilds. Is found here only as an irregular
winter sojourner. Some persons not versed in ornithological
matters, name both the Snowy Owl and Barn Owl "White"
or "Snowy" Owls. Such local names used to designate the Barn
Owl are confusing and should be discarded.

MICE DEVOURING SPECIES.

Owls, other than the Long-eared and Short-eared species, are
usually observed singly; those that breed here, of course, ar**
often during the breeeding period sfen in pairs and with their
young. In winter Long-eared and Short-eared owls are found
generally in flocks. T..ong-eared owls br^^ed in many localities;
In fact quite generally throughout the State, and owing to the
circumstances that sometimes they roost in the daytim<^. in
cedar trees, they are termed by many "Cedar" Owls. The
Short-eared owls frequent meadows, swamps and grassy fields,
Hunters who most frequently come across these birds in the
fall and winter time know them as "marsh" or "swamp" owls.
The Short-eared Owl is common in winter and is said to breed
here in rare instances. Both the Long and Short-eared owls
should be protected by the farmer and fruit grower, as these
birds live almost exclusively on mice.

h

.

J

224

THE BARRED OR "RAIN OWL."

The Barred Owl is a resident and breeds generally through-
out the State; It Is most numerous in the mountainous and
wooded districts. In different parts of Wayne, Susquehanna
and Wyoming counties, where four or five years ago the Barred
Owl waa very common, it Is called "Rain" Owl, as it was as-
serted its dismal cry was most frequently heard before
a storm. To distinguish an owl from a hawk, remember the
• •wis oyos arc situated in the front of th^^ head and look for-
ward, while the hawk's eyes are directed to either side. The
extremely soft and downy plumage of owls is such that their
flight is almost noiseless. During the daylight we usually
find them concealed in hollow trees or dense foliage. While it
is generally an accepted fact that owls are nocturnal in their
habits, it is not true that they are exclusively so. The Snowy
and Hawk Owls are of a decidedly diurnal nature, and in
cloudy weather or in early twilight it is not unusual to see
the Great Horned Owl sally forth In quest of prey.

PREFER TO KILL THEIR OWN FOOD.

Owls, unlike certain uthei- birds of prey, never, it is stated.
unless reduced to the utmost extremity, feed on carrion, but
subsist on such food as they are able to kill. Their dietary,
although variable with locality and circumstances, consists
mainly of small quadrupeds (principally mice). Insects, chieflv
i>eetles and grasshoppers, and some few of the smaller kinds
of wild birds. With the exception of the Great Horned Owl
and perhaps the Barred, all the owls occurring regularly in this
< Commonwealth deserve the fullest protection which can be
given to them by the farmer and horticulturist.

The owls, like many other birds of prey, eject from the
mouth In small ball-like masses, the indigestible portions of
their food, such as hair, bones, etc. These little balls or pel-
lets are frequently to be found in great quantities about lo-
calities where these birds resort during the daytime The eggs
are white, nearly round, and commonly number from three to
Ave OwLs deposit their eggs In hollow trees or in the deserted
nests of hawks and crows. Their cries are loud and dismal

The general form of owls is short and heavy; the head and
eyes are usually very large: bill very much like a hawk^s but
never toothed, and often almost hidden by long bristle-like
feathers; eyes encircled by a ring of radiating briftly feathers
tarsi (Shins), and In some species toes also, denselv feathered'

Tn some species the heads are furnished with long erectile
tufts of feathers, which are commonly called horn" ea^ in
some species are remarkably large. '

Nil

if.

HAiiN OWL.

Strix pratincola.

DESCRIPTION.

Length of female about 18 inches; extent of wings about
43. The male is rather smaller; no car tufts; facial disc well
developed but not circular; eyes black and rather small; lower
part of long tarsus (shin) has short stiff feathers; toes nearly
naked, but with some hair-like feathers; feathers of body
downy. Colors brownish, ashy and white.

Habitat,^ W Sir mer parts of North Carolina, from the Mid-
dle States, Ohio valley, and California southward through
Mexico. Resident but not common in southern portions of
Pennsylvania.

Tlie I3aiii Owl because of its supposed resemblance
lo a monkey is frequently called "Monkey-faced Owl."
This bird is highly beneficial to the farmer as it sub-
sists chiefly on mice and rats. It never commits dep-
redations in the poultry yard and rarely does it de-
stroy insectivorous birds. Notwithstanding the good
I his bird does by devouring legions of voracious ro-
dents, it, in common with other species of the owl
tribe, is destroyed by farmers and sportsmen who be
licve they are doing that which will be a help to the
poultry and game interests.

This species breeds regularly in Chester, York, Lan-
caster, Cumberland and Dauphin counties of this
State; and no doubt in other counties also. However,
from the best information I can obtain it is a rather
i*ai*(» visitor north of the southern part of Pennsyl-
vania, where in some sections, it is resident.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

I have never found the nest of this species, concern
inj: which Prof. Gentry writes as follows:

"Jn the selection of a place for nesting purposes, these owls

15-11

ii

BARN OW L

. 1

i

COLOR PLATE

\

'2'2:}

J5AUN OWL.
Strix pratincola.

DESCRIPTION.

l/iigth of female about 18 inches; extent of wings about
i;;. The male is rather smaller; no tar tufts; facial disc well
,le\ eloped but not circular; eyes black and rather small; lower
pail of long tarsus (shin) has short stiff feathers; toes nearly
iiakMl, but with some hair-like feathers; feathers of body
,l(»\viiv. (Jolors brownish, ashy and white.

Habitat.— WRiiUin' parts of North Caiolina. from the Mid-
,11 • States, Ohio valley, and California southward through
M. xi((». Resident but not common in southern portions of
!'• iiiisylvania.

TIk* J>ani Owl because of its supposed resemblance
1(1 a nionkev is frequently called *^Monkej-faced Owl."
Tills bird is hij^hly beneficial to the farmer as it sub
sisLs chiefly on mice and rats. It never commits dej)-
icdations in the poultry yard and rarely does it de-
sii'o-y insectivorous birds. Notwithslandin<^ the j^ood
I his bird does by devouring legions of voracious ro
<l<'iiis, it, in common with other species of the owl
iiilK\ is destroyed by farmers and sportsmen who hi?
lirvc I hey are doing that which will be a help to tlie
|MMillry and game interests.

This species breeds icgularly in Chester, York, Lan-
caster. Cumberland and Dauphin counties of this
Stale: and no doubt in other counties also. However,
I'loiii the best infoiination I can obtain it is a rather
larc visitor north of Ihe southern part o-f INmnsyl
vaiiia, where in sonu* sections, it is I'esident.

THE NKST AND KGGS.

I liave never found the nest of this speci(»s, concern
iiiLT which Prof. Oentiy writes as follows:

In Ihe selection of a place for npsting purposes, these owls

15 II

BARN OW L

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

m

226

vary in different localities. In eastern Pennsylvania, generally
a hollow tree, chiefly an apple or an oak is chosen, but oc-
casionally a dilapidated and unoccupied barn; but mor.-
rarely, an occupied building: in close proximity to man. When
the former situations are chosen, the hollow is lined with a
few dried grasses and feathers, although instances are not
unfrequently met with where the eggs are deposited upon baro
bottom. In the latter places a few rude sticks constitute i
framework which is lined with a few fine grasses and feathers
It is deposited upon a short timber in a somewhat inaccessibl.^
part of the building. Nesting ordinarily takes place early in
March, although we have observed newly-built nests in the
latter part of February. Oviposition commences about the sJr
ond week of March. The number of eggs laid varies from three
to four, very rarely more. ♦ • ♦ The eees are Mom^
what sub-spherical, scarcely more pointed at one extremifv
than the other, unless In exceptional cases; of a bluish-whit.,
color, and measure 1.67 inches in length, and 1.37 in width
rhey vary, however. In size in different localities."

FEEDS ON MICE.

Of lifleeu stomachs of these birds examined by t\u^
writer, fourteen contained small rodents, principally
mice, and some few insects: the feathers of a sparrow
and bones of a small mammal were found in the othei-
stomach. Dr. Fisher, in the summer of 1890, examine<l
200 pellets at the nestin^r place of a pair of these owls,
in one of the towers of the Smithsonian Institution.
Washin^rton, I). O.. and found a total of 453 skulls of
the following mammals, and o.ne Vesper Sparrow: «22r.
meadow mice; 2, pine mice; 179, house mice; 20, rats;
«, jumpino^ mice; i>0, shrews; 1, star-nosed mole."

Such evidence as rhis certainly proves the import
ance of i)rotecting these owls about our premises.

> I

227

■n.:/'

SHORT-EARED OWL. — v ^'
Asio accipitrinus.

DESCRIPTION.

Ear-tufts very short and inconspicuous; entire plumage vary-
ing from buff to buffy-white; every feather on the upper parts
with darlc brown stripes; under parts paler; often nearly white
on abdomen; bill and claws dark. Iris yellow.

Female measures about 17 inches in length; extent about AZ
inrhes.

Habitat— 1<: or th America at large; nearly cosmopolitan. Com-
mon winter resident in Pennsylvania.

The common name of Marsh Owl is quite appropri-
ate, as tliis species frequents principally during its so
journ in this region marshy districts and grass fields.
Oftentimes small parties of five, eight or ten individ-
uals will be found in grassy retreats, where meadow
mice are abundant. Occaf-jinnally flocks of these o^wls,
numbering twenty-five or thirty each, congregate in a
a locality where food is abundant to spend the win-
ter; commonly, however, colonies o«f this size are sel-
dom met with in this State. Possibly this species oc-
curs as a rare breeder in favorable localities in Penn
sylvania, but so far as my experience goes it is found
liere simply as a winter resident, arriving from more
northern latitudes early in November and departing in
April.

KILLED TO SATISFY VANITY.

This species is of the greatest benefit to the
farmer and fruit grower, as it subsists during its resi-
dence here almost wholly upon destructive rodents,
especially mice. A colony of Short-eared Owls, if left
unmolestt'd, will in a short time destroy all the mice
in M liiigo meadow. Dr. Fi.shei- 1ms found as many as
six mire in the stomach of a single owl, and the writer

SHORT EATRED OWL

COLOR PLATE

'I')J

SHOKT-EAUED OWL.
Asio accipitriuujs.

DESCRIPTION.

Lar-tut'ts very jshoit and inconspicuous; entire i)luniagc vary-
ing from buff to buffy-white; every feather on the upper parts
with dark brown stripes; under parts paler; often nearly white
un abdomen; bill and claws dark. Iris yellow.

Female measures about 17 inches in length; extent about 4:;
inr-lies.^

Habitat.—Korih America at large; nearly cosmopolitan. Com-
mon winter resident in Pennsylvania.

The comiiion name of Marsh Owl is quite appropri-
jilr, as this species frequents principally during its so
joiirii in this region marshy districts and grass fields.
Ot'lcnlinies small parlies of live, eight or ton individ-
iijils will bo found iii grassy retreats, where meadow
mm are abundant. Occasionally Hocks of these owls,
miinbering Iwenty-live or thirty ea<-h, congregate in a
a locality where food is abundant to spend the win-
ter; commonly, however, colonies of this size are sel-
<loiii met with in this State. Possibly this species oc
<iiis as a rare breeder in favorable localiti(»s in Penn
sylvania, but so far as my ex[)erience goes it is found
here simply ;is a wintei' resident, arriving fi-om more
northern latitud(\s early in Novemb(»r and depjirting in
April.

KILLED TO SATISFY VANITY.

This species is of the greatest benelit to the
farmer and fruit grower, as it subsists during its resi-
dence here almost wholly u|M)n destructive rodents,
csiM'cially mice. A colon v of Short-eared Owls, if left
iiriinelest.Ml. will in ji short time destroy all the mice
ill ;i huge mejidow. I)i-. Fishei Ims found as manv as
six mire in the stomneh of a single owl, and the writer

SHORT EA'RED OWL

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

H

• I

Kl

228

li;is fjikeu f(>iir mice from the stomach of one of llie.se
birds. Some few. years ago when stulYed owl-heads
were fa.shioiiable ornaments for ladies hats, many of
these owls were slain by hunters in the employ ol
milliners and taxidermists, on the farms of some of
my acquaintances, who afterwards informed me thev
were convinced that the marked increase of field micp
on their premises was due to the destruction of these
and other birds of prey, such as hawks (Sparrow, Red
tailed, Ked-shouldered and Kough-legged), which were
killed by hunters for the bounty at that time allowed
by this State.

The stomach contents of thirtvfive Short-eared Owls
examined by the writer during the past ten years re-
vealed chiefly field mice, a few birds (sparrows) and
some insects, beetles and grasshoppers.

These owls were captured in Pennsylvania durini^
the winter season. Two had remains of sparrows in
their stomachs and three contained the insects above
mentioned in conjunction with the hair and bones of
small rodents; the remaining thirty owls had only mic<'
or shrews in their stomachs. Dr. Fisher states tliat
it is quite exceptional for this owl to feed upon birds,
and further adds that of ninety stomachs examined at
tlie National Department of Agriculture but ten con
tained the remains of birds.

THEY DEVOUR LEGIONS OP NOXIOUS RODENTS.

The followiing Important evidence of the economic value of
the Short-eared Owl Is from the fourth edition of Yarrallf^
British Birds (Vol. IV, p. 165) : "Undoubtedly, field miee, and
especially those of the short-tailed group or voles, are their
chief objects of prey, and when these animals Increase in an
extraordinary and unaccountable way, as they sometimes d(..
so as to become extremely mischievous, owls, particularly of
this species, flock to devour them. Thus there are records
of a 'sore plague of strange mice' in Kent and Essex in tlw
year 1580 or 1581, and again In the county last mentioned \n
1647. In 1754 the same thing is said to have occurred at Hil-
gay, nenr Dnwnhfvrn MnrKet, In Norfolk, while within the pren-

229

ent century the Forest of Dean, In Gloucestershire and some
pa ts of Scotland have been similarly infested. In all these
cases owls are mentioned as thronging to the spot and i^n-
(lering the greatest service in extirpating the pests. Ihe like
has also been observed in Scandinavia during the wonderful
irruptions of lemmings and other small rodents to which some
of the districts are liable, and it would appear that the fehort-
paied Owl is the species which plays a principal part m get-
ting; rid of the destructive horde." (From Fisher's Bull.
No. 3.) • •' ' ' •

•'•.:■••..-. . .'.\

The information contained on the preceding pages

concerning the food habits of the Short-eared Owl cer-
tainly cannot fail to show that this species is highly
serviceable and justly merits the good will of the
farmer and orchardist.

2:Mi

^m

J.ONG EARED OWL.

Asio Wilson ian lis.

DESCRIPTION.

Ear tufts of eiprht or ten feathers, are long and conspicuous
eyes yellow and quite small. Upper parts dusky, mottled
with gray, fulvous and brownish black; abdomen white; under
parts generally grayish-white, with transverse and longitudinal
stiipes of black, brown and reddish-brown; feet and legs red-
dish-brown and upspotted; bill and claws black.

Female measures about 15 inches in length; extent of wings
about 38. Male rather smaller.

Habitat — Temperate North America. Resident in Pennsyl-
vania.

Owing to the fact that these birds oftentimes con-
ceal themselves during the daytime in cedar trees, the
local appellation of *'Cedar OwP' has arisen. The-
Long-eared owl is a resident and one of the most
abnnd.int of the owl tribe in this State. While most
owls, in this region at least, usually lead a solitary
life or associate in pairs, we find the subject of this
sketch to be social and gregarious, associating often
in parties of from twelve to twenty-five individuals.
In winter if not molested they frequently take up a
residence in the dark retreats furnished by the numer
ous coniferous h'ees growing around the habitations
of man.

DESIRABLE VISITORS.

In relation to a party of these owls I)i\ Wm. K.
Stavely, Lahaska, Pa., says:

rr3''fl/r''r ^^^"^y y^„^»'« ^ Jiave had congregated in my lawn
from fifty to seventy-five owls. They are peaceable and quiet:
on y on rare^ occasions would you know one was about. On
ril> !..««''' V ^""^F f'venings they were flying about in all di-
rec Ions. Never n all that time have I missed any poultry

Z^lTnn]7J').^'T' •'^'^^ ^"^"''^ ^'^ anything of va'Jue. The
r^nl i "0tJ<;<^fl Of their presence was the discovery of quite a
pile of what apponred to be mice hair and bones, and on Inves-
ligation found the Norway flr was the roosting place of to nu'

'';

AMERICAN LONG EARED OWL

COLOR PLATE

TM)

LONG EARED OWL.

Asio wilsonianns.

DKSrHIPTIOX.

lOar tufls or <'iK)it m («-ii trath»*r.s. arr lonj^ and (■(»nsi»ifu..us
eyes yellow and (|iiitf small. Upper parts dusky. mf»ttl»'(i
with gray, fulvous and brownish l>la(d<; abdom^^n white; unch'i
parts generally grayish-whltr. with transverse and longitudinal
stiipes of ITlack, blown and roddish- brown ; feet and legs i.-.i-
dlsh-brown and upspotted; bill and claws black.

Female measures about If) inches in length; extent of wing-
about 38. Male rather smaller.

-ff^a6i<a<.— Temperate X(Mth America. Resident in Pennsyl
\ania.

Owinjr to the fact that these ])ii(ls oftentimes oon
real (lir^inselves dnrin<i: llie (hiyliine in cedar tn»es, Ihr
hxal ai)pelhition of ''Cedar OwT' has arisen. Tht»
L(Hi«;-eare(l owl is a resident and one of the niosi
ahnndani (>i I he (.wl tribe in (his State. Whih' niosl
owls, in I his ie<^ion at h^ast, usnallv lead a so-Iitarv
life or ass(»ciate in pairs, we find the subject of this
sketch lo be social and .i,n*e<rarions, associating^ often
in i»arlies of from Iwolve to twenty-five individuals.
In winler if nol molested Ihey fre(|uenlly take uj) ;j
residence in the dark retreats furnished by the numer
ous coniferous trees «;rowin<r around the habitations
of man.

DICRIRATU.E VISITORS.

in relation to a ]>arty of these owls Dr.
Slavely, Lahaska, Pa., savs:

Win. bV

r,.Jj rel '\ t^vm.v yars I have liad congregated in my lawn
from hfty to seventy-five owls. They are peaceable and quiet:
••n y on raie occasions wr.uld you know one was about on
r. e i nT 'v'^ ^''^l^^' ••\'*'V"KS they were flying about in all di-
.. .Vv .. -''h"'.'','^ ^^''''^ ^^'"" ^'''''" ^ '"»^^^^^ ^^y poultrv
r« . nA ;-'/"r'VL''- ''"'•'■ '"J"'-'' ••" ''".vthing <,f value. The
nl e "^Jl'^^'^l of their presence was the discovery of quite .1
pile of what aF.peared tn bo mice hair and bones and on Inves-
tigation found the Norway fir was the roosting place of to m-

;^).._ ■^V';

^-^■■ni

m

'f-

3:

AMERICAN LONG EARED OWL

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

11

«

*

231

at that time a vast number of owls. They ^^d ^J^^^ted.fh^
bolus of hair and bones apparently of an army of tree-eating
destructive mice, aiding the fruit grower against one of the
worst and most inveterate enemies. ♦ * * Their merits
would fill sheets; the demerits nil."

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Although it is true that Long-eared owls at times do
construct thoir own nests, T am inclined to believe that
ihrse birds, in this region at least, prefer to occupy
I he deserted nests of other birds. I have on several
occasions found these owls breeding and always ob-
served that they occupied the abandoned nest.s (i-l'
t rows or hawks.

Audubon says:

•ThP I.ong-eared Owl is careless as to the situation in ^yhich
its young are to be reared, and generally accommodates Itseli
u.th the abandoned nest of some other bird that proves of
sufficient size, whether it be high or low, in the fissure of a
rock or on the ground. Sometimes, however, it makes a nest
itself- and this 1 have found to be the case in one instance
near the Juniata river, in Pennsylvania, where it was com-
posed of green twigs, with the leaflets adhering, and lined
with fresh grass and wool, but without any feathers."

The eggs of this bird vary considerably in size; a
small example in my possession measures about one
and one-half inches by one and one-fourth inches.
From three to five eggs are usually found in a nest.

A BENEFICIAL SPECIES.

Like the two previously described species this owl
is particularly servicable to the farmer and horticul-
turist as it preys almost entirely on field mice. it
never disturbs domestic fowls and but a small per-
centage of its diet is made up of small birds.

Notwithstanding the great amount of good which
this species does in keeping in check the hordes of
destructive rodents which do so much damage in the

282

^^raiii iieJds and orchard, there has, uulorhinaleh. d,,,

ing recent years been a great decrease in the number ot

these birds in many localities in Pennsylvania. This

diminiUion, I judge, is, to a considerable extent, du.

(o the fact that the stulfed heads of these harmless and

beneficial owls have been extensively used to decorate

ladies' headgear. Great numbers of these owls were

ahso killed for bounties; I knew one hunter who shot

in one week over twenty of these birds when the

bounty act was in force. The stomachs of thirteen of

this lot of owls were examined by the writer and thev

all contained only the remains of mice.

WHAT DIFFERENT WRITERS SAY OF ITS FOOD.

Dr. A. K. Fisher says:

"The Long-eared Owl is one (.f our most beneficljil sm.fi.^^
deHtroying: vast numbers of injurious rodents and sH i ni
touching Insectivorous birds."

Audubon writes:

"It preys chiefly on quadrupeds of the genus Avicola in.l in
summer destroys many beetles." ^vuoia. and m

Mr. H. W. Henshaw remarks:

ihe^^klu ^v^^f n?"^K^^ ^^""P^^ exclusively of field mice, of which
le^^lon'U^ "the "farmer/' ^ '^'' "^^^^ ^'""'^ ^^^" ^^^^ '"^^ P-

5

BARRED O W L

COLOR PLATE

233

HARRED OWL.

Sjrnium nebulosnni.

DESCRIPTION.

"Large size; no ear tufts; general color deep umber-brown
and buffy-whitish. The plumage everywhere barred trans-
versely except on the belly, where the stripes run lengthwise;
hill yellow; eyes brown-black. Length 19 to 24 Inches; extent
about 46 Inches." — Fisher.

HabitaL—Ksifitern United States, west to Minnesota and
Texas, North to Nova Scotia and Quebec. Resident in Penn-
'^ylvanla. '

The Barred Owl is readily distinguished from other
species by its large size, yellow-colored bill and its
black eyes. Barred Owls are exceedingly abundant
in many of the southern States, where they are known
by the names of "Hoot and Swamp Owls." In Penn-
sylvania this owl is found all months of the year, and
in many of the mountainous and heavy-wooded regions
if is the most common of all the owls.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The Barred Owl lays its eggs in a hollow tree, or in a
deserted nest of a hawk or crow ; the white eggs are a
little under two inches long by about one and three-
•luarters wide. The? Barred and Great Horned Owls
are the only species, in this locality, whose depreda-
tions in the poultry yard bring them to the notice of
the farmer. Unfortunately, however, the hatred to-
wards these two birds and particularly the enmity
against Oreat Horned Owls, has brought all our owls
in bad favor; the farmer's boy and sportsman, with
f<nv exceptions, let no opportunity pass to pillage an
owPs nest or slay its owners. Tn this way, there are
aiinunlly destroyed laige numbers of the Scree(!h,
15* II

233

■'>-.

BARRED O W L.

HAKKED OWL.

Svrnhini nebulosnm.

«

DESCRIPTION.

"Large .size; no ear tufts; general color deep umber-brown
;iiid huffy- whitish. The plumage everywhere barred trans-
versely except on the belly, where the stripes run lengthwise:
hill yellow; eyes brown-black. I^ength 19 to 24 inches; extent
ibout 46 inches." — Fisher.

Habitat. ~KaM em United States, west to Minnesota and
'I'exas, North to Nova Scotia and Quebeo. Resident in Penn-
sylvania.

The Barred Owl is readily distinfj;uished from other
species by its larji^e size, yellow-colored bill and its
l>hick eyes. Barred Owls are exceedingly abundant
in nianv of the southern States, where thev are kno«wn
l>y the names of "Hoot and Swamp Owls." In Penn
sylvania this ow^l is found all months of the year, and
ill m;inv of thc^ mountainous and heavv -wooded rei^ions
i( is the most common of all the owls.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The Barred Owl lays its ejjgs in a hollow tree, or in a
<l(\serted nest of a hawk or crow; th(» white egj^s are a
lit lie under two inches lonj^ by about one and three-
'piarters wdde. Tlu^ Barred and Great Horned Owls
are the only species, in this locality, whose depreda-
tions in the poultry yard brinjj: them to the notice of
ilie farmer. Unfortunately, however, the hatred to-
wards these two birds and particularly the enmity
.ij«:ainst (J real HoriKMl Owls, has broujj^ht all our owls
ill bjid favor; the* farmer's boy and sportsman, with
frw I'xceplions. let no opfiortunily pass to pillajjje an
•nvTs nest or slav its owners. Tii this wav. there arc

• *

•miiiijilly destroyed laij^e mmibns of the Screech.
1.")* II

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

u

lit

234

. liongeared aud Short-eared species, simply because
the popular idea is that owls, large and small, prey
only on poultry and game. t . .

MICE AND SMALL GAME.

Wilson says, although mice and small game are the
most usual food of Barred Owls, they sometimes seize
on fowls, part rid s:es and young rabbits.

**The Barred Owl subsists principally upon small
birds, field mice and reptiles. He is frequently seen,
in early twlight, flying over low meadow lands, search-
ing for the mice that dwell there; he usually takes a
direct course, and sometimes flies so low that the tips
of his wings seem to touch the grass. When he dis
covers his prey he drops on it instantly, folding his
wings and protruding his feet, in which his quarry is
always secured; he often captures frogs that are sit-
ting on the shores of ponds and rivers; but I am in
(lined to think that the statement, quoted by Audubon,
that he often catches fish, is incorrect." — Samuels.

FEEDS ON PISHES.

The Florida Barred Owl — a local race — is exceed
ingly abundant about the almost impenetrable swamps
and h(»avily-limb(Trd regions along the St. John's river.
In Ihe winler of 1885, I was informed bv two residents
of Florida, both gentlemen whom I consider thor-i
oughly trustworthy, that this owl frequently preys on
fish, which it secures, while sitting close to the water's
edge, by a dextrous movement of the foot. The stom-
ach contents of f\\o of these Florida Owls, which T ex
arained, consisted only of the remains of small birds
and coleopterous insects.

Hef(Mri?|o lo lliis sp<M-ies, Nnttall says: Their food
is iMincipally rabbits, s<|niiiels. giouse, (piails, rats.

\

235

mice and frogs. From necessity, as well as choice,
they not unfrequently appear around the farmhouse
and garden in quest of poultry, particularly young
chickens. At these times ^hey prowl abroad toward
evening, and fly low and steadily about, as if beating
for their prey.

In the stomachs of 80 of these owls which Dr. Fisher
examined, 5 contained poultry or game; 13, other birds;
4G, mice; 18, other mammals; 4, frogs; 1, a lizard; 2.
fish: 14, insects; 2, spiders and 9, crawfish.

f

H

230

GREAT GRAY OWL.
Ulula cinerea.

DESCRIPTION.

"A very large round headed owl, without ear tufts; aUh<)uj;h
much larger, resembles somewhat the Barred Owl, but can be
easily distinguished from the latter. Length (female) 28; ex-
tent about 56; tail 12; bill and eyes yellow; claws long and very
sharp and dusky. Above dark-brown, feathers variously
spotted, mottled or barred with fine grayish- white markings;
lower parts similar but more grayish, with longitudinal
streaks on breast, and cross bars of white and dusky on
fianks; face grayish-white with numerous narrow rings of
dusky; a patch of black about eyes on either side of bill."

Habitat.— A vciic America, straggling southward in winter, to
the northern border of the United States. Straggler in Penn-
sylvania.

Tliis owl, one of the largest, if not the largest in
North America, is found in Pennsylvania only as a
very rare and irregular straggler in winter. Twenty
or more years ago a specimen was captured in Chester
county in midwinter by H. B. Graves. Dr. Isaiah F.
Everhart, of Scranton, Pa., has a specimen in his col-
lection which he found some years ago in the moun-
tains in Lackawanna county. A specimen was also
taken soiru* years ago from a smoke stack of a steam
boat at Erie city. I have also heard of two or three
more specimens of this species being taken in tliis
State.

ITS DIETARY.

Froju personal observation I know nothing of the
habits of this bird, never having seen one alive.

Concerning this species Dr Fisher says: "The food
seems to consist principally of hares, mice aud othcM*
of the smaller mammals as well as small birds.
Whether it destroys many grouse or ptarmigans is not
stated by jiulhors who nre nuKst familiar wilh the bird.

GREAT GRAY OWL

COLOR PLATE

ZM)

(HtKATGRAV OWL.
Ulula cinoroa.

DESCRIPTION.

"A \ oiy large round headed owl, without ear tufts; allhouL;!!
much larger, i-esembles somewhat the Barred Owl, but can bo
easily distinguished from the latter. Length (female) 28; ex-
tent about aG; tail 12; bill and eyes yellow; claws long and very
sharp and dusky. Above dark-brown, feathers variously
spotted, mottled or barred with fine grayish-white markings;
lower parts similar but more grayish, with longitudinal
streaks on breast, and eioss bars of white and dusky on
flanks; face grayish-white with numerous narrow rings of
dusky; a patch of black about eyes on either side of bill."

Habitat. —Ayr Wc America, straggling southward in winter, t<»
the noithein border of the United States. Straggler in Penn-
sylvania.

This owl, one of the hir^est, if not tlie hirgest in
North Anieriea, is found in Pennsylvania only as a
veiy rare and irre^i^nlai* stra«2;<»ler in winter. Twenty
or more* years ajj^o a si)ecimen was captured in Chester
county in midwinter by H. B. Graves. Dr. Isaiah F.
Kverhart, of Scranton, Pa., lias a speciim^n in his col
lection which he found so-nie veais a*;o in th(» nioun
tains in Lackawanna county. A specimen was also
taken some y(»ars aj;() from a smoke stack of a steam
bo.'it at Kjie city. T have also heard of two or three
more specimens of this species l)(>inj^^ taken in this
Stjite.

ITS DIETARY.

Froui personal observation I know nothinjjf of the
habits of this bird, nev(»r havin*; seen one aliv(\

(,'oncernin.u this species l)r Fisher savs: '^The food
seems to ((uisist |>rincipally of hai'(»s, mice and otliei*
of the smallei- mammals as well as small bir(N.
Whether it destroys many t,n-ouse or ptarujijj^ans is not
stated by jiuthors who .ire mrst familiar with the biid.

GREAT GRAY OWL

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

237

\}v. VV. II. Dull took no less than thirteen skulls and
other remains of red-poll linnets from the crop of a
single bird. * * * Dr. Dall considers it a stupid
bird and states that sometimes it may be caught in
(he hands. Its great predilection for thick woods, in
which it dwells doubtless to the very limit of trees, pre-
vents it from being an inhabitant of the barren grounds
or other open country in the north. It is crepuscular
or slightly nocturnal in the southern parts of its range,
bat in the high north it pursues its prey in the day-
time. In the latter region, where the sun never passes
below the horizon in summer, it is undoubtedly neces-
sity and not choice that prompts it to be abroad in
the daylight.

It is stated that the flight is heavy and somewhat
labored, and has not the bouyancy noted in that of
most of the owls.

238

rrr

ACADIAN OWL.
Nyctala acadica.

DESCRIPTION.

"Small; wings long; tail short; upper parts reddish-brown,
tinged with olive; head in front with fine lines of white, and on
the neck behind, rump and scapulars, with large, partially
concealed spots of white; face ashy-white; throat white; under
parts ashy-white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish-
brown; under coverts of wings and tail white; quills brown,
with small spots of white on their outer edges, ana large spots
of the same on their inner webs; tail brown, every feather
with about three pairs of spots of white; bill and claws dark;
irides yellow.

•'Total length about 7^2 to 8 inches; extent about 18; wing
51^; tail 2% to 3 inches. Sexes nearly the same size and alike
in colors."— B. B. of N. A.

Habitat. — North America at large; breeding from Middle
States northward. Resident in Pennsylvania.

The Acadian is the smallest owl found in the United
States east of the Mississippi river. Although ap-
parently larger, it is in reality smaller, than our com-
mon robin. This pigmy mass of owl-life is, I suppose,
the species which was regarded as not destructive to
poultry and game, by the author of the "scalp act,"
when he introduced therein a clause exempting "The
Acadian Screech or Barn Owl." From the fact, how-
ever, that the decapitated heads of pheasants,* night-
hawks, chickens, cuckoos, shrikes, and doubtless other
birds, were cremated and paid for as the heads of de-
structive rapacious "hawks" it is but reasonable to sup-

* In December, 1886. Prof. S. F. Baird informed me that he
had received for identification from several counties in Penn-
sylvania, tho heads of pheasants, English sparrows, cuckoos,
robins, a gull and other birds. These heads were called by the
parties sending them to Prof. Baird "Hawk heads." and as
such they had been presented for the fifty-cent bounty, which
had been paid. Prof. Baird also examined some Pennsylvania
"wolf scalps." on which premiums had been given, and ascer-
tained that the so-called "wolf scalps" had been fashioned from
pelts of the common Red Fox.

ii.

'^

\^

. i* "'

#■

•■\

n' : . •

^■■r

■\^' ;

■^

SAW - WHET OWL

COLOR PLATE

238

AOADlAiX OWL.
Nvctala acadica.

DESCRIPTION.

"Small; wings long; tall short; upper parts reddish-brown,
tinged with olive; head in front with flne lines of white, and on
the neck behind, rump and scapulars, with large, partially
concealed spots of white; face ashy-white; throat white; under
parts ashy-white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish-
brown; under coverts of wings and tail white; quills brown,
with small spots of white on their outer edges, ana large spots
of the same on their inner webs; tail browm, every feather
with about three pairs of spots of white; bill and claws dark;
irides yellow.

"Total length about V/j to 8 inches; extent about 18; wing
51/^; tail 2% to 3 inches. Sexes nearly the same size and alike
in colors."— B. B. of N. A.

Habitat,— North America at large; breeding from Middle
States northward. Resident in Pennsylvania.

The Acadian is the smallest owl found in the United
States east of the Mississippi river. Although ap-
parently larger, it is in reality smaller, than our com
mon robin. This pigmy mass of owl-life is, I suppose,
till' species which was regarded as not destructive Id
|K)ultry and game, by the author of the '^scalp act;'
Nvhen he introduced therein a clause exempting "The
Acadian Screech or Barn Owl.'' From the fact, how-
ever, that the decapitated heads of pheasants,* night-
hawks, chickens, cuckoos, shrikes, and doubtless other
birds, were criMuated and paid for as the heads of de
structive rapacious ''hawks" it is but reasonable to sup-

- Tn December. ISSfi. Prof. S. F. Baird informed me that he
had received for identification from several counties in Penn-
sylvania, the heads of pheasants, English sparrows, cuckoos,
lobins, M gull and other birds. These heads were called by the
parties sending them to Prof. BaIrd "Hawk heads." and as
such they had been pi-esented for the fifty-cent bounty, wlilcli
liad 1)e«n paid. Prof. Baird also examined some Pennsylvania
"wolf se}ilr»s.*" en which premiums had been given, and ascer-
tained thMt the so-called "wolf scalps" had been fashioned from
pelts of the enmmon lied Fox.

^\^M^' :^j

^&^

■ V ■

SAW -WHET OW L .

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

239 ,

pose that our little Acadian Owl, when found by the
ea«er scalp hunter, was generally slain and the bounty
of fifty cents given "for the benefit of agriculture and
for the pi-otection of game."

HIDES IN ROCKY PLACES.

The name Saw whet is applied to this bird because,
at times, its squeaky voice resembles the whetting or
filing of a saw. Owing to the small size of this owl,
together with the fact that during the daytime it re-
mains secreted in hollow trees, thick foliage or in the
dark and secluded rocky retreats, it is seldom met with,
hence is regarded as one of our rarest residents. The
young of this bird, taken in the vicinity of Philadel-
phia, have been seen by Prof. Gentry, and in E. A.
Samuel's work, "Our Northern and Eastern Birds," the
following interesting account is given by Richard
Christ of a nest that he found April 25, 1867, at Naza-
reth, Pennsylvania: "This, the smallest of all our
owls, is also the most rare, but a single specimen being
seen in a period of several years. It is very tame when
found, permitting one to approach very close to it be-
fore flying away. I am inclined to think that it sees
less in the daytime than any other species of our owls,
for one can touch it without being noticed, the bird
taking flight more from alann to its sense of hearing
than anv other cause.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

•

"It gencM-ally frequents stone (luanies or piles of
rocks, beneath which it takes shelter; and it is from
this habit Ihat the bird liere is known by the name of
^Stone Owi; On the 'JSth of April, 18r»7, I was so for
tunate as to find the nest of one of these birds. It
was placed or located in the hollow of a tree, about

m

/

240

Iweiuv feet from the ground; the entrance to the lioh'
was very small, scarcely two inches in diameter. On
climbing the tree and looking in the hollow, I discov- .
ered sitting on the bottom what I supposed might be
a small owl. Uncertain as to the truth, I introduced
a small stick into the hole, and turned the bird over
upon her side, she making no struggle whatever, but
remaining perfectly still as if dead. I discovered that
she was sitting upon a single Q^g, Supposing that she
had but just commenced laying I left her, and did not
molest her for several davs; on the fifth dav after I
again examined the nest, and found the bird on hei
egg. none other having been laid. I enlarged the hole,
and took the egg, leaving the owl quietly sitting on ih«
rotten chips which formed the bottom of the nest.

"The egg was white with a bluish tint, like many
of the other owls' eggs, nearly globular in form, and
considerably smaller than the egg of the Red or Mot
tied Owl."

THEY LIVED IN HARMONY.

Dr. Elliot Cones, in his "Birds of the Northwest,"
says: "Mr. Gentry informs me of a curious circum-
stance m regard to this owl. Referring to the associa-
tion of the Burrowing Owl of the west with the prairie
dog, he continues: ^In the hollow of an oak tree, not
far from Germantown, lives an individual of the com-
mon chickaree squirrel {Sciurus hudsonius), with a
specimen of this little owl as his sole companion. They
occupy the same hole together in perfect harmony anil
mutual goodwill. It is not an accidental, temporary
association, for tin* bird and the squirrel have repeat-
edly bec^n observed to enter the same hole together, as
if they always had shared the apartment. But what
b(»nefit can either derive from the other?' "

241

Mr. Otto Behr writes me as follows of this species:
"The Acadian Owl is quite common here (Lopez, SuUi
van county), though not often seen; the young leave
the nest about the first week in May. They make a
noise which sounds like a dog "sniffing" the air. The
noise gave me quite a scare the first time I heard it.
It being at night in heavy timber, and as it seemed to
come from overhead somewhere, I supposed it was a
bear or some such animal up- a tree near by."

This little owi preys chiefly on small quadrupeds,
principally mice. It also devours many insects and
occasionally catches small birds. In the stomachs of
19 of these owls which Dr. Fisher examined 17 cofi-
tained mice; 1, a sparrow, and 1, a moth.

10-11

242

SCREECH OWL.
Megascops asio.

DESCRIPTION.

"Toes more or less distinctly feathered or bristled on upper
side; ear tufts conspicuous; plumage presenting two totally
distinct phases, having no relation to sex, age or season; one
grayish-white, the other bright rufous. ♦ * * A more or
less conspicuous bright colored stripe runs along each side ot
the back, and a blackish line along the shafts of the feathers,
sometimes throwing out transverse bars. Length, GV^ to 10
inches; extent 20 to 24 inches."— Fisher.

Habitat,— T€:mper Site eastern North America, South Georgia
and west to the plains. Common in Pennsylvania.

This handsome little owl is one of the most common
of all owls found in Pennsylvania. It is resident, but,
unlike the lonj^-eared species, is no-t gregarious. Its
almost spherical and white eggs— four to six in number
(mostly four)— are deposited in n hollow tree. A tree
in an apple orchard is frequently made use of for
breeding purposes, as well as a common diurnal resort,
at all seaso-ns. The eggs measure about 1.33 by 1.18
inches. This bird, when taken from the nest aniif
raised, makes a very interesting pet, one that not only
becomes attached to its master, but which is also capa-
ble of rendering him most efficient services in the de-
struction of mice, whose vexatious ravages are fre-
(juently so annoying. Some few years ago an ac^
(piaintance of mine placed two of these birds in his
cellar which was overrun with mice, and in a few
weeks the place was depopulated of these little four-
footed pests.

AS A PKT.

A Screecii Owl which I kep( lor sevtMal mouths in
captivity fed eagerly on grasshoppers and pieces of

SCREECH OWL

242

SCREECH OWL.
Megascops asio.

DESCRIPTION.

"Toes nioio or less distinctly feathered or bristled on upper
side; ear tufts conspicuous; plumage presenting two totally
distinct phases, having no relation to sex. age «»r season; one
grayish-white, the other bright rufous. * * * A more or
less conspicuous bright colored stripe runs along each side ot
the back, and a blackish line along the shafts of the feathers,
sometimes throwing out transverse bars. L,ength, 6M> to 10
inches: extent 20 to 24 inches."— Fisher.

JETahitaL—TimiJvia.ie eastern North America, South Georgia
and west to the plains. Common in Pennsylvania.

This handsome little owl is one of the most common
of all owls found in Pennsylvania. It is resident, but,
unlike the lonj;-eared species, is net gregarious. Its
almost s])]ieri(al and white eggs — four to six in number
(moslly four)— are deposited in a hollow tree. A tree
in an apple orchard is frequ(^ntly made use of for
breeding ])urposes, as well as a common diurnal resort,
al all seaso-ns. The eggs measure about 1.33 by I.IS
inches. This bird, when taken from the nest audi
rnised, makes a very interesting pet, one that not only
becomes attached io its master, but which is also capa-
bh' of rendering him most efficient services in the de
st ruction of mice, whose vexatious lavages are fre-
(piently so annoying. Some few years ago an act
(juaintance of mine placed two of thes(» birds in his
cellar which was overrun with mice, and in a few
weeks the place was depoi)ulated of these little four-
footed jjests.

.\s A n:T.

A Screech Owl whicli I kcpi fur several months in
ca])tivity fed eagerly on grasshoppeis and pieces of

SCREECH OWL.

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

:i43

fresh beef. When a mouse was ^iven to this bird it
would seize i( with its ehiws, and after severing with
its bill the skin about the head and neck, would swal
low the whole mass, always, I think, head foremost.
When it fed on small birds — which were frequently
shot and placed in the box, but which it would seldom
touch — T noticed that it generally tore open the skull
and ate the brain substance. This owl would never
drink water.

FACTS ABOUT ITS HABITS.

"The flight of the Mottled Owl is smooth, rapid, protracted
and noiseless. It trlses at times above the top branches of the
highest of our forest trees whilst in pursuit of large beetles,
and at other times sails low and swiftly over the fields or
through the woods in search of small birds, field mice, moles
or wood rats, from which it chiefiy derives its subsistence.
Sometimes on alighting, which it does plumply, the Mottled
Owl immediately bends its body, turns its head to look behind
it, performs a curious nod, utters its notes, then shakes and
plumes itself, and resumes its fiight in search of prey. It now
and then, while on the wing, produces a clicking sound with
its mandibles, but more frequently when perched near its
mate or young. This I have thought was done by the bird to
manifest its courage and let the hearer know that it is not to
be meddled with, although few birds of prey are more gentle
when seized, as it will suffer a person to touch its feathers and
caress it without attempting to bite or strike with Its talons,
unless at rare intervals.

"The notes of this owl are uttered in a tremulous, doleful
manner, and somewhat resembles the chattering of the teeth
of a person under the infiuence of extreme cold, although
much louder. They are heard at a distance of several hundred
^ort ^' ^"^ ^^^^ people are thought to be of ominous im-

"The little fellow is generally found about farm houses
orchards and gardens. It alights on the roof, the fence or the
garden gate, and utters its mournful ditty at Intervals for
hours at a time as if it was in a state of great suffering al-
though th s is far from being the case~the song Till birds
bemg an indication of content and happiness. In a state of
confinement it utters its notes with as much saUs^actfon as

he wiX''th«?h^pir't£''^"^^ ^^^^^ ^"^^"^ ^he latter part of
tne winter that being the season of love, when the male bird

is particularly attentive to the fair one. which e^ftes his

tender emotions, and around which he flies and struts much

and bows"?he sfe^T^T? P'^^'^"' ''^'''^« numerous ^ods
ana bows, the sight of which is very amusIng."~Audubon.

2U

FIXING BREEDING PLACES FOR OWLS.

The following inteirsting account of the methods
employed by an enthusiastic oologist is taken from a
letter written to me, October, 18St), by Mr. O. B. Hark,
of Bethlehem: *'Have you ever heard o-f fixing holes
for Sparrow Hawks and Screech Owls? Mr. John
Mack, the best climber I ever met, every spring cleans
out old holes, enlarges such as are too small, etc.. and
finds it pays him well; this spring he got ninety Spar-
row Hawk eggs and every one was taken out of holes
fixed by him; at one time he put the leg of an old
rubber boot in a hollow tree and several weeks later
took a batcli of Screech Owl's eggs out of it. Another
singular experience he had with owls is, he made a
hole in a willow tree; when he came to look after it
again he found owls had taken possession of it and
had nearlv filled it with field mice; he said there were
enough mice in it to fill his derby hat. This happened
just before a heavy snow storm and about ten days
later everv mouse was gone."

EATS BEETLES AND GRASSHOPPERS.

Mr. L. M. Turner informs me that he has made a
number of examinations of Screech Owls captured in
Illinois, and very generally found their food consisted
of such insects as the larger beetles and grasshoppers,
also many mice. Grasshoppers and other orthopterous
insects are devoured in large quantities by these birds.

During the summer months and at other times when
insect life is abundant Screech Owls subsist mainly
on an insect diet. These birds also prey on mice,
shrews, other small quadrupeds and small birds.

Investigations have clearly demonstrated that few, if
any, of the owl tribe are more sorvicable to the farmer
and fruit grower than is the Screech Owl, subsisting, as

245

he does, principally on insects such as grasshopjjers
and beetles in the summer, and in winter, when insect
food is scarce, on mice of different kinds, and small
wild birds, particularly sparrows.

KILLS THE FEATHERED PRIZE-FIGHTERS.

The English Sparrow has, perhaps, no more relent-
less a foe among the feathered tribe than is the much
abused and persecuted Screech Owl. At night, when
the sparrows are sleeping about buildings, the owl
noiselessly wings his way to their retreats and cap-
tures them with apparently but little effort. Last win-
ter I knew a pair of Screech Owls to regularly visit,
every night, for about a week, an ivy covered build-
ing where a large colony of sparrows had taken up
their abode. The owls appeared perfectly satisfied
with their work, and to. all outward appearances
thrived on a diet of sparrow^s. The sparrows, on the
other hand, which escaped the owis' sharp claws, after
nearly ten days or nights experience, evidently came to
the conclusion that it would be more conducive to their
nocturnal slumbers and safety to hunt another roost-
ing place, and they did so.

For a period of nearly a month the sparrows were
not observed to return to the ivy roost. One evening
a boy threw a stone at one of the owls and killed it.
Its mate disappeared about the same time, and in a
short time, probably a week, after the owls had gone,
the sparrows returned to their old roosting place in the
ivy.

The farmer or fruit grower who will allow Screech
Owls to be destroyed, is certainly standing in his own
light, and the sooner he familiarizes himself with the
true economic relations of these birds, the better it will
be for his interests.

'V. : .

246

GREATS HORNED OWL.

Bubo virginianus.

DESCRIPTION.

Length (female) 21 to 24 inches; extent about 5 feet; tail about
9 inches; male 19 to 23 long; extent about 50 to 53 inches; can
be distinguished by its large size and long ear tufts; plumage
blackish, brownish, dusky, graying and whitish in mixture;
throat and middle of breast white; eyes yellow; bill and claws
blackish.

Habitat, —Ksisi em North America, west to the Mississippi
valley, and from Labrador to Costa Rica. Resident in Penn-
sylvania.

This well-knawn and rather common inhabitant of
the foresfs can easily be reco-j^nized by its lai'^e size,
the conspicuous white feathers of the throat and the
long-ear tufts which measure two and one-half inches
or more in length.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The Great Horned, the largest of all our native owls,
is the first to commence nesting. I have found its
eggs in February, and am told tliat it occasionally
lays in January. In this locality the Great Horned
Owl seldom bieeds in hollow trees; sometimes
it constructs a i*ude and bulkv nest of sticks,
lined with graisses and feathers, on the large horizontal
limbs of trees in its favoiite wooded retreats. Its eggs,
measuring about two and one-fourth inches in length
by two inches in width are mostly deposited in the de
serted nests of hawks and crews. Although it is
stated by dffPerent writers that this species lays four
or more eggs, I have never found, in seven nests exam
ined, over two eggs or a like number of young. Mr.
Thomas H. Jackson, of West Thoster, Pa., writing in
the Ornithologist jhhI Oologist, Jun(\ 18S(;, savs: In

HORNED OW L

COLOR PLATE

246

(J RE AT HORNED OWL.

IJiibo virgiiiianus.

DESCRIPTION.

Length (female) 21 to 24 inches; extent about 5 feet; tail about
a inches; male 19 to 23 long; extent about 50 to 53 inches; can
be distinguished by its large size and long ear tufts; plumage
blackish, brownish, dusky, graying and whitish in mixture;
throat and middle of breast white; eyes yellow; bill and claws
blfickish.

Habitat, —Kii^iCvu North America, \\est to the Mississippi
valley, and from I^abrador to Costa Ilica. Resident in Penn-
sylvania.

This well-known and latlier conimon inhabitant of
<ho forests can casilv be i-eeoi^nizrd bv its larj;c size,
tlu» eons])ienons while feathers of the throat and the
long-ear (nfts which ni(*asni-e two and one-half inclies
or more in length.

THE NEST AND P^GGS.

The Great Horned, the laigest of all our native owls,
is the first to commence nesting. 1 have found its
eggs in February, and am told tliat it occasionally
lavs in January. In this locality the (heat Horned
Owl seldom bi-eeds in hollow trees; sometinu*s
it constructs a rude and bulkv nest of sticks,
lined with grasses and feathers, on the large horizontal
limbs of tiees in its f;ivorite wooded retreats. Its i^fi^gi^.
measuring about two ami one-fourth inches in length
by two inches in width arc* mostly deposited in the dr
scrted nests of hawks and crows. Although it is
stated by df(T(Ment writers that this specic^s lays four
or more eggs, I have never found, in seven nests exam
ined, over t\\o o^xil^ <>r a like number of young. Mv.
Thomas II. .iMckson. of W^^st (Mn^ster, Pa., writing in
the Ornithologist and Oologist, .lune, ISS(;, s:ivs: In

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GREAT HORNED OWL.

V

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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thirteen nests of this bird that have come under my
personal notice, twelve contained two eggs, or young,
and only one contained three eggs. All the nests re-
ferred to above were placed in branches of trees and
were generally those of hawks or crows, renovated or
enlarged. Occasionally a hollow tree is used for the
purpose. Upon one occasion I replaced the owFs eggs
taken from a nest with those of the common hen, and
upon visiting them at the expiration of three weeks,
found that both the latter had been hatched and had
fallen from the nest, about twenty feet from the
ground, and that the owls had deserted the locality.
The Great Horned Owls are liberal providers for their
young. I have frequently found full grown rabbits
lying in the nest beside the young, and scarcely a nest
visited did not have a strong odor of skunk, while
bones and feathers were scattered around attesting to
the predacious habits of the proprietors.''

ITS FLIGHT AND WIERD NOTES.

'^The flight of the Great Horned Owl is elevated
rapid and graceful. It sails with apparent ease and in
large circles, in the manner of an eagle; rises and d(*-
scends without the least difficulty by merely inclining
its wings or its tail as it passes through the air. Now
and then it glides silently close over the earth with in-
comparable velocity, and drops, as if shot dead, on th(^
prey beneath. At other times, it suddenly alights on
the top of a fence stake or a dead stump, shakes itb*
feathers, arranges them, and utters a shriek so horrid
that the woods around echo to its dismal sound. Now,
it seems as if you heard the barking of a cur dog;
again tin* notes an» so rough aiul mingled together
that they might be mistaken for the last gurglings
of a murdered person striving in vain tu call for as

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sistauce; at another time, when not more than lifty
yards distant, it utters its more usual hoo, hoo, hoo-e,
in so peculiar an undertone that a person unacquainted
with the notes of this species might easily conceive
them to be prouced by an owl more than a mile distant.
During the utterance of all these unmusical cries it
moves its body, and more particularly its head, in
various ways, putting them into positions, all of which
appear to please it much, however irrote«aue thev may
seem to the eye of man. In the interval following
each cry it snaps its bill." — Audubon.

These owls, like the preceding species, are not migra-
tory and when not engaged in breeding lead a solitary
existence. Although chiefly nocturnal in habits, Great
Horned Owls are often seen in cloudy, weather and in
the early twilight searching for food. On one occa-
sion, when the sun was shining brightly (about 10 A.
M.), I saw one of these owls make two attempts to
catch a hen and her young chicks.

WHAT THEY LIVE UPON.

Audubon savs: "Its food consists chieflv of the larger
species of gallinaceous birds, half-grown wild turkeys,
pheasants and domestic poultry of all kinds, together
with several species of ducks. Hares, young opossums
and squirrels are equally agreeable to it, and whenever
chance throws a dead fish on the shore the Great
Horned Owl feeds with peculiar avidity on it."

Nuttall tells us they usually prey on young rabbits,
squirrels, rats, mice, quails and small birds of various
kinds; and when these resources fail or diminish, thev
occasionally i)rosvl pretty boldly around the farmyard
in quest of chickens, which they seize on the roost.

My own records of sixteen examinations of the
Great Horned Owl, which, witii one (>xcep1ion, were nil

249

taken during the winter months, revealed in eleven in
dividuals only remains of poultry; two others, portions
of rabbits, and of the three remaining birds of this
series it was found that one had taken two mice; an-
other showed small amount of hair, apparently that of
an opossum. The sixteenth and last bird contained a
mouse and parts of beetles.

The investigations of Dr. Fisher show that of 110
stomachs of this bird which contained food materials,
that 31 contained poultry or game birds; 8, other birds;
13, mice; 05, other mammals (rabbits, squirrels, rats,
muskrats, skunk, etc.) From such records it will be
seen that this species does a good deal of damage to
the poultry and game interests. While it is true that
mice and some other destructive mammals are de-
voured by this owl, there is little doubt that the dam
age he does is much greater than the benefit he confers.

m

250

SNOWY OWL.

Nyctea nyctea.

DESCRIPTION. V

Length from 20 to 24 inches; extent 4^ to 5 feet; tail between
9 and 10 inches long; tarsi and toes densely covered with long
hair-like feathers; black bill almost hidden by long feathers;
plumage white, with brownish or blackish spots and bars;
throat, face, feet and middle of breast whitest. The female
is larger and much darker than male; eyes rather small and
yellow; no ear tufts.

Habitat Northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere.

In x\orth America, breeding mostly north of the United States;
in winter migrating south to the Middle States, straggling, to
South Carolina, Texas and the Bermudas.

The Snowy Owl rendered so conspicuous by its large
size and white plumage is a native of the Arctic re-
gions. This owl is found in Pennsylvania only as ;i
winter visitant. Although specimens are taken nearly
every winter, this species is most frequently observed
during excessively severe winters. Usually solitary
birds are observed, but sometimes parties of six, eight
or even a dozen are seen together.

ITS MANNER OF HUNTING.

Wilson savs: "Unlike most of his tribe he hunts by
day as well as by twilight, and is particularly fond of
frequenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers,
over the surface of which he slowly sails, or sits on
a rock a little raised above the water watching for
fish. These he seizes with a sudden and instantaneous
stroke of the foot, seldom missing his aim." Nuttall
writes: "He ventures abroad boldlv at all seasons, and
like thf hawks, seeks his prey by daylight as well as
dark, skimming aloft and reconnoitering his [prey^
which is commonly the White Grouse, or some other

■ > V .*

SNOWY OWL

COLOR PLATE

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SNOWY OWL.

Nvctea nyctea.

DESCRIPTION.

Length from 20 to 2i inches; extent 4V4 to 5 feet; tail between
1> and 10 inches long; tarsi and toes densely covered with long
hair-like feathers; black bill almost hidden by long feathers;
plumage white, with brownish or blackish spots and bars;
throat, face, feet and middle of breast whitest. The female
is larger and much daiker than male; eyes rather small and
yellow; no ear tufts.

JTafti^a/!. -Northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere.
In North America, breeding mostly north of the United States;
in winter migrating south to the Middle States, straggling, tu
South Carolina. Texas and the Bermudas.

The Snowy Owl rendered so conspicuous by its large
size and white pluniai^e is a native of tlie Arctic re-
;»ions. This owl is found in Pennsylvania only as a
winlcM' visitant. Althoujjjh specimens are taken nearly
every winlci*, Ihis species is most frequently observed
durini*- exccssivelv severe winters. Usuallv solitary
birds :ire observed, but sometimes parties of six, eiji^ht
or even a dozen are sf^^n to<»ether.

ITS MANNKR OF HUNTING.

Wilson SMVs: "Unlike most of his tribe he hunts by
day as well as by twilij'ht, and is particularly fond of
frequcmtin;; tlie shores and banks of shallow rivers,
over the surface of which he slowlv sails, or sits on
a rock ii little raised above the water watchinj^ for
lish. Th(\se he seizes with a sudden and instantaneous
stroke of the foot, seldom missinj!^ his aim/' Nuttall
writes: ''He ventures abroad boldly at all seasons, and
like the liuwks, seeks his prey by daylight as well as
dark, skimming aloft and reconnoitering his 'prey^
which is commonlv the Wliite (Irouse, or some other

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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251

birds of the* same genus, as well as hares. On these
he darts from above, and rapidly seizes them in his
resistless talons. At times he watches for tish, and
condescends also to prey upon rats, mice and even car-
rion."

This species is never sufficiently numerous in this
State to do any serious damage to either the poultry
or game interests. In the northern counties where
these birds are plentiful they devour great quantities
of small rodents which, with ftsh, seem to be favorite
articles of diet for them.

252

HAWK OWL.

Emilia ulula caparocli.

DESCRIPTION.

"No ear tufts; tail rounded at tip^ and indjf JP^^ly ^^t\.Tt^
with white; top of head and back of neck sP^tted with white
and mack, or dark brown; a patch of uniform blackish or
dark brown on each side of hind neck; upper parts brown more
or less spotted with white; lower parts regularly barred with
brown. Length, 14.75 to 17.50 inches; extent 31 ^o 33 inches

Habitat Arctic America, migrating in winter to the nortn-

ern border of the United States. Rare straggler in Pennsyl-
vania.

This curious bird partakes of the general appear-
ance, and also the habits, of both a hawk and an owl,
and is said to be principally diurnal, in fact writers
assert that it is as active in daytime as any of the
hawks. This species occurs in Pennsylvania only as a
rare and irregular winter visitor.

ITS FOOD AND HABITS.

Having never had an opportunity of studying this
bird in life I quote the following from Dr. A. K. Fish-
er's Bulletin:

••The food of this owl varies considerably at different times
of the year. In summer it feeds on the smaller mammals, such
as mice, lemmings and ground squirrels as well as insects of
various kinds, while in winter, when the snow is deep and its
favorite food is hidden, it follows the large flocks of ptarmigans
and subsists on them. Dr. Dall seldom found anything but
mice in the crops of those he dissected in Alaska, and the fol-
lowing from Dr. Coues mentions the same food: ''It feeds chiefly
upon tield mice (Arvicolae) which swarm in the sphagnous
vegetation of arctic lands; also upon small birds, grasshoppers
and other insects." (Birds of the Northwest, 1S74. p. 312.)

**Mr. Henry Scebohm speaks of its food as follows: 'The. prin-
cipal food of the Hawk Owl is mice and lemmings, and the
bird follows the migratory parties of the last named little
mammal to prey upon them. From its indomitable spirit, how-
ever, few birds of the forest are safe from its attack. In addi-
tion to tlie smaller birds which it captures. Wheelwright men-
tions the fact that he has seen the Hawk Owl strike down the

N

AMER ICAN

OWL

COLOR PLATE

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252

HAWK OWL.

Suiiiia ulula caiKUocli.

DESCRIPTION.

"\o oar tufts; tail rounded at tips, and indistinctly barye^^^
with vv^itertop'of head and back of "f ^ spot^d with ^^h.^ e
inri niMck or dark brown; a i)at'h ot unitoim niacKisu oi
dark brown on each side nf hind neok; upper parts brown more
or less spotted with white; lower parts re^uary ba led with
hrown I.ensrth. 14.75 to 17.50 inches; extent .U to -» i^^^-^- ,
''/SJ.-?!-tic America, mi^ratins' in winter to the north-
ern border of the United States. Rare straggler in Pennsyl-
van in.

This cuiious bird partakes of the general appear-
ance, and also the habils, of boili a hawk and an owl,
and is said to be principnlly diurnal, in fact writers
assert that it is as active in daytime as any of the
hawks. This species occurs in Pennsylvania only as a
rnre and irregular winter visitor.

ITS FOOD AND HABITS.

Having never had an opportunity of studying this
bird in life T quote the following from Dr. A. K. Fish-
er's IJulletin:

"The food of this owl varies considerably at different times
Mf the Vfar. In sumni.-r it feeds on the smaller mamnrials, such
as mice, lemmings and ground squirrels as well as msects or
various kinds, while in winter, when the snow is deep and its
favorite food is hidden, it follows the large flocks of ptarmigans
and subsists on them. Dr. Dall seldom found anything but
mice in the crops of those he dissected in Alaska, and the Inl-
loWiUg from Dr. Coues mentions the same food: "It feeds chiefly
upon lield mice (Arvicolae) which swaim in the sphagnous
vegetation of arctic lands; also upon small birds, grasshoppers
and other insects." (lairds of the Xorthwvst, ls74. p. :)\'l.)

"Mr. Henry S. eb(»hm speaks of its food as follows: 'The prin-
cipal fo(jd (tf the Ijawk Owl is mice and lemmings, and the
bird follows the migratory parties of the last named little
mammal to prey upon them. From its indomitable spirit, how-
ever, few birds of the forest are safe from its attack. In addi-
tion to the smaller birds which it captures. Wheelwright men-
tions the fact that he has seen the Hawk Owl strike down the

I

AMERICAN HAWK OWL

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

253

Siberian jay. and has also disturbed it feeding on an omwO-
low grouse. The same naturalist has also taken insects from
its stomach.' "(Hist. British Birds, Vol. I. 1883, P- 18*-)

"The species is tame and unsuspicious, and "J^y f^. ^j-P
proached easily without being alarmed; in fact specimens
have been known to return to the same perch after being shot
at two or three times. It is a courageous bird, and wiir de-
fend its nest against all intruders. A male o^ce dashed at
Dr Dall and knocked off his hat as he was climbing to the
nest: other similar accounts show that the courage displayed
on this occasion was not an individual freak, but a common

trait of the species. , , , ^v.

"Although the flight is swift and hawk-like, it has neverthe-
less the soft, noiseless character common to the other owls.
When starting from any high place, such as the top of a tree,
it usually pitches down nearly to the ground, and flies off rap-
idly above the tops of the bushes or high grass, abruptly rising
again as it seeks another perch.

"The note is a shrill cry which it uttors generally while the

bird is on the wing."

254

CHAPTER IV.

' ^ -aH ^dT

' t:. baiSOIt

■ i. '}rhov^i

X- J-.lil'C^?

«

, . - ^.c- - -v^Tfi

SOME OTHER BIRDS. ^ '

RAVENS, CROWS, JAYS AND SHRIK?:S.

Five species of tlie family CORVIDAE are foinid in
Pennsylvania, and of these the Common Crow and
Blue Jav are bv far the best known. Indeed, proba-
bly no two representatives of our bird-fauna are more
familiar to persons who are at all acquainted with
rural life than are the gaudy, gaiTulous Blue Jay, and
his suspicions, pilfering; relative, the Common Crow.

THE RAVEN.

The northern Raven is a sub-species, that was first
recognized and described by my friend, Prof. Robert
Ridgway, the eminent Ornithologist of the Smith-
sonian Institute, Washington, D C. This bird pos-
sesses peculiarities which entitle it to be particular-
ized by the technical specific principalis to distinguish
the new form from that of its near kin the Common
Raven, {Corvus corax), of the older authorities.
It ranges from "Greenland to Alaska, south to British
Columbia, Canada, New Brunswick" and Pennsylvania.
In this State it is found as a resident in a number of
counties, particularly such as are mountainous and
whicli contain large areas of sparsely s(»ttled and ex-
tensivelv forested lands.

255

A WARY POTTLTRY THIEF.

The Raven is very shy, yet he will occasionally come
around farm buildings, in the neighborhood of his
favorite haunts in the mountain wilds, to catch yonng
poultry or hunt a hen's nest, especially that of the
turkey which so often wanders some distance from
her owner's building to hatch. The damage, however,
to domesticated fowls by Ravens in Pennsylvania is,
I am sure, very insignificant.

THEY DESTROY EGGS AND NESTLINGS.

Prom evidence in my possession I am fully con-
vinced that Ravens, like their dark-coated relations,
the Crows, do devour the eggs and young of many
wild birds. Game birds, such as tlie Ruffed Grouse
and Wild Turkey, woodsmen say, suffer considerably,
during the periods when they have eggs and broods
of young, from sly and unexpected visits of these cun-
ning and able-bodied corvine birds. If a Turkey or
Pheasant, with her children, remains in the locality
and the fact becomes known to a pair of Ravens, the
chances are, hunters say, that the Ravens will watch
the place almost constantly, day after day, until they
have destroyed or driven away the mother and her
family of youngsters.

CAPTURE RABBITS AND GROUSE.

Ravens unquestionably kill a good many young
Hares and they also sometimes attack and overpower
the old ones, particularly when the latter are en-
feebled by disease or wounded by human hunters or
other animals which prey on them. Rabbits and
Pheasants entrapped in snares, (which, by I he way,
cannot legally be used in Pennsylvania) if found by

I?

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25G

I ho sharp-eyed Raven, will be attacked and eaten by
him after he has convinced himself that the mammal
or bird, suspended from the cord or fine copper wire,
lias not been placed there as a lure to his own destruc-
tion. In this State Ravens are generally seen singly
or in pairs, but often, a pair with their family of in-
quisitive and noisy children, of the year, may be ob-
served together.

WILL SPEAK AS THEY PASS BY.

I have known two cr three pairs of Ravens to remain
for two or three years in the same locality, i. e., in a
district, of perhaps eight or ten mik^s square, and each
pair of birds, as well as the young ones, appeared to
evince no disposition to be on intimate relations with
their neighbors. Of course the whole Raven clan, no
doubt, had a speaking acquaintance, because their
hoarse voices could always be heard when they came
within hailing distance, as was often the case.

ATTACK LAMBS AND FAWNS.

Ravens, like the (Common Crow, will sometimes at-
tack young lambs and peck out their eyes. It is also
asserted by hunters that these birds have been known
to attack very young Fawns when their watchful
mothers were not near at hand.

HAVENS A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AGO.

I have been told, by old hunters and woodsmen,
that twenly-five or thirty years ago when the Vir-
ginia Deer was abundant in many sections of Penn-
sylvania, that Ravens were then rather numerous in
the romantic wilds since made barren through the
woodsmen's axe and devastating forest fires, In those

267

days farmers who resided in the vicinage of virgin-
timbered areas in the mountainous districts suffered
considerablv from the spying, argus-eyed Ravens
which seemed ever on the alert to pounce down from
^ome carefully chosen hiding place and rob the turkey
or the chicken of her eggs or brood. Then if the parent
sheep did not keep a very close guard over their young
offspring the omnivorous and flesh-loving Ravens
would attack and kill them; they also, it is affirmed,
were known to pounce upon, in at least two instances,
within the recollection of aged mountaineers, calves,
but a few days old; and on another occasion, one of
my informants states that a band of hungry nomadic
Ravens attempted to make a meal of an old sow's
litter of pigs that were only a few days old, and so
persistent were their onslaughts that the owner of
the pigs was compelled to shoot two of the Ravens be-
fore they would leave the place.

c

WOULD ATTACK THE DEER.

Deer enfeebled by old age or reduced from disease,
and also when wounded by human huntsmen,
Panthers, Wolves, Wild-cats or other predatory ani-
mals which possessed sufficient courage and prowess
to attack them, were beset at times by Ravens which
would peck out their eyes and other soft parts, par-
ticularly portions of the poor deer's anatomy that had
been opened by a bullet or lacerated with teeth or
claws of some cruel carnivorous beast. -

These observations showing the fierce and sangui-
nary nature of Ravens which, with labored but quick
tlight,and loud harsh crie«, over a quarter of a century
ago, are reputed to have brought so much misery hito

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:- 268

the happy homes of many of their neighbors — no-
dwellers in the mountain wilds — I cannot confirm
from personal observations in the field in recent years
or since Ravens have become very much less numer-

ous.

I ■

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^ .fi^lf

\i :»/.!:>.: ji'i

RELIABLE INFORMANTS.

The statements, however, come from sources which
I deem thoroughly trustw^orthy. They are here re-
corded, substantially as given to me by aged inform-
ants, men, whose vocations of hunting, trapping, wood
chopping or bark peeling compelled them to live al-
most continually, the year 'round, in dense forests and
other wild, uninhabited places. These places, how-
ever, were ideal localities for a careful observer to
learn the life histories of wild animals which the Wise
Maker designed should find suitable abodes in dark
sylvan shades or along the banks of the cool, health-
ful waters of mountain streams, and by rocky and
mountainous pathways, vestiges of which still remain
in many regions of the Keystone Commonwealth, as
if to remind us of the bloody struggles that our an-
cestors, a century or two ago, were so often forced to
engage in with the Indians who made these "trails.''

ARE ENEMIES OF SMALL BIRDS. -

From the fact that I have often observed different
kinds of small birds, which build their summer homes
in regions selected by the croaking Raven for his
abiding place at all seasons of the year, always show
great concern whenever a solitary Raven, or worse
still a pair of them, came near their nest of young, it
is safe to infer that the solicitude they manifested
was due to a knowledge obtained, perhaps, by bitter

259

experience that, if the Mephistophelean-like eyes of
the powerful marauder, attired in his funereal coat, dis-
covered their precious treasures they would soon be
'^gobbled up" to help supply Mr. Raven's gastronomic
needs, which are great, and likewise most varying, as
is the case with all omnivorous animals.

yr i:'*

THEY CONSUME MANY INSECTS.

■r.»w

The Raven will consume annually a good many in^^
sects, particularly the numerous ground-inhabiting
and wood-destroying beetles; crickets, grasshoppers
and "grub worms" he eats with great gusto.

Beetles and grubs he generally finds about old
stumps and dead logs. On two occasions I have seen
Ravens hunting in newly plowed ground for larvae,
beetles and mice. They feed on different kinds of
small mammals, besides young Hares, as previously
mentioned; and they have been known to attack and
kill Flying Squirrels and Chipmunks, but their usual
articles of food in the way of mammals are the differ-
ent species of mice which abound in woods and fields.

EAT BERRIES, NUTS, FROGS AND SNAKES.

Ravens will eat, with great relish, different kinds
of berries which grow wild, and often in great abund-
ance, in the mountainous districts. Cherry, peach and
apple trees, which are not uncommon in many wild
mountainous places remote from human habitation,
are often visited by Ravens to feed on the ripe or
ripening fruit. In the Autumn or Winter season, like
the Ruffed Grouse, Ravens may be seen at times hunt-
iug about apple trees for the seeds of the fruit which
they collect from the ground, or by pecking into the

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260

rotten and frozen apples which hang on the twigs;
and, like their saucy relations, the Jays, dressed in
jaunty plumed hats, white vests and bright blue coats,
they eat chestnuts, beechnuts, acorns and other seeds
known as ^'raast" They catch frogs and sometimes
kill and devour small sized snakes. They will go in
shallow water to catch fishes which they consume.
Most flesh eating animals, either birds or quadru-
peds, which obtain their livelihood by open warfare,
do not show an inclination to feed upon carrion and
offal unless compelled to do so by reason of the
scarcity of normal food supplies. ^ -u;4^

THEY SOMETIMES PREFER CARRION.

The Raven, however, has the habit of subsisting, in
part at least, on such a menu, even when other food
could be obtained with the usual cunning and activity
displayed by this race of pilferers. Of this I was
fully convinced some three years ago, when visiting
at Glen Union, Clinton county. Pa., where two or
three families of Ravens had their headquarters in
rocky cliffs, some four miles in the interior. At ir-
regular intervals some of the meddlesome tribe would
come down to dwellings, along the Susquehanna river,
and steal a young chicken c-r rob a hen's nest; and,
on one occasion, I noticed two of them in a vine,
along the road near the railroad station (Glen Union),
eating "frost" or chicken grapes, a common article of
diet, by the way, for the Pheasant or Ruffed Grouse.
These Ravens daily came to the places where the
woodsmen ate their dinners and fed the horses, and in
a short time after being allowed to pick up, un-
molested, pieces of bread and meat about the camp,
they became quite tame, unless they saw a stranger

261

appear about the place, when they flew off in, ap-
parentlv, great anger. By some accident a horse was
killed and its body hurled into a deep ravine. By
this mishap I learned that Ravens were very partial
to horse flesh, as they daily visited the decaying carcass,
and seemingly made little or no efforts to obtain other

kinds of food.

When deer are shot and eviscerated Ravens come
around and feed on the refuse matter. At such times
they generally are seen in pairs, but sometimes sev-
eral are together. ;: - • " /

'^ * ' THE FISH CROW. ' .

The Fish Crow, smaller than the Common Crow,
glossy black with ^green and violet reflections, occurs
chiefly about maritime districts of the Atlantic Coast,
from Long Island to Florida. In Pennsylvania the
Fish Crow is found, in the summer season, along the
shores of the Delaware river and about the Susque-
hanna river from Columbia, Lancaster county, south-
ward. The Fish Crow has the same bad habit which
has made such a blot on the good name of its near
kinsman, the Common Crow, namely, that of robbing,
Audubon tells us, other birds of their eggs and young.
However, such deeds of rapine, on the part of the Fish
Crow, are, it is believed, much less frequent than is
the case with the Common Crow.

Some observers, however, assert that Meadowlarks,
Clapper Rails, Terns, Quails and other smaller species
of birds suffer the loss of many of their eggs and
youngthroughthe thieving propensities of Fish Crows,
which are common about the sea coast regions.^

m

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THE COMMON CROW.

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This well-known species is common, during all
seasons of the jear, in Pennsjivania. At times,
other than when breeding, these birds are gregarious
and often collect in large flocks. Dr. C. Hart Mer-
riam. Chief of the Biological Division of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D, C, in
briefly summarizing the food habits of the Grow, in
a letter of transmittal that appears in Bulletin No. 6,
prepared by his assistants, Messrs. W. B. Barrows and
E. A. Schwarz, whc«se exhaustive report, entitled,
"The Common Crow of the United States," is based
on nearlv a thousand stomach examinations of Crows
_taken during all seasons, and careful field notes, says:

^ . WHAT THE CROW IS CHARGED WITH.

"The most important charges brought against the Crow are:
(1) That it pulls sprouting corn; (2) that it injures corn in
the milk; (3) that it destroys cultivated fruit; and (4) that it
feeds on the eggs and young of poultry and wild birds.

"All of these charges are sustained by the stomach exami-
nations, so far as the simple fact that Crows feed upon the
substance named. But the extent of the injury is a very dif-
ferent matter.

- RESULTS OF CRITICAL ANALYSES. T

"In order to ascertain whether the sum of the harm done
outweighs the sum of the good, or the contrary, the different
kinds of food found in the stomach have been reduced to
quantitative percentages and contrasted. The total quantity
of corn eaten during the entire year amounts to 25 per cent,
of the food of the adult Crow, and only nine and three-tenth
per cent, of the food of young Crows. Leaving the young out of
consideration, it may be said that in agricultural districts
about one-fourth of the food of Crows consists of corn. But
less than 14 per cent, of this corn, and only 3 per cent, of the
total food of the Crow, consists of sprouting corn and corn in
the milk; the remaining 86 per cent, of the corn, or 97 per cent.

263

of the total food, is chiefly waste grain picked up here and there,
mainly in winter, and is of no economic value.

•iX;

DO TRIVIAL DAMAGE TO FRUIT.

"in the case of cultvated fruits the loss Is trivial. The same
is true of the eggs and young of poultry and wild birds, the
total for the year amounting to only one per cent, of the food.
"As an offset to his bad habits, the Crow is to be credited
with the good done in destroying noxious insects and other
injurious animals. Insects form 26 per cent of the entire food,
and the great majority of these are grasshoppers. May beetles,
cut worms and other injurious kinds. It is shown that during
the May beetle season, in May and June, these beetles form
the principal insect food of the Crow. Only a few stomachs
do not contain them, and stomaohs are often filled with
them. The fact that the May beetle season coincides with the
breeding season of the Crow Is of special Importance, the
principal Insect food of nestling Crows consisting of these
beetles. .,.•!■.--«

DEVOUR LEGIONS OF BEETLES AND GRASSHOPPERS.

Mr. Schwarz also finds that grasshoppers occur in tWe'
stomachs throughout the year; during May beetle season they
occur In the vast majority of stomaohs, but usually in mod-
erate numbers; that with the disappearance of May beetles
towards the end of June they Increase In .numbers until in
August and throughout the fall they constitute by far the
greater part of Insect food, often occurring In astonishing
numbers, often forming the only Insect food.

"To the same side of the scale must be added the destruc-
tion of mice, rabbits, and other injurious rodents by the Crow.

"In the summing up of the benefits and losses resulting from
the habits of this bird. It Is clear that the good exceeds the

bad and that the Crow Is a friend rather than an enemy of

' ' • • . ' • '

the farmer."

M?.v THE CROW DESTROYS ARMY WORMS.

During the months of July and August, 1896, when
the writer was engaged in studying the Army Worm,
{Leucania vnipuncta), which preyed upon cereals,
(particularly oats) grass, etc., in this State to the ex-

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tent probably of $300,000 (estimated) abundant oppor-
tunity was afforded to learn what species of birds and
other animals subsisted on the voracious larvae.

While conducting these investigations, in different
parts of Pennsylvania, several hundred birds of
various species were shot and examined. These post-
mortem examinations, as well as observations in the
field, demonstrated conclusively that Crows and Crow
Blackbirds were, perhaps, the most useful of all birds
in devouring army worms.

CROW^S AND BLACKBIRDS.

The viscera of twenty-three Crows, old and young,
which were captured in different counties of the State,
and in localities where army worms were abundant,
were in many instances, found to be gorged with the
remains of these larvae. Crows also ate large num-
bers of pupae. I noticed Crows or Blackbirds, espe-
cially the Common Crow Blackbird, to be quite numer-
ous in nearly all fields where the crawling hosts were
abundant, and these dark-colored and badly abused
birds, by their constant warfare on the worms, did
much to keep in check the damage to cereal and other
crops. Crows were generally to be observed singly or
in pairs, sometimes in parties, five or seven indi-
viduals, but the Blackbirds were often noticed in good
sized flocks. One flock of Blackbirds numbered full.y
seventy-five individuals and they all seemed to be
intently engaged for a considerable time in the morn-
ing or evening, as well as at intervals in mid-day,
destroying the Army Worm. A Crow would eat a
handful of the worms at a single meal; the number
which a single bird would devour in a day was im-
mense.

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FARMERS PRAISED THEM.

Several farmers whose premises I visited when in-
vestigating the ravages of the Army Worm expressed
great surprise when they were informed that Crows
and Blackbirds fed almost wholly on the voracious
insect-pests which were devastating the oats, barley,
corn and grass fields. When specimens of these birds
were shot and the contents of their stomachs exposed,
they admitted that the birds were not as bad as it
was commonly supposed. ,^,u ;.

SOME BAD HABITS. '

The Orow's fondness for eggs and young of domesti-
cated fowls, as well as his penchant for despoiling the
nests of numerous wild birds of their eggs and young,
is well known; then again the Crow visits the corn-
field in the springtime and in the Autumn he often
does considerable damage. These carnivorous tastes
and grain-eating habits of the Crow have caused, it
seems, a great many of our farmers to place Mr. Crow
under ban. • .

The Crow Blackbird, like the Oommon Crow, de-
stroys the eggs and young of different species of bene-
ficial birds which nest in orchards, parks and gardens,
and he also often, like the Crow, visits the cornfield
or cherry tree. However, if farmers would take the
trouble in the Spring when Crows and their bright-
eyed relatives — the Blackbirds — are at work in corn-
fields to carefuully investigate, they would And, no
doubt, as the writer has, that these birds are not
there for the purpose of destroying corn, but to say*;
it from crawiinij foes which hide beneath the soil.

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THEY EAT GRUBS AND "BUGS."

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Reader, if you doubt this statement take the
trouble, sometime in the Spring, when you see Crows
and Blackbirds in a cornfield when the corn is an
inch or two above the ground, to shoot some of the
birds, open their stomachs, and the chances are ten
to one Tou will discover that these "corn-pulling"
birds have nothing but "cutworms," other larvae, and
beetles in their food receptacles.

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SOMETIMES STEAL THE CORN.

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The Crow, undoubtedly, at times, particularly in the
fall when the farmer is slow about taking com in
from a field, sometimes does considerable damage.
Tn the Spring this bird also occasionally does a good
deal of mischief in cornfields. This same statement
may likewise be made concerning the Blackbird.
However, notwithstanding the fact that both species
of birds just mentioned destroy more or less corn, the
great amount of good they do by destroying innum-
erable insect foes which prey constantly, during the
summer season, on grain, fruit and garden crops, is,
according to my judgment, considerably in excess of
kisses incurred from casual predatory visits which
these omnivorous birds make to the growing or
ripened corn.

r . THEY DEVOUR EGGS AND NESTLINGS.' " ' ;

If it was not for the bad habit which the Crow has
of destroying eggs and young of both poultrj^ and
wild birds, and the same is true of the Grow Black-
bird which has acquired quite an appetite for eggs
and nestlings of different species of small wild birds,

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there could be no possible reason for doubt in the mind
of any naturalist about both of these well-known
species being far more beneficial than harmful to the
farmer and fruit grower. Sportsmen also view the
Crow and Orow Blackbird, especially the former, in
an unfavorable light because they will often destroy
the eggs and sometimes the young of game birds.
Grouse and Quail, Meadowlarks, etc. Along the salt
water marshes of the Atlantic Ocean, when collecting
specimens with my genial and gifted friend, the
naturalist, Mr. C. M. Busch, we have observed Grows
pillaging the nests of Terns and Mudhens, or Glapper
Rails, as ornithologists call them.

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THE JAYS.

Two species of Jays — that is, feathered Jays — ^in^
eluded in the sub-family GABRULINAE, are at-
tributed to the fauna of Pennsylvania.

One of these, the Canada Jay, a native of the dis-
tant north, is seldom found as far south as this State,
where it has only been taken as a rare straggler in
winter.

^" ' THE BLUE JAY.

This bird, of bright color, saucy, independent ways
and mimicking voice, is common and well-known to
every farmer's boy, woodsman and hunter. While all
admire him, because of his showy coat and cunning
habits, he is, nevertheless very, generally regarded
with disfavor because of his mischievous traiits of
character. "

Blue Jays, like some school boys, seem to go out of
their way to hunt trouble, and usually they get it,

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268

but, often, not until they have caused a good deal of
bother or suffering to others about them. ■■:■ :

DISTRIBUTION. ' ' '

The Blue Jay has an extensive range, being found
over the whole of the United States east of the Great
Plains, from the warm climate of the Gulf of Mexico
northward to the dreary wilds of the Fur Countries. .

In Pennsylvania, and, it is said, in most parts of
their range, they remain throughout all seasons of the
year. These beautiful birds commonly resort to
forests to breed, yet they do not live like hermits in
the woods, for when searching for food they frequently
come about orchards, gardens, meadows and farm
buildings. In the cold winter season when the
ground is covered with snows these birds will visit
the farmer's com crib, and like the Crow Blackbird,
and Red-headed Woodpecker, peck at corn which can
be reached from the outside through the slats.

SOMETIMES SEEN IN FLOCKS.

Jays when breeding commonly are seen in pairs,
but in ihe late summer and fall it is not unusual to
find them in small flocks; on different occasions I
have seen twenty or twenty-five of them feeding in
beech, chestnut or apple trees. Blue Jays, as is the
habit of other members of their family, will feed on
different cereals, but of- all the grains, corn or maize
is the one most preferred. A pair of Jays will pilot
their young ones, when able to fly. to a cornfield to
feed; and sometimes a good-sized flock of these
sprightly birds may be observed at work in a corn field,
particularly if located along the edge of a dense woods.

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269

ITS ECONOMIC RELATIONS.

Mr. F. E. L. Beal, Biologist, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, has recently prepared and published a
very interesting and valuable paper relative to "The
Blue Jay and its Food.'' This paper, based on about
300 /«Kamination9 of "stomachs collected in evespy
month of the year from 22 States, the District of
Columbia and Canada," places the Jay in a most
favorable light. c

. MR. BEAL'S SUMMARY OP ITS FOOD.

"The most striking- point in the study of the food of the Blue
Jay Is the discrepancy between the testimony of field observers
concerning" the bird's nest-robbing proclivities and the results
of stomach examinations. The accusations of eating eggs and
young birds are certainly not sustained, and it is futile to at-
tempt to reconcile the conflicting" statements on this point, which
must be left until more accurate observations have been,
made. Most of the predaceous beetles which it eats do not
feed on other insects to any great extent. On the other hand,
it destroys some grasshoppers and caterpillars and many
noxious beetles, such as SCARABAEIDS, click beetles
(ELrATERIDS). weevils (OURCULIONIDS), BUPRESTTDS,
CHRYSOMELIDS, and TENEBRIONIDS.

The Blue Jay obtains its fruit from nature's orchard and
vineyard, not from man's; corn is the only vegetable food
for which the farmer suffers any loss and here the damage
is small. In fact, the examination of nearly 300 stomachs
shows that the Blue Jay does far more good than harm."

WHAT AUDUBON LEARNED.

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The field observations of Audubon, made many
years ago, prompted this great naturalist and truthful
authority, to write in no complimentary^ words of the
manner in which Jays delight to kill birds and pillage
the nests of pigeons and domesticated fowls.

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270

HE HUNTiS METHODICALLY.

It is no unusual sight, in the summer time, to see
a Jay quietly slip from tree to tree in a woods anS
starting from the lower limbs of each tree he performs
a cork-screw-like inspection tour around the trunk
and along the limbs until he has inspected the whole
tree, when he flits to another leafy retreat to look
for eggs or young birds, or perhaps some observers
may say, on such occasions, he is only looking for
beetles, caterpillars, "bugs," wasps or flies. Of course,
Mr. Jay would doubtless, when on these foraging ex-
cursions, pick up such forms of insect-life which would
please his palate, but my belief is that at these times
lie is bent on mischief and wants eggs or nestlings,
and this same belief, it seems, is shared by Tanagers,
Orioles, Flycatchers, Warblers and others of the
beneficial feathered kind which build their fragile
summer domiciles in trees, for as soon as a meddle-
some Jay comes around, the other birds show great
agitation and promptly proceed to give him battle.

WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

Possibly some observers believe insect-devouring
forest birds such as the Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed
Vireo, the m.merous kinds of Warblers and other
sweet-voiced songsters, which make war on the Jay
that comes about their homes, do so because they are
prompted by jealousy, and fear the unwelcome visitor,
attired in his showy coat of blue, with whitish waist-
coat, black cravat, and high, peaked hat, will catdi
too many palatable insects around their dwelling
places. From careful field observations of fully
twenty years, I am strongly of the opinion that these
gaudily dressed, and saucy, inquisitive Jays make

271

stealthy raids in trees, etc., with murderous designs
in their hearts, and of this the other birds are well
aware, hence their cries of distress and defensive
actions in order to save, from ruin, their fragile eggs
and half -fledged young.

»: THEY KNOW THEIR ENEMIES.

These several species of tree-inhabiting and insect-
devouring birds, previously referred to, certainly are
not prompted by the Jay's superior size to give him
battle when he visits their domiciles. If they are why
is it that they do not pitch into the Turkey Vulture
which often comes in their midst? It is, kind reader,
because years of experience has proven that the Jay,
like some members of the genus homo, arrayed in fine
dress and with insinuating ways, is a despoiler of
homes, while, on the other hand, the life of the Turkey
Buzzard is one of honesty, though extremely disgust-
ing and filthy.

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IS MR. JAY A FEATHERED JEKYL AND HYDE?

I am disposed to believe after learning how natu-
ralists—all of whom are undoubtedly thoroughly hon-
est and sincere— differ in their statements of the good
or harm which the Jay does, that this bird may be
like the changeable Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, or per-
haps he is sometimes not unlike the servant of that
hunted Huguenot refugee Sier de la Tournoire, Blaise
Trepault by name, in the play entitled "An Enemy to
the King." This lackey at times, as the plot goes,
fairly overflows with honeyed words, kind acts and
godly sayings, to the great pleasure and benefit of
his hearers; but at other times, he suddenly changes,
as it were, into a hideous monster attired in showy

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dress, be becomes violent, rude of epeech, sanguinary
in acts and profane in utterance.

"MORE LIKE HIS DAD EVERY DAT."

■■vJ

When such versatility of words and deportment are
questioned by the fair French maid Jeannotte of the
beautiful but faltering Julie de Varion — ^he answers:

"My dear, I have .two hearts and dispositions. When I
speak kindly or am modest and so good it Is because I am
following the dictations of mother's heart and teachings; but
when rude and bloodthirsty, or wicked in my wants, my
words and deeds are inspired by a plutonian father's heart,
which impels to acts black as Cimmerian gloom."

The thought has occurred to the writer that per-
haps Jays are two-hearted animals, for some observ-
ers seem to have studied principally Jays with good
dispositions and mother's hearts, while on the other
hand investigators, it would appear, have been able
to find Jays chiefly of bad thoughts, and deeds of vio-
lence, transmitted, of course, from vicious sires, for,
most happily, it is rare to find a loyal wife and mother,
true and pure, who would teach her offspring to do ill.

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THEY ARE OMNIVOROUS.

The Jays, like other birds of the family, are omnivor-
ous in their food-habits. They consume much vege-
table food, such as cereals, mast, berries and fruits;
their animal food comprises numerous insects and
their larvae, with spiders, snails, lizards, fish, tree
frogs, mice, birds and eggs. Considerable mineral
matter, sand, gravel, etc., is often found in their stom-
achs. - ■' ' •

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27:^

^- SHRIKES OR BUTCHER-BIRDS.

Two species and one "geographical race,'' of Shrikes
are found in Pennsylvania, The name of Butcher-
bird is applied to these birds because of the habit
they have of impaling prey — insects, mice, small birds,
etc., — on thorns or sharp projecting twigs of bushes
or trees. The insects, mice or birds, which they catch
and impale were supposed, by some old writer, to
resemble the 'wares of the butcher on the market
shambles, hence the popular appellation.

- '. THE NORTHERN SHRIKE.

This species, the largest of the three Shrikes occur-
ring in Pennsylvania, is found with us only as a winter
sojourner. During its residence in this region from
November to April, it frequents briery thickets, thorn
hedges, and grassy fields near trees and shrubbery.
The Northern Shrike breeds beyond the Northern
United States. This bird as well as the species called
Loggerhead Shrike, and its very intimate relation,
(specimens of which are so nearly alike the typical
Loggerhead that experts are unable at times to dis-
tinguish the "race" from the species) the "geographical
race," styled in common ornithological parlance, the
White rumped Shrike, are known, in some sections of
our State as the little "Gray Hawk." '

■. • . ■■; - » . . . ■

^* ' AN IMPROPER NAME. " j. . ..

This name, of course, is highly inappropriate, as
Shrikes are not related to the Hawks. The name,
however, is given by farmers and gunners, who see
these birds catch small birds, mice, etc. During recent
years, or since the English Sparrow, our imported bird
nuisance, has become so alarmingly abnndant in the

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cities and towns, Shrikes— particularly the Northern
Shrike— have learned to visit lawns, parks and gar-
dens, and ivy-covered buildings, to prey on these
passerine pests, which before many years will become
a serious menace to our farmers and pomologists.

This sparrow-devouring habit which the Shrike has
developed in recent years, has, fortunately, won for
him the good will of many, who, in former years,
through ignorance destroyed this bird, -because it was
alleged, and generally believed that the Shrike preyed
on domesticated fowls. • ; ; - *

A BENEFICIAL SPECIES. • - .

The poor Shrike, which gains a livelihood principally
by catching destructive beetles, grasshoppers and mice,
was placed on the black-list by farmers and poultry-
raisers, who, because of insufficient knowledge, mis-
took this gray-coated benefactor, when he came about
their premises to devour insidious foes, for one or the
other of iho two or three smaller species of Hawks
which are fully described on preceding pages of this

volume.

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THE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.

This bird is noticeably smaller than its cousin, the
Northern Shrike, which is so named because it rears
its young in boreal regions where at the close of the
fleeting arctic summer it is compelled, with its pro-
geny, to migrate southward where it can find a suffi
cient supply of desirable food.

A SUMMER BIRD HERE.

The Loggerhead is a common summer bird in many
parts of Pennsylvania, particularly in the northwest-

275

ern end of the State in the vicinity of Lake Erie, a
short distance from the busy city of Erie.

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^. FEEDS ON INSECTS.

This species feeds chiefly on insects, particularly
grasshoppers and ground-inhabiting beetles. They
destroy a good many May beetles, mice, and some small
birds. Occasionally they kill, I have been told, English
Sparrows; but their attacks on sparrows and other
small birds are much less frequent than is the case
with the Great Northern Shrike.

SOMETIMES TRY TO KILL CHICKS. •

I have on two or three occasions been informed by
farmers that Butcher-birds (said to be the Loggerhead
species) had been seen to make attempts to catch
young chickens but a few days old. It is, however, a
rare thing for one of these birds to make an attack
on young chickens, and I think, it can be stated, with
absolute safety, that all the Shrikes that have been in
Pennsylvania during the past ten rears have not com-
mitted depredations in the poultry yards which would
amount to five dollars.

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276

NORTHERN RAVEN.

Oorvus corax principalis.

DESCRIPTION.

Size large; entire plumage of glossy black with Purplish
reflections? feathers of throat lengthened, disconnected and
pointed; bill large, and like the feet and legs its color is black.
The eyes are dark brown; length, about 2 feet; extent 4 feet

^^HabitaL^NoTthern North America, from Greenland to
Alaska, south to British Columbia, Canada, Pennsylvania.
Maryland, West Virginia, etc.

Tliis, the largest bird of its family occurring in
Pennsylvania, is found here as a resident. In the
summer season Ravens rarely leave their native
heather where, in a region abounding in stately forest
monarchs and precipitous rocky cliffs, they can rest in
comparative safety from enemies, especially man
whom they dread the most of all.

MUST WATCH THE FOX. ... . ,

Sometimes when Ravens nest on rocky ledges or in
caverns in the mountains, as they do very often, their
eggs or Vfoung are taken by Foxes or Wildcats. If
Ravens build in a locality which they find is accessible
to the cunning Fox or sneaking Wildcat they abandon
the place, and if no suitable nesting site can be found
on some high rocky place inaccessible to these and
other carnivorous animals, they build high up in tall
trees, selecting usually the white pine.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The nest of the Raven is a rude structure composed
largely of sticks, twigs, moss and bark.

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COLOR PLATE

276

NORTHERN RAVEN.

Oorvus corax principalis.

DESCRIPTION.

Size large; entire plumage of glossy black with PU^^P^ish
reflections; feathers of throat lengthened, disconnected and
pointed; bill large, and like the feet and legs its color is black
The eyes are dark brown; length, about 2 feet; extent 4 feet

^Ha6i<a«.-Northern North America, from Greenland to
Alaska, south to British Columbia, Canada, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, West Virginia, etc.

This, the largest bird of its family occurring in
Pennsylvania, is found here as a resident. In the
summer season Ravens rarely leave their native
heather where, in a region abounding in stately forest
monarchs and precipitous rocky cliffs, they can rest in
comparative safety from enemies, especially man
whom they dread the most of all.

MUST WATCH THE FOX.

Sometimes when Ravens nest on rocky ledges or in
caverns in the mountains, as they do very often, their
eggs or young are taken by Foxes or Wildcats. If
Ravens build in a locality which they find is accessible
to the cunning Fox or sneaking Wildcat they abandon
the place, and if no suitable nesting site can be found
on some high rocky place inaccessible to these and
other carnivorous animals, they build high up in tnll
trees, selecting usually the white pine.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The nest of the Raven is a rude structure composed
largely of sticks, twigs, moss and bark.

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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277

When built under the belter of overhanging rocks
much less effort is made to construct a nest than is
done when their home is placed high up in some tall
pine or other large forest tree. The eggs are usually
4 or 5 in number; they measure about 2 inches long by
1.30 inches in width. Their color is "greenish, dotted,
blotched and clouded with neutral tints, purplish and
blackish-browns." ; .;..:.

THEY RAISE ONE BROOD.

Ravens, like other birds of their family, raise but
one brood of young in a year. However, if, by some
mishap, their nest or eggs are destroyed they will nest
again.

LIKE' ONE NESTING PLACE.

The Raven, like the piratical Bald Eagle, will return
year after year to the same nesting place.

There is near Zerby station, in Centre county, a sec-
tion, by the way, which is noted for the number and
high degree of excellence of the brainy Governors it
has produced, a high point on one of the mountain
ranges, which is made up of immense bowlders which
weigh tons and tons. The place is practically inacces-
sible. Here, for fifteen years past, a pair of croaking
Ravens have annually raised their families.

LEFT IN SORROV^ AND DISGUST.

At Glen Union, Clinton county, a pair of very foxy
Ravens, for three or four consecutive years to my
knowledge, every spring reared a nestful of young on
a high rocky bluff along the Susquehanna river.
About two years ago, a venturesome boy, after con-
siderable hard work, climbed to the nest and got a

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278
pair of the young birds, which were about ready to

When the old Ravens saw their home invaded they
flew off and gave vent to their sorrow by harsh cries.
After the daring boy with his feathered captives
reached the river bank, the old birds came
back to the nesting site in the lichen covered rocks,
where doubtless for many generations their ancestors
had bred, and both the birds with evidences of sorrow,
anger and disgust such as only childless Ravens can
show, tore up the nest, dropping sticks, etc., over the
hanging cliff, and after making a few circles over the
place and saying a whole lot of bad things in Raven
dialect, they retired and no Ravens have since been
seen about the ill-fated place.

S'

"QUOTH THE RAVEN, NEVERMORE." - ..

This pair of ebony-colorod croakers were evidently
not of the common f very-day plebeian type of Ravens
which one is accustomed to see in the mountain fast-
nesses. They were, no doubt, direct descendants from
the wise pluitonian bird which years ago perched on
the bust of Pallas over the doorway of the atelier of
Edgar Allen Poe, and prompted that talented and
gifted writer of weird poetry and tales to ])en the
famous stanzas on "The Raven." That these birds
were lineal descendants of this Raven there can be little
room for doubt, as a venerable woodsman who was
thoroughly familiar with Raven dialect attested with
great assurance to the fact that he had distinctly heard
these sorrowing and angry birds as they tossed the
dead sticks, faded mosses, etc., over the dizzy height
repeat the word that Poe, fifty years ago, had placed
in the mouth of their famous ancestor — ^^"Nevermore.''

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- --r ITS DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA.

The Raven occurs regularly in the following coun
ties where it breeds in suitable localities.

^,-A, Bradford,
Blair,
Columbia,
Cambria,
. Clinton, ,

Cameron,
. Clearfield,
. , Centre,
". Elk, :,

• A.'

Forest,

Franklin,

Lycoming,

Lackawanna,

Luzerne, .

Pike,

Potter,

Sullivan,

Tioga,

••):,

.s

. ^Wayne.

• » * ■

This bird probably may also breed in some other
counties, where it undoubtedly is found as a casual
visitor or straggler. ' .

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"♦.O-^V >■

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280

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' COMMON GROW. ' * ;

* . * - ■

Corvus americanus.

DESCRIPTION. '

Bill, legs and feet black; iris brown; plumage glossy black
with violet reflections, brightest on wing-coverts, tail and back;
top of head frequently without metallic tint— young usually
dull black. The male is larger than the female, and measures
about nineteen inches In length and thirty-eight inches in ex-
tent.

Habitat. — North America from the Fur countries to Mexico.

The Crow readily reoog^nized by its large size and
jiflassy black plumage is a common resident of Pennsyl-
vania during all montlis of the year.

This species ranges throughout different portions
of North America, but is found chiefly in the eastern
United States. In this locality the Crow commences
nest-building in the latter part of April; both sexes
engage in this work which is completed In from three

to five davs. » i

* I. .

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The nest, a very bulky structure, measuring about
twenty inches in diameter and ten inches in depth, is
made up of sticks, twigs, bark, leaves, etc. It is built
usually in an oak, chestnut or other tree in an unfre-
quented woods; nests are sometimes placed in low
trees or bushes in cedar thickets. The eggs vary
greatly in size and color; four to six in number; length
about 1.65 by 1.19 inches in width; light-greenish,
spotted brown and black with purplish tints. The
note of this v/ell-knovvn bird is a loud harsh caw. Dur-
ing the early spring, fall and winter months this spec-
ies is gregarious; flocks numbering from fifty to sev-
eral hundred individuals are frequently observed scat-

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COLOR PLATE

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280

' COMMON CROW.

Corvus americanus.

DESORIPTION.

Bill, legs and feet black; iris brown; plumage glossy black
with violet reflections, brightest on wing-coverts, tail and back;
top of head frequently without metallic tint— young usually
dull black. The male is larger than the female, and measures
about nineteen inches in length and thirty-eight inches in ex-
tent.

Habitat. — Xorth America from the Fur countries to Mexico.

The Crow readily recognized by its large size and
^dossy black plumage is a common resident of Pennsyl-
vania during all months of the year.

This species ranges throughout different portions
of North America, but is found chiefly in the eastern
United Statf^s. In iliis locality the Crow commences
nest-building in the latter part of April; both sexes
(Migage ill this work which is completed in from three
to five days.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The nest, a very bulky structure, measuring about
twenty inches in diameter and ten inches in depth, is
made up of sticks, twigs, bark, leaves, etc. It is built
usually in an oak, chestnut or other tree in an unfre
(|uented woods; nests are sometimes placed in low
tiees or bushes in cedar thickets. The eggs vary
greatly in size and color; four to six in number; length
about l.()5 by 1.10 inches in width; light-greenish,
spotted brown and black with purplish tints. The
note of this v/ell-knowu bird is a h)ud harsh caw. Dur-
ing the early spring, fall and winter months this spec-
ies is gregarious; flocks numbering from fifty to sev-
eral Inindred individuals are frequently observed scat-

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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281

tered over the fields, meadows, along the highways, or
in the woods searching for food. At night these birds
resort in great numbers to favorite roosting places,
such as pine forests, cedar thickets, etc.

WILL EAT EOG^S AND POULTRY.

In the late spring and summer, Grows are particu-
larly destructive to young poultry, and the eggs and
young of small wild birds; frequently nests of domes-
ticated fowls, especially guineas and turkeys that often
wander to a considerable distance from the farm house
to lay, are also pillaged. These birds, as every farmer
is well aware, commit more or less mischief in corn
fields. • V .

Although the Crow will rob the nest of any small
bird which he can get at, the nests of the Robin, Wood
Thrush, Catbird, Meadow Lark and Dove are the ones
I have usually seen disturbed. The injury which the
Grow occasions b}' his egg-sucking, bird-devouring
habits is, it is affirmed by eminent authorities, more
than compensated by the large numbers of noxious
insects and mammals which he devours.

There is no doubt, however, that when a pair of
Grows, in the breeding season, get in the habit of vis-
iting the farm yard to catch young chickens and steal
eggs, they will do considerable damage. Such visitors,
like bad individuals of the human race, which are
found in nearly every community, should be checked
in their evil careers. So far as the Crows are con-
cerned, this can be best accomplished by the use of
either a good shot gun or an egg dosed with a little
strychnine. Their nest, which is usually to be found
in a woods near the place where the thieving practices
are carried on, should also be destroyed, particularly
if it contains young.

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FISH CBOW.

Corvua ossifragus.

r

DESCRIPTION. . ' . ^ . .^

Smaller than the Common Crow. Glossy black with green
and violet reflections; the gloss of head neck and belly green
bill and feet black; iris brown. Length fourteen to sixteen
inohes; length of extended wings about thjrty-two inches.

^a6i«a«.— Atlantic coast, from Long Island to Florida. Along
Delaware and Susquehanna riv-ers.

The Fish Grow is a common and abundant resident
daring all seasons about the maritime districts of mo«t,
or, perhaps, all the southern states. According to
Audubon this species migrates northward in April and
ascends the Delaware river in Pennsylvania, to nearly
its source, but on the approach of cold weather returns
to its southern winter quarters. This bird is also
found in summer along the Susquehanna river from
Lancaster county southward.

BREEDS NEAR PHILADELPHIA.

Mr. Thos. Gentry, writing in 1877, says he has ob-
served the Fish Crow nesting along the water courses
in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. The nest and
eggs of this bird, although smaller, cannot with ab-
solute certainty be distinguished from those of the
Common Crow. Small-sized eggs of Crows like skins
of under-sized Crows can be labelled "Fish Crow" and
few people will recognize the difference. The Fish
Crow, like the preceding species, builds in trees.

ITS VOICE.

The voico of the Fish Crow, as Wilson says, is very
different from that of the Common Crow, being more

I .Bl!l

hoarse and guttural, uttered as if something had
lodged in the throat. Audubon describes the common
note of this bird with the syllables ha, ha, hae, fre-
quently repeated.

WILL TAKE DUCKLINGS.

The Fish Crow will sometimes pick up young ducks
of both wild and domesticated kinds, and they also
pillage the nests of Mudhens and other aquatic birds.
They visit shallow waters and feed on small-sized fish
which they capture. They eat mussels and sometimes
when endeavoring to extract the flesh of the bivalve
from its hard enclosure, the bird is caught by the bill
and held a helpless prisoner.

WHAT AUDUBON SAYS OF ITS FOOD HABITS.

In referring to the food of this bird Aubudon writes
substantiallv as follows:

While searching for food, these birds hover at a moderate
height over the water; but when they rise in the air, to amuse
themselves, they often reach a great elevation. Like the Com-
mon Crow, the Fish Crow robs other birds of their eggs and
young. They also prey upon the Fiddler-crab, which they
pursue and dig out of the muddy burrows into which they re-
tire at the approach of danger. Small fry are easily secured
with their claws as they fly close over the water's surface,
from which they also pick up, like Gulls, any sort of garbage
suited to their appetite; sometimes they will pursue and at-
tack the smaller Terns and Gulls to force them to disgorge
the small fish that they have captured. Fish Crows are able
to capture live fish with considerable dexterity, but cannot
feed on the wing. During the winter and spring the Fish
Crows are very fond of feeding on many kinds of berries. As
spring advances, and the early fruits ripen. Fish Crows become
fond of the mulberry, and select the choicest of the ripe figs,
more especially when they are feeding their young. A dozen
are often seen at a time, searching for the tree which has the
best figs, and so troublesome do they become in the imme-
diate vicinity of Charleston, that it is found necessary to sta-
tion a man near a fig tree with a gun. They also eat pears,
as well as various kinds of huckleberries.

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284

X.:

BLUE JAY.

Cvanocitta cristata.

: DESCRIPTION '

Head crested; bill rather slender; length about twelve inches;
extent about seventeen; bill and legs black; ^y^s ^rown; crest
and upper back a light purplish-blue; w ngs and tail bright
blue- lower parts whitish and grayish white, crossed on lower
throkt by a black collar which unites with black feathers on
sides of head and crest; narrow frontal line and lores back

fi'a6i<a<.— Eastern North America to the plains, and from the
Pur countries south to Florida and eastern Texas. Resident
in Pennsylvania.

The Blue Jay is found in Pennsylvania during all
seasons of the year, but in the autumn and summer
months this species is more plentiful than at other per-
iods. This beautiful bird is an inhabitant chiefly of
the forests. During the breeding season Jays usually
associate in pairs, but in the late summer and autumn
it is not unusual to find them in small flocks.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

Both sexes engage in nest-building, which, in this
latitude, is begun about the 20th of April. A nest
which I saw the birds building was completed in about
five days. The nest, a strong bulky structure, com-
posed chiefly of twigs and fine roots, is placed com-
monly in a tree in the woods; sometimes, though rarely
in this locality, nests are built in low bushes. The
ef^g^, four to six in number, mostly five, are greenish
or brownish gray, spotted with brown. Length about
1.15 inches, width .84 of an inch. In Florida the Blue
Jay nests some five or fnx weeks earlier than in this
latitude; at least I suppose this to be the case, as T have

4

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COLOR PLATE

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BLUE JAY

I

284

BLUE JAY.
Cvanoeitta cristata.

DESCRIPTION

Head crested; bill rather slender; length about twelve inches;
extent about seventeen; bill and legs black; eyes ^^rown; crest
and upper back a light purplish-blue; wings and tail bright
blue- lower parts whitish and grayish white, crossed on lower
throat by a black collar which unites with black feathers on
sides of head and crest; narrow frontal line and lores back.

Habitat— Eastern North America to the plains, and from the
Fur countries south to Florida and eastern Texas. Resident
in Pennsylvania.

The Blue Jay is found iu Pennsylvania during all
seasons of the year, but in the autumn and summer
months this species is more plentiful than at other per-
iods. This beautiful bird is an inhabitant chiefiy of
the forests. During the breeding season Jays usually
associate in pairs, but in the late summer and autumn
it is not unusual to find them in small flocks.

TUK NEST AND PXiGS.

Both sexes engage in nest-building, which, in this
latitude, is begun about the 20th of April. A nest
which I saw the birds building was completed in about
five days. The nest, a strong bulky structure, com-
[>osed chiefly of twigs and fine roots, is placed com-
monly in a tree in the woods; sometimes, though rarelv
in this locality, nests are built in low bushes. The
k^i;gf^, four to six in number, mostly five, are greenish
or brownish gray, spotted with brown. Length about
1.15 inches, width .84 of an inch. In Florida the Blue
Jav nests some five or ^'ix w(H^ks earlier than in this
latitude; at least T suppose this to be the case, as T have

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BLUE JAY

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

i

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seen these birds collecting sticks, etc., as early as the

first week in March. ,

., .•'■'■ '•■ ■ »-.-.- - • • . ■

SUCK HENS' EGGS AND KILL BIRDS.

The Blue Jay and also the "Scrub Jay'^ (Aphelocoma
floridana), are in bad repute among the Florida farm-
ers, from the fact that they, (particularly the "Scrub
Jay") suck the eggs of chickens. They also eat the
eggs of many kinds of wild birds and whenever a good
chance offers they will ati:ack and kill the young of
their feathered neighbors.

WHAT A MASSACHUSErrrS NATURALIST SAYS.

In reference to the food of the Blue Jay, Mr. E. A.
Samuels writes as follows:

"Its food is more varied than that of almost any other bird
that we have. In winter the berries of the cedar, barberry, or
blackthorn, with the few eggs or cocoons of insects that it Is
able to find, constitute its chief sustenance. In early spring
the opening buds of shrubs, caterpillars and other insects, af-
ford it a -meagre diet. Later in the spring and through the
greater part of su-mmer, the eggs and young of the smaller
birds constitute its chief food, varied by a few insects and
early berries. Later in the summer and in early autumn,
small fruits, grains and a few insects afford it a bountiful pro-
vender; and later in the autumn when the frosts have burst
open the burs of chestnuts and beechnuts and exposed the
brown ripe fruit to view, these form a palatable and accepta-
ble food, and a large share of these delicious nuts fall to the
portion of these busy and garrulous birds."

STATEMENTS FROM OTHER OBSERVERS.

Mr. F. E. L. Beal in his paper on "The Blue Jay and
Its Food," publishes the following paragraphs from
three reliable field observers which show plainly that
the Blue Jay delights to suck eggs and carry off young
birds:

o^ ,' ')

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"Mr. Henry M. Berry, of . lawa City, Iowa, claims to have
seen Blue Jays suck the contents of four egff« of the wood
thrush while the old bird wa« only a few feet distant doing
its best to drive them away." .-: ^^*>^ f

-Mr B F. Gosfi. of Pewaukee, Wis., declares that they are
the worst robbers of all. and that their destruction of the
eggs and young of small birds is appalling." •*' ^- '

"Mr T J Bull, of Hot Springs. Ark., writes: While standing
on the observatory on Hot Spring Mountain. I saw beneath
me a pair of Red birds chirping In great distress, and also
noticed a Blue Jay fly away. Upon looking more closely. I
discovered a nest with one young bird In It. * * * In abooit
half an hour the jay returned to the nest, picked up the young
bird, and flew away with It." ,,, . , , , .^ .,.., ^.y

Uv, F. E. L. Beal, Biologi&t of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture, Washington, D. 0,. has examined the
stomiachs of nearly 300 Blue Jays, mth a result which
justifies him in stating that this species "cei-tainly does
far more good than harm."

The careful inevstigations made by Mr. Beal showed
that in "292 stomachs collected in every month of the
year fiH>m tv\ ent]3'-two states and the District of Colum-
bia," the food consisted "of 24.3 per cent, of animal mat-
ter and 75.7 per cent, of vegetable matter or a trifle
more than three times as much vegetable as animal."
The animal food Mr. Beal states

Chiefly made up of Insects, with a few spiders, myrlapods,
snails and small vertebrates, such as fish, salamanders, tree
frogs, mice and birds * * but remains of birds were found in
only two, and the shells of small bird's eggs In three of the 292
stomachs • ♦ ♦ Shells of eggs which were identified as those
of domesticated fowls, or some bird of equal size, were found
in eleven stomachs."

Mr. Beal also found that

"The great bulk of the Insect food consists of beetles, grass-
hopers and caterpHlars. with a few bugs, wasps and files, and
an occasional spider and myrlapod."

'•^fK

287

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•^Pt ^T

ITS VEGETABLE FOOD.

?Mr. Beal found the following vegetable substances
in the stomachs of Blue Jays:

Grain and mast. — Corn, wlieat, oats, buckwheat,
acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts, hazlenuts, sumac (Rhus),
knotweed (Polygonum), sorrel (Rumex). .

Fruit and miscellaneous. — Apples, strawberries, cur-
rants (Ribes rubrum), blackberries (Rubus), mulberries
(Morus), blueberries (Vaccinium), huckleberries (Gay-
lussacia), wild cherries (Pruuus serotina), choke-cher-
ries (Prunus virginiana), wild grapes (Vitis oordifolia),
service berries (Amelanchier canadensis), elderberries
(Sambucus canadensis), sour-gum berries (Nyssa aqua-
tica), hawthorn (Crataegus), chikeberries (Aronia ar-
butifolia),ix)ke berries (Phytolacca decandra), oak galls,
mushrooms, tubers.

1

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288

THE SHRIKES.

These birds, included in the family Laniidae, on account of
their curious habits are so often mistaken for the smaller
species of hawks. This error frequently leads farmers and
sportsmen as well as poultry raisers to slay these beneflcial
birds when they come about their premises to hunt m.ce in-
sects, etc. As previously stated, although Shrikes have been
known to attack and kill the young of domesticated fowls, the
damage they do in this line is very trivial. They kill various
kinds of wild birds, but the species which they destroy are
chiefly those of the Sparrow family.

Concerning these birds Dr. Elliott Coues, one of the most
able ornithological authorities in America says: "Shrikes are
bold and spirited birds, quarrelsome among themselves, and
tyrannical toward weaker species; in fact, their nature seemed
as rapacious as that of the true birds of prey. They are carni-
vorous, feeding on insects and such small birds and quad-
rupeds as they can capture and overpower; many instances
have been noted of their dashing attacks upon cage-birds, and
their reckless pursuit of other species under circumstances that
cost them their own lives. But the most remarkable fact in
the natural history of the Shrikes is their singular and inex-
plicable habit of impaling their prey on thorns or sharp twigs,
and leaving it sticking there. This has occasioned many in-
genious surmises, none of which, however, are satisfactory."

n

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GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE.

. Lanius borealis.

^ \ . . . .. ■

. DEiSORIPnON.

Length about ten and one-half inches; extent about four-
teen; tail about four and three- fourths; above pale bluish-gray,
whitening on upper tail-coverts and scapulars; and some speci-
mens have upper parts faintly tinged with pale rusty; below
whitish (sometimes tinged With pale brown), breast and sides
"waved" with dusky or grayish lines; lores and a broad streak
back of eye black; wings and tail blackish; the primaries (large
wing quills) are white from base to ajbout half their length;
nearly all tail feathers have white tips and outer webs of lat-
eral ones are white.

H^txftita^— Northern North America, south in the winter to the
middle portions of United States (Washington, D. C, Kentucky,
Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, etc.).

Tills species although recorded by Dr. W. P. Turn-
bull, as a summer resident "on the mountain ridges of
the Alleghenies," do<?s not, I am quite positive, ever
breed within our limits. Tlie Shrike or Butcher-bird
which rears its family in Pennsylvania, and is common,
particularly in the northwestern section of the Com-
monwealth, is the Loggerhead which in many instances
is mibtaken for its lartrer and more powerful relative,
which in the summer season retires usually beyond the
northern United States to rear its young.

The Northern Shrike is more frequently met with in
the upper than the lower half of Pennsylvania where
il is found as a winter sojourner from November to
April. It frequents briery thickets, thorn hedges, and
.m*assy fields near trees and bushes. Birds of this
species sometimes visit towns and prey on English
J^parrows. Shrikes feed chiefly o-n grasshoppei^s and
• ►eetles, and when these are not easily obtained they

i9~n

GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE.

COLOR PLATE

2S9

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r^'

GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE

GREAT NORTHERN 8HRIKE.

Lanius borealis.

DESCRIPTION.

Length about ten and one-half inches; extent about four-
teen; tail about four and three-fourths; above pale bluish-gray,
whitening on upper tail-coverts and scapulars; and some speci-
mens have upper parts faintly tinged with pale rusty; below
whitish (sometimes tinged With pale brown), breast and sides
"waved" with dusky or grayish lines; lores and a broad streak
hack of eye black; wings and tail blackish; the primaries (large
wing quills) are white from base to aibout half their length;
nearly all tail feathers have white tips and outer webs of lat-
pifll ones are white.

Habitat, — Northern North America, south in the winter to the
middle portions of United States (Washington, D. C, Kentucky,
Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, etc.).

This species although recorded by Dr. W. P. Turn-
bull, as a summer resident *^on the mountain ridges of
the Alleghenies,'- do(^s not, I am quite positive, ever
l)reed within our limits. The* Shrike or Jiutcher-biid
which rears its familv in IVnnsvlvania, and is common,
particularlv in the northwestern section of the Com-
monwealth,is the Loggi^rhead which in many instances
is misiakon for its larircr and mo?e powerful relative,
which in the summer season retires usuallv bevond the
northern United States to rear its young.

The Northern Shrike is more frequently met with in
tli(* ujjper tiian the lower half of IVnnsylvania wlierc^
ii is found as a wintei* sojourner from XovemlxM* to
Ajiril. It frequents briery thickets, thorn luMlges, and
iii-assy fields near trees and bushes. Birds of this
species sometimes visit towns and Yvv-y on Knglisli
Sparrows. Shriki^s feed cliieHy on grassho])pers and
beetles, and when these are not easilv obtained tlu^v

19-n

-till

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

290

subsist on ipice, moles and small birds. The Northern
BhrJke, assassin like, will conceal himself in bushes and
imitate tlie cries of other birds in distress, and when
they come sufficiently near his ambush! he will, to their
great con^ernation, fly into their midst and seize one
of their number. He has been known to capture
Robin, Snow-birds (Juncos) and other kinds of Spar
rows in this way.

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291

'<^^'

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j ■•-• ' < " *.'

LOOGEKHEAD SHRIKE.
Lanius ludoyicianus.

DESCRIPTION.

V

Length, about eight and one-half inches; extent, eleven and
one-half; tail, four; above slate-colored; scapulars, rump, and
upper tail coverts lighter. Below white; pale grayish on sides;
Some specimens have lower parts partly waved with dusky 1 nas,
but others, especially full-plumaged adults, lack these lines;
feathers about nostrils, lores, broad streak back of eye, and below
the eye also, likewise bill and legs (old birds), are black. The
wings and tail are black; tips of secondaries (second size quills
of wings) and basal half of primaries (large wing quills)
white. Tail feathers as in the Northern Shrike are marked
with white.

HahitaU — More southern portions of Eastern United States;
north regularly to Southern Illinois, Central Ohio, Northwest-
ern Pennsylvania, etc. In Eastern and Central Pennsylvania,
this species and also the variety called White-rumped is seldom
met with.

The Loggerhead Shrike is a common summer bird
in Erie and Crawford counties. It is said to breed also
in Lawrence, Mercer and some other of the counties in
Western Pennsylvania. The following remarks con-
cerning this Butcher-bird, as it it best known to farm-
ers and poultrers in the Erie region, are taken from
my note book.

"Erie City, May 20, 1889. To-day Mr. Geo. B. Sennett and I
drove out aibout three miles east of the city; and on the road
shot three adult Shrikes (two males and female), and secured
their nests and young". .

THE NEST, E^GS AND YOUNG.

Both nests were built in thorn trees. One nest In a field
near the edge of a woods contained four young, two or three
days old, and two egg^. The other nest was situated about
four and a half feet from the ground, directly over a cow-
path in a meadow; it had evidently been disturbed as it was

I

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292

insecurely placed, being partly turned over. This nest, con-
taining two half-fledged males, was composed almost entirely
of plant-fiber and chicken feathers; a few small twigs only
being on the outside. It measures inside of cavity four and
une-half inches wide and two and a half inches in depth.

"Erie, May 21, 18«9. To-day Mr. Sennett and I found three
nests of Shrikes east of this city. They all were built in thorn
or wild crab apple trees along the roadside and were from
ten to twelve feet above the ground. One nest contained live
fresh eggs; parent bird sitting on nest. When I was securini;
this nest and eggs the old birds flew near me uttering sharp,
rasping cries. The eggs four, five or six in number are white
spotted with light brown, purplish or oliv?; they measure
about .97 long by .72 of an inch wide.

THEY SQUEAK LIKE MICE.

•'The notes of young Shrikes are not unlike the squeak of a
mouse. Indeed, my friend, Mr. Sennett, yesterday, when I was
killing the young we had captured, stepped on a strap, and
hearing the squeaky voices of the birds in my hand thought
at first that he had trc.^d on a mouse. When taking the nests
which contained young the old Shrikes were quite bold, and
when the squeaky cries of their children were heard they flew
directly at my head, but on finding it Impossible to drive m^
away by these attacks they alighted close by, and remain<?d
silent witnesses to the despoliation of their treasures, which
were soon secured by me for the State Museum, and then
both the parent ibirds were shot."

WHERE THEY WATCH FOR PREY.

When feeding these birds repair to fence-rows or
hedgt^^s, bushes in fields and along the margins of
woods and thickets; they also frequent grass fields
and meadows and perch on fences, dead branches of
trees and bushes, or on tall weeds. From these com
manding and elevated watching places they readily
dii^cover gra8shoi)pei*<, large ground inhabiting bee-
tles and small mammals which form the chief part of
their menu. Shnkef?. likp Blackbirds and Grows often
visit plowed grounds in quest of insects, mice, etc.

293

THP WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE.

The race known as the White-rumped Shrike,
(Lanius ludovicianua excvbitoridesl is very similar to
the Loggerhead, from which it differs chiefly in being
paler above, more like the Northern Shrike, and with
more whitish on rump and upper tail co.verts; and it
is stated that the wings, tail and tarsns (ankle) aver-
age a little longer, and the bill is a trifle smaller than
in the Ix)ggerhead.

\ '

:'7 iTi '

i

294

BLACKBIRDS.

Crow Blackbirds belong" to the family leteridae which in-
cludes also the Orioles, Bob-o-link, or Reed bird, Cow Bunting,
Rusty Grackle, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds
and Meadow Lark. In Pennsylvania we have only nine species
and one geographical race of this family, which is a sort of con-
necting link between the Crows and the Sparrows. The Cow
Bunting or Cow Blackbird is the only species in the State
which builds no nest or makes no effort to look after its young.
It is a veritable feathered parasite, with no musical ability.
Cow Blackbirds never mate; fliey are polygamous, and are at
all seasons of the year seen in flocks. Like the Cuckoos of
the Old World the Cow Blackbird drops her eggs in the nests
of other birds, such as Orioles, Warblers, Scarlet Tanager,
Song Sparrow, Chiippy, Vireos, etc.

I

295

Q
d

H

COMMON OKOW BLACKBIRD.
Quiscalua quiscula.

DEJSCRIPTION. , ,

Bill stout and about a« long ^f^*i?-^V''lhe*V-shaU'%'aii.''"io
yellow. In life may be recognize^ by the v sn p^^^ ^^^^^
conspicuous when fly'"f- ^^teadl an-d necK flg^tio„s of

steel-blue, the rest of the body ^ 1th van ^^^^ ^^^_

bronze, go'den, green, copper and purple^e ^^^^^

^C»^2?i.rs«r%"ut l^ye"r\n^d"d'uuer. with more green on
"founp^Very similar to female. The eyes of young birds are
'"SX-Measures about thirteen Inches long and eighteen

Inches in extent. ,_^„ irinrirto. to I^ong Island.

flo6«oe.— Atlantic States, from Florida lo i^wb

Common summer resident in Pennsylvania.

It can safely be said that of the numerous represen-.
tatives of the avian tribe abounding throughout this
.neat Couimonw ealth, no species is more abundant or
familiarly known than is the subject of this article,
Early in the month of March this species arrives in
Pennsylvania in large-sized flocks from their winter-
ing resorts, viz: Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and
other of the southern states.

During mild winters, however, I have frequently ob-
served them, in limited numbers, in Chester and Dela-
ware counties; also in the county of New Castle, Dela-
ware; correctly speaking, however, we cannot properly
regard these birds as winter residents of the Keystone

State.

I 1

'' LEAD A NOMADIC LIFE.

For a period of about one month following their
vernal arrival they roam over the country, frequenting

n

Hi

r«

COLOR PLATE

295

Q
d

A

<

J

[Q

COMMON GROW BLACKBIRD.

Quiscalus quiseula.

DESCRIPTION.

i_ A Kill and feet black; iris
Bill stout and about as long as head mu anu ^^^^ ^^

y,,,ow. in life, ""ay be recognized by the Vs ^^^^ ^^
eunsi>icuous when fly ng Head, and Tiec ^..flections ot

steel-blue, the rest of tl^^ body wui ^^^ letter most con-
bronze, golden,, green. '^^^PP%^\"'i Ji"eoverts and wings.
-J^S^.llm;r"r^ bu"t 's^^^e'l^n^d'd^u'^rer. with more green on
''foun^^Very similar to female. The eyes ot young birds are
"^.-Measures about thirteen inches long and eighteen

'"fla6«ae.-rtlintlc States, from Florida to Long Island.
CcmTmon summer resident in Pennsylvania.

It can safely be said that of the numerous represen-
utives of the avian tribe abounding throughout this
...eat Coimuonwealth, no species is more abundant or
Lmiliarlv known than is the subject of this article,
Early in the month of March this species arrives m
Pennsylvania in large-sized flocks from their winter-
ing resorts, viz: Virginia, the Cai-olinas, Georgia and
other of the southern states.

During mild winters, however, I have frequently ob-
served them, in limited numbers, in Chester and Dela-
ware counties; also in the county of New Castle, Dela-
\vare; correctly speaking, however, we cannot properly
regard these birds as winter residents of the Keystone
State. '

LEAD A NOMADIC LIFK.

For a period of about one month following their
vernal arrival they roam over the country, frequenting

ii

ll

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

296

297

chiefly moadows, low lands and plowed fields. On the .
a[>proacli of m^ht they collect in large numbers in.
some favorite roosting place, such as cedar or pine ^
trees, thick woods or dense thickets. ^ -k ' s.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

:J \iiKV

^.-^. c... .,

Nest-building is usually begun about the middle of '
April, although on two or three occasions I have found
uests, with full complements of eggs, as early as the
first week in April. ' ' ' " "^

In colonies of from ten to twentj,, seldom more, they
locate themselves for the purpose of nidifi cation and
reproduction. In this locality (Chester county) their
favorite breeding resorts are apple orchards, the fruit
and other trees commonly about the habitations of
man. The nest is bulky and rudely constructed exter-
nally of rootlets, small twigs, dry plants, bits of corn-
blades, etc., somewhat loosely but quite firmly bound
together. Mud or mudded materials frequently enter
into the construction of the nest, but this is not always
tlie case; the interior is lined usually with tine grasses;
occasionally I have seen leaves and feathers constitut-
ing the internal lamina. The construction of the nest
occupies about one week; both sexes engage in its erec-
tion. It is built at the junction of two or more large-
sized limbs, or anK)n<» the sprouts and matted twigs.
The nests vary somewhat in size, but the one now be-
fore me— about the average— gives the following di-
mensions: Height 6i inches; diameter; 7 7-8 inches;
depth of cavity, 3 inches. Genti^ observes that the
female begins to deposit her eggs, one ovum per da^ ,
the day following the completion of the nest Such
may be the case, but my observation has been that
oviposition does not often take place until three or

even five days subsequent to the completion of the nest.
The complement of eggs is commonly spoken of as six ;
genei-ally, however, I have found five, and regard this
number as the full quota. The eggs are light greenish
(sometimes pale rusty brown), spotted, blotched and
lined with black and dark-brown; they measure about
li inches long and about .90 of an inch wide. The
period of incubation is from fourteen to fifteen days.
The parent birds evince marked solicitude for their

nest and its contents. v .

■ ■ •

^' ' SELECT DIFFERENT NESTING SITE'S.

It is evident from the writings of various authorities
that the nesting sites of this species vary considerably.
Bv Nuttall and others we are informed that they some-
times build in bushes. From the works of Aubudon it
is learned that in the south they build chiefly in hol-
low trees. I have found these birds building in com-
mon house ivy (Hedera helix) but never in bushes, and
only on two ocoisions have I discovered their nests in
liollow trees; both of these nests were built in apple
trees. One was constructed in a limb about seven
feet from the ground, the other was placed about
twenty feet from the earth; neither of these differed
materially in their make up from the average nest.

- ' FOOD.

To the agi'iculturist this is a subject wx)rthy of much
consideration. It appears to be the prevailing opinion
among many farmos — the majority in fact — that
Crow blackbirds are in many ways detrimental, and in
no particular are they beneficial. This belief, evi-
dently handed down from one generation to another,
is taken in its full meaning, widelv at variance with
19*-1I

i^

298

positive fact. Among the first of our vernal migrants
tM)me the Crow Blackbirds in large flocks which dis-
perse themselves over the country, frequenting, princi-
pally, as previously stated, meadow lands and humid
grounds in quest chiefly of an insect diet, that is only
occasionally diversified by a grain of corn, wheat or
oats, and such seeds as may be found in seeking the
hidden insect.

» ■*•

THEY HUNT BEETLES AND GRUBS.

In the wake of the plowman as he turns the crumb-
ling earth, the argus eyed Blackbirds follow closely
ever on the alert to seize the wriggling worm, the
agile beetle, and the numerous larvae thrown out as
each furrow is turned. Certainly at this season our
sable acquaintances are engaged only in that which
will prove of utility to the cultivator when his crops
are growing. We repeatedly heard of how the Black-
birds tear up and devour the young and growing corn.
This, unquestionably, is sometimes the case but I am
confident that the destruction thus done is much ex-
aggerated. I am aware that on more than one occa-
sion I have seen the tender blades of corn lying on the
ground where there were actively at work Crow Black-
birds, a number of which were shot, and on post mor-
tem dissection their stomachs revealed almost entirely
insects. Some ten years ago I was visiting a friend
who had thirty odd acres of corn (maize) planted.
Quite a number of "blackies" as he styled them, were
plying themselves with great activity about the grow-
ing cereal. We shot thirty-one of these birds feeding
in the cornfield. Of this number nineteen showed only
cut-worms in their stomachs. The number of cut-

299

worms in each, of coui-se, varied, but as many as
twenty-two were taken from one stomach. In seven
some com was found, in connection with a very large
excess of insects, to wit: Beetles, earthworms and cut-
worms. The remaining five showed chiefly beetles. ■

■V*

.;

THEY EAT SOME FRUIT.

Comment is frequently made with regard to the Pur-
ple Crackles, as these bii-ds are sometimes called, pil-
laging the cherry trees. To some extent this is true,
but certainly the amount of fruit taken is small, far
less than that injured by the Cedar or Cherry Bird.

Strawberries, blackberries and other fruits are fed
upon, but to a very limited extent, by this species.
The diet of the young birds, while under parental care,
is almost exclusively insectivorous, consisting mainly
of caterpillars and grubs. - -^- r- - - <^

It is a well established fact that they are given to
stealing the eggs of other birds, especially the common
Robin; and sometimes they kill and devour the young
of other birds. . - . . .

In referring to this species, Wilson very aptly re-
marks: : •

"As some consolation to the industrious cultivator, I can
assure him that were I placed in his situation, I should hesi-
tate whether to consider these birds most as friends or en-emles,
as they are particularly destructive to almost all the noxious
worms, grubs and caterpillars that infest his fields, which,
were they allowed to multiply unmolested, would soon con-
sume nine-tenths of all productions of his labor and desolate
the country with the miseries of famine." .. •■ ,.

Attention is called to several series of stomach ex^
aminations, made at different periods during the past
twelve years, and from such work tlie rejider can draw
his own conclusions.

M

^ ./

J

301

300

March. Twcuty-Diiie examined. They showed chiefly
insects and seeds; in five, corn was present, and in four
wheat and oats were found. All of these grains, how-
ever, were in connection with an excess of insect food.

April. Thirty-three examined. They revealed chiefly
insects, with but a small amount of vegetable matter.

May. Eighty-two examined. Almost entirely in-
sects, cut-worms being especially frequent. tit..

June. Forty-three examined. Showed generally in-
sects, cut- worms in abundance; fruits and berries pre-
sent, but to very small extent.

July. Thirty-eight examined. Showed mainly in-
sects; berries present in limited amount.

August. Twenty-three examined. Showed chiefly
insects, berries and corn. -- ^.oi o/'

September. Eighteen examined. Showed insects,
berries, corn and seeds. * » i;!'?'^.-jj

October. During this month (1882), the writer made
repeated visit® to roosting resorts, where these birds
were collected in great numbers, and shot three hun-
dred and seventy-eight, which w^ere examined. Of this
number the following is the result of examinations, in
detail of one hundred and eleven stomachs: , «

Thirty, corn and coleoptera (beetles); twenty-seven,
corn only; fifteen, orthoptera (graisshopi>ers) ; eleven,
corn and seeds; eleven, corn and orthoptera; seven, col-
eoptera; three, coleoptera and orthoptera; three, wheat
and coleoptera; two, wheat and corn; (me, wheat; one,
diptera (flies).

The remaining two hundred and sixty-seven birds
were taken from the lOth to the 31»t of the month, and
their food was found to consist almost entirely of com.

A THOUSAND STOMACHS EXAMINED.

^h^ the pa»t fifteen years the writer has made,
during the different months o.f tbe year, examinations
of nearlv one thousand stomachs of Crow Blackbirds,
taken iii Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Flor-

■...'■■' ' *

' In i)rief, it can be stated that these examinations
showed that in the fall when insect food was scarce
«>rtt was largely eaten by these birds, bnt during pre-
vio.is ])eii(>dh- of their residence in Pennsylvania differ-
ent forin« of insect-life constitute by far the larger por-

tion of their diet. ' . ,

... ■ ' ' • . i

THEY ARE FOND OF LARVAE.

Blackbirds are very partial to grub worms, cut-
worms and other larvae, which they find in newly-
plowed ground, com fields and pasture. As stated
(4e«ewhere this species as well as the Bronzed Grackle,
a subspecies of the Crow Blackbird which is the com-
mon form in the western part of Pennsylvania, was
found to feed with great eagerness on tlie destrucHve
Army Worm which was so numerous and very gener-
ally dispers(^ throughout this State in 1890, when this
crawling and vomcious pe^t destroyed grain and other
crops to the amount of about |300,000 (estimated).

THEY CATCH GRASSHOPPERS.

Blackbirds love to catch and eat the frisky grass-
lioppers which often do so much damage to the farm-
er's crops; and they also devour numerous kinds of
jjround beetles. They will eat the destructive plum
(iirculio, and likewise devour its larvae.

• ♦<• WILL EAT WHEAT, OATS AND CORN.

They visit the oat and wheat stubble or the com field

I

«Mi^

302

and feed on the grain they find scattered over the
ground, and they frequently make a meal on the eereal»
when in the milky state, or when it is cut and shocked.

WIL/L ETAT BIRDS AND EGGS.

--■*

Crow Blackbirds destroy the eggs and young of a
number of species of small wild birds which nest in
parks, lawns and gardens. Like the Crows, they will
visit the meadows and grass fields and steal the eggs
or nestlings of Meadow-larks, Quail and other ground-
nesting species. They sometimes will catch young
chickens soon after they are hatched, an<l it is affirmed
that they will also eat the eggs of domesticated fowls.
The damage, how^ever, which Blackbirds do in the poul-
try yard is very insignificant.

THEIY SOMiETI'MES EAT FISH.

I >(.

In Florida, the Blackbird, according to my investi-
gations, takes most kindly to a fish diet. In the spring
of 1885 I collected seventeen Blackbirds in Florida,
along the St. John's river. These seventeen examples,
obtained at various periods from March 1 to May 7,
showed generally an insect food preference — beetles,
principally. Six of the number, however, revealed un-
mistakable evidences of having taken as nourishment
fishes, as will be seen by this table:

<5

1

2
3

4

5

6

Date

Locality.

Food Materials.

March 3. 1885,'
AdHI 21. 1885,

April lU. IhSo.

March 14. 1S86,
April 29, 1^85.
May. 1886,

Volusia county, Fla.
Orange county, Fla.
Orange county, Fla.

Volusia county, Fla.

Volusia county, Fl«,

Volu»la oo^lnty, Fla.

Five small fishes; beetle and grub.

Three fishes; beetles and mulberrlea

Remains of fishes; beetle*, small

seeds, etc

Remains of fishes, beetle, oats
and com.

Cray-flsh, minnow and different
insects.

Remains of fishes and green col-
ored beetle. !

.■'■ ■■^■•■"r "" 303 ■.

A Florida fisherman, during the early part of April,
1885 caught a number of "perch" which spoiled before
a market could be found for them. The decaying car-
casses were tossed into the river, to float away or to be
"gobbled up" by the voracious "catties." Several of
these defunct fishes lodged among the shell rocks lin-
ing the bajiks. Probably an hour after the castaways
had lain along the riverside, three Crow Blackbirds
were seen— quoting the phraseology of a "cracker" who
was present at the tim^-"to jine de fish and feast
•emselves to plum fulness." After the departure of
the sable visitants, inspection of the feeding place
revealed that the birds had picked out the eyes of
seven, or all but one, of the fishes, tiiree of which were
considerably torn about the abdominal regions. The
mutilated condition of the belly muscles is mainly at-
tributed to the fact that the fish had been eviscerated
before having been thrown away, hence these incised
parts were more accessible to mandibular action than
other and unbroken parts of the scaly anatomy. Cer-
tainly there is no obvious reason why the abdominal
and neighboring pectoral portions of a "perch" should
be more i)alatable to the sprightly "White-eyed Jack-
daw," as the native Floridians are accustomed to term
the species.

THE BRONZED BLACKBIRD.

The Bronzed Grackle (Q, quiscula aenus, Ridgw.)
is the eomraon Crow Blackbird found in Pennsylvania
west of the Allegheny mountains. In eastern Pennsyl-
vania this bird is rather rare. This variety differs
from the typical quiscula chiefly in having a uniform
braaajy-colored body, and wings and tail purplish or
violet, never bluish.

(

3U4

THE HEUONS AND BITTERNS.

The family ArdHdae contains, it is said, about seventy-five
species which are very generally dispersed throughout all parts
of the globe. A few species wander to cold countries but the
great majority of these waders inhabit the lower temperate and
tropical countries. In different localities throughout the United
States about eighteen species and varieties (local or geograph-
ical races) are recorded by modern writers: and of these
nine Fpecies have been taken during recent years in Pennsyl-
vania. Some species occur with us as regular summer resi-
dents, while others are observed here only as transitory visi-
tors in the spring and fall migrations. . .

These birds frequent muddy banks of rivers, creeks, lakes
and ponds; they are also found about swampy meadows and
marshy places, particularly if the latter are well supplied with
pools of shallow water, protected by trees or bushes. Birds of
this family often remain quiet or inactive in daytime, but as
evening approaches, or in the night, they go out, like the Owls,
in quest of food, which they secure by rapid and dexterous
thrusts of their long, spear-like bills.

'Birds of this family subsist chiefly on various kinds of fishes,
frogs, snakes; and they also eat other kinds of animal food,
such as large insects, field mice, lizards, toads, cray-fish,
leeches, etc., and some of the birds of this group eat rats as
well as the young of birds of other species which breed about
their favorite feeding resorts. The Great Blue Heron, the
Night Heron and the Great Bittern all, it is asserted, have been
observed to catch ducklings of both wild and domesticated
species. Last year a farmer near Harrlsburg shot a Great
Blue Heron which he said had killed several young chickens
which were about a carp pond near his spring house.

The damage which Herons or Bitterns do to wild birds or
domesticated fowls is very Insignificant; indeed, it is very sel-
dom that a Heron or Bittern attempts to capture the young
of any feathered animals.

*

ir\

»»* »^. . <»

305

' oiJ^<^„:.jv-~-'-

-. - .-V

'■"••I':''

4

GREAT BLUE HERON

, >

GREAT BLUE HERON.
Ardoa herodias.

DESCRIPTION. ^

Adult.^BiU about six inches long, chiefly yellow; dusky on
oulmen; eyes yellow; legs and feet blackish, yellowish about
toes; lores greenish-yellow or bluish. The color of bill, legs
and lores vary greatly not only with age and season but also
with individuals. The male, larger than female, is about four
feet long and about six feet from tip to tip. Forehead and
central portion of crown white, surrounded on sides and be-
hind with black; long occipital feathers black; neck chiefly
brownish-gray; feathers on middle (in front) of lower two-
thirds of neck, with a showy streak of black, white and rusty,
chin and upper part of neck in front white. Tibiae ("thighs")
and edge of wing reddish brown; upper parts and tail light
bluish slate color; long scapular feathers and long straggling
feathers on lower neck. The young are different in many re-
spects from the above, but can always be known by their
large size and a general resemblance to the adult.

Habitat, — North America, from the Artie regions southward
to the West Indies and Northern South America.

This bird, the hirgest of our Horoiis, is a summer
resident in vai-ious localities in this State. During the
last ten years, however, several favorite breeding re-
sorts in eastern Pennsylvania, which were annually
vij^ited by this and otluM* species, have been broken up
by boys and men who destroyed the birds, old and
young, simply because their feathers would bring a
few dollars, and, as they remarked, "there's nc- law to
stop it."

I have no doubt that the time will soon come when
this beautiful Hei-on will be known in this Common-
wealth only as a rare straggling visitant.

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The nest is made of large sticks and twig«, and
placed on the larger limbs of trees which grow usuallv
20-n

i

li
n

It

[

COLOR PLATE

305

GREAT BLUE HERON.

Ardoa heiodias.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult.^BiU about six inches long, chiefly yellow; dusky on
culmen; eyes yellow; leg's and feet blackish, yellowish about
toes; lores greenish-yellow or bluish. The color of bill, legs
and lores vary greatly not only with age and season but also
with individuals. The male, larger than female, is about four
feet long and about six feet from tip to tip. Forehead and
central portion of crown white, surrounded on sides and be-
hind with black; long occipital feathers black; neck chiefly
brownish-gray; feathers on middle (in front) of lower two-
thirds of neck, with a showy streak of black, white and rusty,
chin and upper part of neck in front white. Tibiae ("thighs")
and edge of wing reddish brown; upper parts and tail light
bluish slate color; long scapular feathers and long straggling
feathers on lower neck. The young are different in many re-
spects from the above, but can always be known by their
large size and a general resemblance to the adult.

Habitat, — North America, from the Artie regions s<iuthward
to the West Indies and Northern South America.

This bird, the liiigest of oni* lldoiis, is a sinniner
n»sident in various localiti(^s in this State. During the
lasf ton years, liowever, several favorite* hreeding n^-
sorts in eastern Pennsvlvania. whieli were annuallv
vivjlod by this and (>tli«M* species, liave been broken Uj)
by boys and men who destroycni the birds, old and
young, simply because their feathers would bring a
few dollars, and, as they remarked, "there's nc law to
stop it.''

T liavc^ no doubt tluit tlu^ lime will soon c;>m(^ when
this beautiful Heron will be known in this Tommon-
wealth only as a rare straggling visitant.

THE NKST AND ErUlS.

Th(^ nesj is made of hirge sticks and twigs, and
placed o.n the larger limbs of trees which grow usuallv
20-n

GREAT B LU E H ERON

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

306

near the water. The eggs vary in number from three
to five- they are light blue in color, and about the size
of those of our common domestic fowl.

DANGEROUS W^HEN WOUNDED. ; ^\

This bird, and the same is true of other Herons,
when wounded and unable to escape, is one which can-
not be handled with too much caution, as it frequently,
with its sharp and powerful bill, inflicts severe, dan-
gerous, and sometimes even fatal wounds. In Florida
I met a hunter who had an eye destroyed by one of
these birds which he had winged and carelessly at-
tempted to pick up. ' > ^ '■- ' r

y TmI

ITS FLESH IS QUITE PALATABLE. . •

By some, particularly residents of certain of the
southern states, the flesh of the Great Blue Heron is
considered quite a delicious morsel. Some few win-
ters ago, when camping in the cypress swamps of Flor^
ida, I, more from necessity than choice, eat the breast
meat of this bird and also that of the Water Turkey
(Anhinga anhingaj, which preys exclusively on flsh, and
although I did not especially relish the dish, I must
admit that to a hungry man it was in no way disagree-
able.

WHAT NUTTALL SAYS OF ITS HABITS.

The following interesting observations on the food-
habits are given by Nuttall:

"Fish Is the principal food of the Great Blue Heron, and far
this purpose, like an experienced angler, he often waits for
that condition of the tide which best suits his experience and
instinct. At such times they are seen slowly saUing out from
their Inland breeding haunts, during the most silent and cool

307

period of the summer's day, selecting usually such shallow
inlets as the ebbing tide leaves bare or accessible to his
watchful and patient mode of prowling; here, wading to the
knees, he stands motionless amidst the timorous fry, till some
victim coming within the compass of his wily range Is as In-
stantly seized by the powerful bUl of the Heron ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
If large, the fish Is beaten to death, and commonly swallowed
with the head descending, as if to avoid any obstacle arising
from the reversion of the fins or any hard external processes.
On land our Heron also has his fare, as he is no less a suc-
cessful angler than a mouser, and renders an Important ser-
vice to the farmer in the destruction he makes among most
of the reptiles and meadow mice. Grasshoppers, other large
insects, and particularly dragon-flies, he is very expert in
striking, and occasionally feeds uipon the seeds of pond lilies,
contiguous to his usual haunts. Our species, in all probability,
as well as the European Heron, at times preys upon the young
birds which may be accidentally straggling near their solitary
retreats." - -

In the months of March and April, 1885, I examined
the stomachs of twenty-three of these biinis which had
been killed by plume-hunters in Orange and Volusia
counties, Florida. Twelve birds had fed entirely on
fish; three had taken fish and crayfish; two, small
snakes; one, frogs and fish; one, fish and a few feathers;
one, traces of beetles; three birds were destitute of all
food materials. -..%

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GREEN HERON.

Ardea virescens.

DESCRIPTION.

Length about eighteen inches; extent of wings about twenty-
six; bill rather stout, about two and a half inches long, ana
about half an inch longer than tarsus (ankle).

Adult in Summer.— Top of head, and lengthened crest glossy
green; sides of head and neck, except a dusky streak in front,
bright chestnut or maroon; wing coverts and upper surface of
wings and tail feathers glossy green, wing coverts edged with
brownish and whitish; inner primaries with narrow white tips;
long scapular plumes bluish-white glossed with green, lower
parts grayish, darkest on sides. Bill greenish-black, except
mandible on lower surface, also lores and eyes yellow; legs
greenish yellow.

yown^.— Head less crested and dull greenish black, back and
upper parts generally greenish; long scapular plumes absent;
wing coverts much more broadly bordered with brown and
whitish than adult; many of larger wing feathers have snowy
white tips; chin, throat and front neck, whitish with dusky
streaks; sides of head rather pale raddish-brown; lower parts,
whitish with dusky stripes; edge of wing as in adult white;
color of eyes, legs and bill, very similar to old bird.

Habitat, — Canada and Oregon, southward to northern South
America and the West Indies; rare or absent in the middle pro-
vince.

The Green Ileron is known by a variety of local
names, some of which are much more expressive than
elegant. This bird, the most common and abundant
of all our Herons, is found throughout the State, fre-
quenting rivers, streams and ponds. It arrives in this
section occasionally as early as the first week in April,
from the southern states, where it resides when the
chilling blasts of winter have frozen over our streams
and marshes. This species sometimes breeds in small
companies; generally, however, but two or three pairs
are found nesting together.

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GREEN HERON

COLOR PLATE

:^08

GREEK HERON.

Ardea virescens.

DESCRIPTION.

Length about eighteen inches; extent of wings about twenty-
six; bill rather stout, about two and a half inches long, and
about half an inch longer than tarsus (ankle).

Adult in Summer,— Top of head, and lengthened crest glossy
green; sides of head and neck, except a dusky streak in front,
bright chestnut or maroon; wing coverts and upper surface of
wings and tail feathers glossy green, wing coverts edged with
brownish and whitish; inner primaries with narrow white tips;
long scapular plumes bluish-white glossed with green, lower
Ijarts grayish, darkest on sides. Bill greenish-black, except
mandible on lower surface, also lores and eyes yellow; legs
greenish yellow.

yoim^.— Head less crested and dull greenish black, back and
upper parts generally greenish; long scapular plumes absent;
wing coverts much more broadly bordered with brown and
whitish than adult; many of larger wing feathers have snowy
white tips; chin, throat and front neck, whitish with dusky
streaks; sides of head rather pale laddish-brown; lower parts,
whitish with dusky stripes; edge of wing as in adult white;
color of eyes, legs and bill, very similar to old bird.

Habitat, — Canada and Oregon, southward to northern South
America and the West Indies; rare or absent in the middle pro-
vince.

The Gieeii Ueroii is known by a variety of local
names, »ome of which are much more expressive than
elegant. This bird, the most common and abundant
of all our Herous, is fo-und throughout the State, fre-
(luenting rivers, streams and ponds. It arrives in this
section occasionally as early as the first w^eek in April,
frcmi the southern states, where it resides w^hen the
chilling blasts of winter have frozen over our streams
and marshes. This species sometimes breeds in small
companies; generally, however, but two or three pairs
are found nesting together.

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTION AT cpr-oivTT^

CX^nr^oT TT-fc

309

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THE NEST AND E-GGS.

The nests, built of sticks and twigs, are placed in
low bushes or small trees adjacent to a stream or pond.
The nests frequently are built in apple orchards. In-
deed, the largest number of nests that I ever found in
one locality was in an apple orchard along the Brandy-
wine, where for several years some twenty-five or
thirty of these birds annually resorted. While it is
true that I have found these Herons breeding in small
numbers with the Night and Great Blue Herons in
Pennsylvania, and also in Florida in company with the
Little Blue, Louisiana and Snowy Herons, and even
sometimes in the colonies of Water Turkeys and Cor-
morants, I think, a« a rule, they usually prefer to re-
main by themselves during the season of reproduction
as well as at other times. A^arious writers state that
the eggs are four in number. I have examined many
nest« and considered the usual complement to be not
less than five; frequently six eggs are laid. The eggs
are pale blue and larger than those of our common
pigeon.

EATS FISH, INSECTS, FROGS, ETC.

This species feeds much more frequently on
insects than other of the herons that reside with us.
Nuttall writes of the Green Heron in the following Ian
guage:

"He is also particularly attracted by artificial ponds for fish,
not refraining even to visit gardens and domestic premises
when any prospect of fare may offer. He is, at the same time,
perhaps as much in quest of the natural enemy of fish, the
frog, as of the legitimate tenants of the pond. These bold and
intrusive visits are commonly made early in the morning,
towards twilight, and he not unfrequently, when pressed by
hunger, or after ill-success, turns out to hunt his fare by day

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310

as well as dusk, and at such times, collects various larvae,
particularly those, of the dragron-fly, with grasshoppers and
different kinds of insects. At other times he preys upon small
fish, crabs and frogs, for which he often lies patiently in wait
till they reappear from their hiding places in the water or
mud, and on being transfixed and caught, which is effected
with great dexterity, they are commonly beaten to death, if
large, and afterwards swallowed at leisure."

STOMACH EXAMINATIONS.

Nineteen birds, examined by me, were found to have
fed on the different materials named below:

Date

Locality.

Food Materials.

June,

1879,

Barnegat, N. J

Beetles ana other Insects.

Oct.

10.

1879,

Chester county, Pa., ..

"Fall-flsh."

April

29.

1880',

Chester county. Pa., ..

Frog and minnows.

April

29.

1879.

Chester county. Pa., ..

Fragments of insects and small
quantity of hair probably that
of a field mouse.

May

12.

1880.

Chester county. Pa., ..

Beetles.

July

3,

1880.

Delaware county, Pa.,

Frofr-

June

30.

1881,

Chester county, Pa., ..

Remains of small fishes.

Au^.

17.

1881,

Cheater county. Pa., ..

Beetles and other insects.

May

14.

lfifi2.

Tjancaster county. Pa..

Fishes and frogs.

May

29.

1882,

Chester county. Pa., ..

Remains of small fishes.

July

29.

1882.

Chester county, Pa., ..

Remains of small fishes.

July

29.

1882.

Chester county, Pa.. ..

Remains of small fishes.

July

29.

1882.

Chester county. Pa.. ..

Remains of small fishes.

Sept

4,

1883,

York county, Pa

Dipterous and other Insects.

Aug.

9.

1892.

Lancaster county. Pa.,

Dragon-fiy and young Rail (Sora '.

A-Uff.

12.

1892.

Chester county, Pa., ..

Frog and beetles.

May

28.

1894,

Chester county. Pa., ..

Hair of small mammal.

June

3.

1896,

Dauphin county Pa., ..

Remains of fish and beetles.

July

3.

1896,

Sullivan county. Pa.. ..

Feathers and beetles.

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311

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BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

BLACKOROWNED NIGHT HERON.
Nyctioorax nyoticarax naevius.

DESCRIPTION.

Bill very stout and thick; maxilla sMghtlycu^^^^ and

tarsus each about three inches long; head and neck large, tne
latter quite short; body short and heavy. ^^.^^t fLbout

^dttW -Length about twenty-^five inches; alar extent about
foTty-four; bill black, lores greenish-yellow; eyes, red, legs yel-
lowSh- top of head knd middle of back glossy-greenish black
sometimes dull black with little or no greenish); a narrow
stripe on forehead reaching to eye; sides of ^ead chin head,
throat and under parts white, often tinged with a faint yel-
lowish or a very delicate light purple color; wings and tail
ashy-blue; neck, except in front, similar but Pal^r The adults
frequently have three long and white occipital feathers which
whpn rolled together, appear as one thick round feather

ybttn/7.— Bill (dried skin) black and yellowish; Ins light yel-
low; legs yellowish, upper part light brown, spotted or
streaked with whitish; tail about same as adult; sides of head
and neck, and under plumage generally, striped with whitish
and dusky. A young bird before me differs from the last
chiefly In having top of head and large spece between shoulders
dull brownish gray, without spots.

Ja6«a<.— America, from the British possessions southward
to the Falkland Islands, including part of the West Indies.

Next to the Green Heron the Night Heron is unqnes-
tionablv the most abundant of the family in this State.
The adult birds are easily distinguished from other
Herons by the black feathers on top of head and back,
red eyes, and frequently three long white feathers,
which grow from the base of the head. The appella-
tion, Night Heron, is highly appropriate, as this bird
is mainly nocturnal in its habits. During the day-time
the Night Heron is inactive, and generally is found
perched on a log or the limb of a tree in a quite nook
about the swamps and streams. As twilight ap-
proaches this drowsy wader becomes, as it were, a new
being — impelled, no doubt, by the pangs of hunger — he

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COLOR PLATE

311

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BLACKCROWNED NIGHT HERON.

Nycticorax nyoticarax naevius.

DESCRIPTION.

Bill very stout and thick; maxilla ^^Ughtly curved- bill and
tarsus each about three inches long; head and neck large, tne
iflttpr nuite short; body short and heavy. v. ,,*

2Zir--lenlth about twenty-five inches; alar extent about
foTty-four; bifl black, lores greenish-yellow; eyes, red. legs yel-
ow^h top of head and middle of back glossy-greenish black
s^etlmes dull black with little or no ^^7^?^^^> *' ^^..^^j^,^^^^
stripe on forehead reaching to eye; sides of head ^hm head,
throat and under parts white, often tinged with a faint yel-
lowish or a very delicate light purple color; wings and tail
ashy-blue; neck, except in front, similar but paler The adults
frequently have three long and white occipital feathers^, which
wbpn rolled together, appear as one thick round feather

ybMn<7.~-Bill (dried skin) black and yellowish; ins light yel-
low; legs yellowish, upper part light brown, spotted or
streaked with whitish; tail about same as adult; sides of head
and neck, and under plumage generally, striped with whitish
and dusky. A young bird before me differs from the last
chiefly in having top of head and large spece between shoulders
dnll brownish gray, without spots.

JTa6i<a<.— America, from the British possessions southward
to the Falkland Islands, including part of the West Indies.

Next to the Green Heron the Night Heron is unques-
tionably the most abundant of the family in this State.
The adult birds are easily distinguished from other
Herons by the black feathers on top of head and back,
red eyes, and frequently three long white feathers,
which grow from the base of the head. The appella-
tion, Night Heron, is highly appropriate, as this bird
is mainly nocturnal in its habits. During the day-time
the Night Heron is inactive, and generally is found
perched on a log or the limb of a tree in a quite nook
about the swamps and streams. As twilight ap-
proaches this drowsy wader becomes, as it were, a new
being — impelled, no doubt, by the pangs of hunger — he

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BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

312

stands erect, the loose and shaggy plumage, which be-
fore seemed ill adapted to his body, now fits neatly and
closely as he carefully walks to the extremity of the
dead and decorticated limb on whidi he has been doz-
ing and suddenly, with a loud squawk, launches him-
self into the air, uttering at short intervals his harsh
note, and rising above the trees of the forest, he speed-,
ilv visits some favorite mill-dam. These birds arrive
in Pennsylvania about the 25th of April and remain
until the latter part of September. They seem to re-
pair at once on their arrival in spring to localities
where thev are accustomed to breed. After the
breeding season, i. e., about the middle of August,
when the young are amply able to take care of them-
selves, these birds forsake their nesting places and be-
come quite ])lentiful along the rivers, streams and
bushy marshes. , i-

THEY BREED IN COT^ONIES.

The Niglii Heion rarely, if ever breeds singly, but
always in large companies. I have visited, on differ
ent occasions, two of these breeding resorts and found
from twenty-five to seventy-five nests, which like those
of the other species, were built of sticks and placed
usually in high trees. The eggs three or four in num-
ber are a pale sea green color and measure about 2
by 1^ inches. In T?erks county, near Blue Rock, for
many years, this s])ecies annually reared their young
in the edge of a large woods along the margin of which
was a good-sized stream. In this place miiny of the
nests were built in a bunch of saplings, some fifteen or
twf^nty feet high and so small in diameter that it was
impossible to climb them. Wilson has very properl.v
said that the noise of the old and young in one of these

813

breeding places would induce one to suppose that two
or three hundred Indians were choking or throttling
each other. The same writer, in referring to examina-
tions which he made, states that the teeth of the
pectinated claw were thirty-five or forty in number,
and as they contained particles of the down of the
bird, showed evidently from this circumstance that
they act the part of a comb to rid the bird of vermin
in those parts which it cannot reach with its bill.

FOND OF GODD FISH.

A gentleman residing near West Chester, some year*
ago, had large numbers of gold-fishes in a pond near
his residence. One day he caught twenty-five of these
fish and placed them in a small pool, intending to re-
move them the follomng morning. "About bedtime,"
lie said, "I heard a loud squawking, and going out saw
two Night Herons actively engaged in catching these
fish. I shot one of these robbers, and on making an
investigation found only one of the fish remaining."
The late Isaac G. Darlington of West Chester, in-
formed me he on one occasion shot a Night Heron in
the act of killing his young ducks on a pond near his
house.

"An incident may illustrate the habits of the Night Heron,
and perhaps of the whole family. A Night Heron had been
noticed for several days sitting on a tree near a branch of
White Clay creek. It was at length shot and brought to me,
with the tail of a large fish projecting four inches beyond its
bill. On removing the fish (a sucker Catostcmus, which must
have been twelve inches long), its head and shoulders— except
the bony portions— were eaten away by the gastric liquor of the
stomach." — Michener.

THBY SUBSIST MAINLY ON FISH.

r have examined the stomaehs of twenty odd of
these Herons, adults and young, which have been shot

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314

in June at the breedinggrounds, and found in all only
the remains of fishes. In two or three immature birds
taken in August and September, 1 have discovered a
few grasshoppers and portions of insects.

Hon Hiram Peoples, of New Providence, Lancaster
rounty, Pa., who devotes much attention to fish culture,
raising large quantities of Bass and Goldfish for the
markets, savs he is bothered a great deal by Fish
Hawks, Night Herons and Kingfishers. . He states tliat
the depredations of these birds in his fish ponds be-
came so numerous that he offered a premium of fifty
cents for each Fish Hawk or Night Heron, and ten
cents for every Kingfisher which was killed on his
premises. This offer induced several neighbors' boys
to make particular efforts to destroy the feathered
fishermen. Mr. Peoples estimates that he lost an-
nually from fifty to seventy-five dollar's worth of fishes
through the visits of these birds before he began kill-
ing them and paying bounties for their heads.

315

AMERICAN BITTERN. ' •

Botaurus lentiginosus.

DESCRIPTION.

Adult.— Bin yellowish, dusky on ridge; bare space in front
of eyes greenish-yellow; legs and feet greenish-yellow; eyes
yellow. Length, about twenty-six inches; extent, about forty-
five inches. General color brownish-yellow, top of head dull
brown; upper parts finely freckled and variegated with differ-
ent shades of brown, blackish and whitish; chin and throat
white with brown streak; a broad and glossy black stripe
about three inches long on upper part of neck.

if adita^.— Temperate North America, south to Guatemala
and the West Indies. i ,

This as well as other species are very commonly but
erroneously called Cranes. The American Bittern is
known to nimrods and fishermen in many sections of
the State as "Grreen-leg^ged Crane;" the name of "In-
dian Hen" is likewise applied to this bird as well as
the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

HAS A LOUD VOICE.

This Bittern is a summer resident in Pennsylvania,
arriving early in April and remaining sometimes as
late as the early part of November. Its notes are loud
and quite remarkable and under favorable circum-
istances they may be heard at a distance of at least
three quarters of a mile. These notes are of two kinds.
One known as the "pumping" call is described as fol-
lows: pump-er-lunk, pump-er-lunk, pump-er-lunk, and
the other is so like the sound made by driving a stake
in the mud, that it has given rise to one of the com-
mon names of this bird, namely "Stake-driver."

With us this species is seen singly or in pairs fre*
quenting chiefly the thick swampy places about mead-
ows, rivers and lakes.

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316

THE NEST AND EGGS.

The frail nest of this bird is on the ground. Tlie
eggs, three to five in number, are brownish-drab, un-
spotted and about two inches long by about one and
one-half inches broad.

ITS FOOD.

The Bittern feeds on fish, crayfish, frogs, tadpoles,
snakes, snails, different kinds of insects, particularlv
grasshoppers and beetles. It catches mice and other
small-sized quadrupeds which it chances to come across
in its secluded retreats, and sometimes it will kill the
young of ducks aond Kails.

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317

CHAPTER V.

MAMMALS.

Nearly fifty well defined si>ecies, and a number of
subspecies, varieties or races of four-footed wild ani-
mals are found in Pennsylvania. Tlie Bison or Buffalo
has long since been exterminated; the last American
Elk or Wapiti was taken about thirty-five years ago in
Elk county, and the Beaver, a valuable and harmless
fur-bearing animal, is alsK> extirpated. There seems
to be little room for doubt that the North American
Wolf, the Canada Lynx, or "Loup Cervier," a» it is
called bv the French Canadians, and the Panther are
no longer to be found in this State.

"NEW FACES W^ILL MEET US."

Future investigations of our modern naturalists,
some of whom delight to disco\er and name new
"races," will, no doubt, if instituted with proper indus-
try, materially augment the number given above. A
Seal taken two years ago in the Delaware rivei» at Ches-
ter City, Delaware county, was an accidental straggler.
Two Tjeopards, a Tiger, several Wolves, Coyotes,
Prairie Dogs, a Badger, and Hares, which have been
captured, according to different reports received dur-
ing the p<ast four or five years, were, of course, escaped
captives, and they cannot properly be included in the
mammalian fauna of Pennsvlvania.

318

VALUABLE PUR-BEARINO SPECIES.

The mammals which occur with us are permanent
residents, but birds, or many of them, on the other
hand, reside here only during certain periods of the

year.

The most important and vaulable fur-bearing ani-
mals at present found in this State are tlie Black Bear,
Minks, Skunks, Muskrats, Otter, Raccoon, Opossum,
Fisher and Marten. Of this list the two last men-
tioned are restricted to a few sparsely settled districts,
and even in such remote and uninhabited wilds they
are seldom seen.

Some mammals, for example the Wildcat, Black
Bear, Pd-xes, Minks, Meadow Mice, Muskrat, Wood-
chuck and a few others, when present in a locality in
any considerable number, do much damage and should
be destroyed. It is not, however, wise or* just to
wrongfully condemn certain of the common animals
found about the farmer's cultivated enclosures, or in
the forests, when it is known, at least to naturalists,
that the good the} do far outweighs their depredations
to poultry, game or vegetable crops.

DISTURBING NATURE'S BALANCE.

Widespread misconception of the true relation
which mammals, birds and insects have to man's in-
terests have done much in recent vears in this and
other countries to militate against the welfare and
comfort of mankind.

The truth of this can be shown by briefly referring
to glome mistakes made by the inti*oduction of species
with a view to naturalization or otherwise, and the
cruel, useless slaughter of others, thus disturbing the

319

Balance of Kature, and resulting in an enormous loss
that falls, especially, on farmers and horticulturists.

d^

GREAT ERRORS.

The English Sparrow, twenty-five or thirty years ago,
was brought to Pennsylvania because it was believed
he would destroy insect pests which defoliated shade
and fruit trees, and attacked cultivated crops. Since
this bird has become established, not only in Pennsyl-
vania, but generally throughout the United States
and Canada, it has been learned he is a most undesira-
ble addition to our fauna. He devours cereals, fruits,
buds and blossoms of fruit, shade and ornamencal
trees, as well as different kinds of garden produce.
He loves the tender buds of grai>e vines and their ripe
fruit. In the famous Erie grape belt of this State, it
is estimated that English S})arrows annually destroy
from $30,000 to $35,000 worth of grapes.

INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS DRIVEN AWAY.

These little feathered pests, great fighters that they
are, live continually about human habitations from
which they drive aw^ay numerous kinds of beneficial
birds that formerly did great service to the human race
by aiding to repress pestiferous insect foes that the
pugnacious, grain-eating Sparrow disdains to touch.
It is stated that not less than seventy-two kinds of
birds which are found throughout the wide area of this
continent, where this imported bird nuisance is now
ensconced, have been driven by English Sparrows
from their old-timed nesting haunts about the habita-
tions of man.

The people now want the English Sparrow de-
stroyed, and many favor a bounty for his mischiveous
bead. But such a method of exterminating this bird

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320

will nevei- do, because popular ignomnce of birds, lo-
gelher with man's greed for pecuniary gain, would
bring about the extermination of great numbers of
beneficial song and other birds which would be called
''English Sparrows:''

HAS AGRICULTURE PROFITED?

With a view of "'benefiting agriculture" and protect-
ing jjoultrj and game in Pennsylvania bounty acts
have been enacted which allowed hunters to slay with
indiscriminate hand inanv of the mo-st useful birds and
mammals. This legislation, brought about by popular
prejudice and a deplorable ignorance of the habits of
animals placed under ban, has cost thousands and
thousands of dollars in cash paid out of the county
funds. While it is true the original money outlay was
great (indeed, it proved a senous burden to taxpayers
in some sections of the Commonwealth) the loss or
fruit of such folly will be much more from a money
standpoint to our farmers than the large sums filst
expended. Even during the past three or four years,
as an echo of the odious scalp act of 1885, we lu^r,
from different sections of this ^tate, of the great dam-
age done by Meadow Mice, Rats and Rabbits. Strange
is it not that many people who now complain of ro-
dents and insects doing so much harm to their property,
were, and are even yet, firm believers in paying boun-
ties?

When a man goes to the shop or market place to
make a purchase, it is a common saying, "He pays his
money and nh'ikes his choice;" so it is with the bounty
question. Continue to pay premiums foi* beneficial
birds of prey and mammals which live largely cm det
rimental forms of animal life, and we will have more

321

mice and insects, but the farmer and horticulturist
will, in many instances, have considerably less ready
cash to purchase insecticides, spraying machines and
other insect destroyei-s that are now necessary for
almost every sucessful farmer and fruit grower to
possess.

DANGER OF IMPORTING FOREIGN SPECIES.

The importation of foreign species of insects as well
as other forms of animal life often results disastrously.
Nature aims to restrain the over development of one
species by means of another;

"Small fleas have smaller fleas to bite 'em,
And these have smaller fleas ad infinitum."

and as Mr. Gerald McCai-thy* states:

"When a species is transported to some distant locality it is
apt to leave behind its corelated restraining species, and hence
in its new home it is enabled to multiply more rapidly and do
more damage than in its native home."

SOME TROUBLESOME PESTS.

The Gipsy Moth-, introduced by accident into the
Hay State, has ravaged a portion of Massachusetts,
iuid over |750,000 have been spent to eradicate this
destroyer of foliage, thus far with only partial suc-
cess. Investigations proved that many kinds of birds
(some of which were called poultry and game destroy-
ers) devoured the larvae of the Gipsy Moth. When
this became known and it was learned that great num-
bers of these feathered benefactors were being de-

*The diseases and insects affecting fruit trees and plants,
with remedies for their destruction, by Gerald McCarthy, Botan-
ist and Entomologist, published Aug. 22, 18»3, as chapter 11.
Bulletin No. 92, of the North Carolina Agricultural EJxperiment
Station.

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322

stroyed in large numbers for millinery and other dec-
orative purposes a popular clamor arose against such
practices and the Massachusetts lawmakei^ recently
showed much good sense by enacting a law prohibiting
the killing and use of song and insectivorous bii^s for
the millinery trade.

The Elm-leaf l^eetle, an exotic, is anotlier costly ex-
ample of meddling with Nature's plans.

Rabbits were introduced in Australia. They in
creased with prodigious rapidity, and so abundant and
destructive did they become that for a time their rav
ages threatened to ruin the country.

German Carp have been placed in many of the best
fishing groui.ds in Pennsylvania. This mistake is dis
covered when it is too late, perhaps, to prevent them
from depopulating the waters in which they live of
d(^sirable and valuable fishes.

MOTHP^iR EVE AND HER SUCCESSORS.

When Mother Eve started the first sewing society
over which she ruled supreme in the Garden of Eden,
and began to make wearing apparel she was, so rec
ords say, content to dress in plain and abbreviated
garb. Women of the present age, particularly some
wlio ''stride the wheel,'' pattern after Eve's short skirts;
and lovely woman also delights to adorn her shapely
form with Nature's beauties of both plant and animal
kind. Of c<»urse, no one would dare to believe that
women of this generation could ever be induced to em
ploy the primitive fifi leaf dress of her ancient and re-
nowned ancestor, even if the demands of fickle fashion
should eventually revert to the days when Eve did all
her own house work, spanked, and otherwise cared for
the babies, and besides all this, made her own hats

323

bonnets and clothing without the aid of a single fash-
i<m plate: for history does not show that Adam even
once applied to Worth, of Paris, or any other costumer,
to get his faithful spouse guides to aid in adorning her

person. ^ \e v •

Women's vanity and the requirements of fashion

have within the past twenty years, brought about the
destruction of millions and millions cf bright-coated
song and insectivorous birds. These beneficial feath-
ered creatures— servants and friends of the human
race— inhabit chiefly the cultivated possessions of
man, where mynads of destructive insects and larvae
breek so prolifically and do inestimable damage.
Bince the wearing of insectivorous birds on hats has
become popular, it is learned that many crops that,
prior to this barbarous custom, were grown without
much difficulty, cannot now be successfully raised to
maturity without the employment of insecticides
which, fortunately, modern economic entomological
scientists have discovered to aid the husbandman in
suppressing insect enemies.

EXPERT IN ELUDING OBSERVATION.

Mammals are shy and wary, which, with the fact
that most of them do not move about during the broad
daylight, enables Ihese creatures to readily elude ob-
servation. With the exception of Ked Squirrels, Chip-
munks, Gray Squirrels, Foxes, some of the Mice, Cot-
tontails, the Woodchuck, Mu?krat and an occasional
Deer, the average sportsman, or fisherman, seldom sees
any of our mammals. This is chiefly due to the fact
that they so often remain hidden during the daylight
In secure retreats where only those who are acquainted
with their habits and haunts can discover them with
anv degree of certainty.

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Mammals are both nocturnal and diurnal. The
Gray Squirrel, Chiinuuiiks, Woodchuck and Red Squir
rels seem to move about more in the daytime than any
others; and Dr. Merriam says the Gray Squirrel and
Chipmunk are the only two "that have not been seen

after nightfall.'^

The Raccoon, Skunks, Bats and Flying- Squirrels are
decidedly nocturnal in their habits; but, as Dr. Mer-
riam states: ^

"Even these are occasionally seen abroad during cloudy days,
and do much of their hunting in the twilight. The truth of
the matter seems to be that very few mammals range about
much during the brightest part of the day, or darkest part of
the night, these being the times when most of them do the
greater part of their sleeping. It is between the dark and tbe
daylight, before sunrise in the morning and in the dusk of
evening, when the faint light obscures their outlines and hides
their movements, that the larger number do their hunting.
Many of them are also out during cloudy days and moonlight
nights; and in winter, when the ground is white with snow, they
apparently circumambulate all night long."

SOME ARE SOUND SLEEPERS.

"The phenomenon of hibernation, which enables many mam-
mals to endure a climate to the severity of which they would
inevitably succumb were they to remain active throughout the
year, and to thrive In regions where they would starve during
certain seasons but for their ability to become dormant when
scarcity of food prevails, is well exemplified In a number of
our species. The following are known to pass a greater or less
period of the winter season in a condition of lethargy: The
Bear, Raccoon, Bats, Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk, Woodchuck,
and Jumping Mouse. Of these the Woodchuck (Ground Hog)
affords the most remarkable example. With astonishing reg-
ularity and precision, and utterly regardless of the state of
weather or condition of his food supply, he sinks Into his bur-
row about the 20th of September,* and Is rarely seen again be-

*In some sections of Pennsylvania this animal does not re-
tire to winter quarters, it Is said, before the middle of October,
and he is often seen in the early part of March and sometimes
in February.— B. H. Warren.

325

fore the middle of March. It frequently. Indeed usually hap-
pens that the time chosen for entering upon the execution of
this singular proclivity Is during fine, warm weather and at a
time when the fields are clothed with a luxuriant growth of his
favorite food, clover. In fact the Woodchuck retires to the cold
dark recesses of his cheerless subterranean abode to commence
a period of voluntary seclusion, to enter upon a state of com-
plete oblivion and absolute lethargy, at the very time when one
would naturally suppose he would most enjoy himself above

^'•'The Gray Squirrel, on the other hand, remains out nearly
the entire winter, and withdraws to Its nest in some hollow tree
only during the severest weather. The Raccoon and Bear fur-
nish examples of animals whose dormant periods are Interme-
diate in duration between those above cited.

"Hibernation is, after all, merely a profound sleep, intensified
and protracted. During ordinary sleep respiration is slackened
and the temperature of the body is lower than when the animal
is awake. The longer the sleep continues the less frequent do
thp respirations become and the lower does the temperature fall,
till finally the condition of deep and contlnu2d sleep— the true
lethargy of hibernation— Is attained. This apparent phenom-
enon, then, is a genuine physiological process, differing in de-
gree only from ordinary sleep. It is the result of conditions of
environment, and has become an hereditary habit, enabling cer-
tain mammals to exist during a period when their usual food
supply Is cut off. The dormant state Is sometimes brought on
by extremes of temperature, but this is not often the case."—
From The Vertebrates of the Adirondack Region, Northwest-
ern New York, By Dr. C. Hart Merriam, pp. 28, 29.

Auimals like the Minks, which often make long
journeys to good hiintino; grounds, or others such as
the Foxes, Weasels, Wildcat, etc., which frequently
lanuje over large areas of territory, have no difficulty
to obtain necessary food supplies, consequently hiber-
nation with them is not a necessity to maintain exis
tence.

ABUNDANCE OF SOME MAMMALS.

Ill many sections of Pennsylvania, mammals — parti
ciilarly species which are readily disposed of to fur

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326

traders— appear to be very much more abundant than
has been commonly supposed. The plentitude of some
of these species which destroy annually large numbers
of domesticated fowls, game, etc., accounts, in a large
degree, for the great loss which is every year sustained
by farmers and poulterers.

About three years ago the writer began to collect
statistics and data concerning the fur-bearing and
poultry-destroying mammals which are found in Penn-
sylvania. Eiforts in this direction were eminently
successful and a large amount of interesting and in-
structive material was obtained from fur dealers, hun-
t(^rs, trappers and naturalists throughout the State.

Unfortunately, how(V(^r, the fire which burned the
State Capitol building in February, 1897, destroyed
this material which, with everything else in the office
of the writer, was consumed. At first, when the re
]>orts from J^ome sources showing great numbers of
animals taken yearly foi the pelts or bounty began to
reach the office, they were looked upon with doubt
and it was thonght they were sent without proper in
quiry or by mistakes, unwittingly made. The fig
ures given, in some cases, were so surprising, that
after consultation with the Secretary of this Depart
ment, who in common with the Zoologist, was desirous
of publishing for public use no misleading statistics,
special efforts were made to venfy a number of the
returns where there was any possible room for doubt
as to reliability, These efforts showed— barring a f(^w
reports from professional scalp hunters and over-zeal
ous fur-buyers— that the returns made to this Depart
ment were co-rrect, and where defective, it was be
cause the peisons preparing them had been so cautions
ns to underestimate ratlier than exaggerate. Tn
chapter IX of this document a number of "bounty reo

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327

crds" are published. While some of them, are per-
haps, not eutirely accurate they nevertheless show
piaVnly that large numbers of poultry and game con^
suming animals are present in nearly every section of

the State. .... • , ,. , ,

From a few reports, received fiH)m several reliable

sources, and which luckily were not destroyed by the
names, extracts as follows are made: In the popu ous
and ricli agricultural county of York, Mr. J. G. Patter-
son, of Stewai-tstown, says:

..The fur-chiefly Muskrats, Skunks, Opossums Raccoons.
Minks and Foxes-obtained in 1895, sold for about $20,000.

Hon. Jas. G. Mitchell, of Hamilton, Pa., a gentleman
who is estcH^med by all who are acquainted with his
Ic^-islatlve career, to be one of the most loyal advocates
the farmers and laboring classes ever sent to the Penn-
sylvania Senate, writes that:

.•From the township of Perry, where I reside, there was, in
the winter of 1895 and '96, at least $1,000 worth of fur shipped
to New York. These raw furs, many of which I purchased, con-
sisted chiefly of Skunks, Muskrats, Minks and Foxes. A good
many Opossums and some WHdcats are taken in our county.
T consider $12,000 a very conservative estimate to place on the
fur-bearing animals annually taken in Jefferson county."

THE WORK OF TWO TRAPPERS.

In the county of Huntingdon, so ably represented in
our Legislative halls for many years, by Hon. P. M.
Lytle, who has won distinction for his rare oratorical
ability and persistent advocacy of all matters which
would benefit farmers and the workingman, there re-
sides an individual named John P. Swope, who has
won great local prominence because of his thorough
Unowled«'e of the habits of undomesticated mammals.

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which, wilk his marvelous skill as a trapper and huii
ter, enables him to make a good yearly income. In
relation to this trapper's work for the years 1895 and
1896 the following paragraphs are clipped from two
reliable newspapers of Central Pennsylvania:* ..

"John P. Swope, the noted trapper of Alexandria, takes the
premium for scalps during the year 1895. Following is the
record of payments to him each month by the county treasurer:
February, $8; March, $25.50; April, $37.25; May, $14.50; Juno,
$38.50; July, $85.00; August, $49.00; Septe-mber, $48.26; October,
$101.50; November, $81.00; December, $100.75. Total for eleven
months, $590.25. . .

"The whole amount paid to all persons for scalps during the
year was $1,157.00, of which Mr. Swope received more than one-
half. He was in town on Thursday last and received money
on the following: 12 foxes, 13 minks, 1 wildcat— $27.26 for Jan-
uary, 1896."— Huntingdon Globe.

The Bellefonte (Centre connty) Democrat, of Decem-
ber 3, 189G, publishes the following relative to Mr.
Kwope's record durini? ten and a half months for 1890:

"John P. Swope makes a handsome living at gunning and
trapping. Gunners and trappers in Huntingdon county are dis-
playing considerable activity at the present time, but peculiar
interest centres in the success of John P. Swope, of Alexandria,
who is without doubt king among trappers in central Pennsyl-
vania. Mr. Swope does nothing but trap the whole year round,
and he makes more money at this business than the majority
of men receive in individual salaries; in fact, he gets each year
from Huntingdon county an amount that few of the "big" nfen
of the community would refuse to accept as an annual stipend.
Mr. Swope is well up in the art of trapping. He has many im-
itators, but none of the latter meet with any great degree of
success. It is said that Swope has about fifty traps set nearly
all the while, and his time is pretty much occupied in making
inspections at certain intervals. It is known that he can trap
on the same ground where others fail. This has been demon-
strated. His success has inspiied jealousy on the part of imi-
tators. On one occasion, at least, he was warned by White
Cap notices to keep off the premises of those who have vainly
tried to achieve a measure of his success.

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"Mr Swopes record in trapping and killing animals for which
a premium is aUowed by legislative enactment and the amount -
he has received from Huntingdon county in the ten and one-
half months of the present year, are shown in the following
statement: 739 foxes, at $1.00 each, $739.00; 13 wildcats, at $2.00
each, $26.00; 1,290 minks, at 25 cents each, $322.50. Total $1,087.50."

A WYOMING COUNTY TRAPPER.

The note books of Mr. G. F. Smith, a trapper and
hunter of Mill City, Wyoming county. Pa., sbowthathe
has taken the following mammals in his neighborhood:

••In 1889 and 1890, 23 foxes; 43 raccoons; 37 skunks; 19 minks;
2 wildcats; 31 muskrats; 1 bear. Ig91. 17 foxes; ^1 raccoons ; 42
skunks; 7 minks; 3 wHdcats; 3 muskrats; 1 bear. 18^. 19 foxes.
33 raccoons; 60 skunks; 3 minks; 5 wildcats; 18 muskrats. 1893,
21 foxes; 61 raccoons; 58 skunks; 7 minks; 4 wildcats; 1 muskrat^
1894 18 foxes; 17 raccoons; 44 skunks; 4 minks; 3 wildcats; 2
muskrats. 1895, 20 foxes; 30 raccoons; 51 skunks; 1 mink; 3
muskrats. 1896. 28 foxes; 52 raccoons; 26 skunks. Total. 146
foxes; 257 raccoons; 318 skunks; 41 minks; 18 wUdcats; 58 musk-
rats; 2 bears."

In 1896 Mr. Smith captured an opoesum which is re-
ported to be a rare visitor in that region.

REPORTS FROM SOME FUR DEALERS.
MR. BUSH, of Mercer County:

Mr. Charles Hush, of Greenville, Mercer county, Pa.,
writing under date of Ma^^ 10, 1896, 8ay«:

"In reply to your circular can only say that I have not been
in the fur business during the past ten years, but from ten to
fifteen years previously, I handled a great many furs in this
section of northwestern Pennsylvania. The following is the
list and about the number handled: red foxes, from five to six
hundred (I should judge perhaps not more than one-fourth of
the number handled at present); gray foxes, from 200 to 300, at
present one-fourth the number; raccoons, 1,000, at present one-
half the number; mink, 400 to 600, at present one-half the num-
ber; otter, 20 to '^ pelts, they are scarce and rare at present;

21»~1I

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330

opo'ssums, 200 to 300. Quite plentiful at P-sent; sk^nks^J^OOO.
and tl,ey are about ti.e same at Pre-nt^ ^ .ecoiiection. the

"The above figures are, to the oesi oe luy
number of fur/l bandied. At tl^e same time there were sev-
eral others buying furs through this section. ,,.. ^, , , .,
MR. LEWIS, OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.

Mr E. C. Lewis, of Keynoldsville, .leffeison county,
states that ihe number of skins he annually handles
is about as follows:

"Twenty bears; 125 minlcs; 150 skunks; 25 red foxes; 10 gray
foxes; 200 raccoons; 250 muskrats; 8 otters; 15 wildcats."

Mr. Lewis also adds the following lines:

t -> ■» •'

;

••I consider foxes, weasels, wildcats and the mink detrimental
to both farmers and sportsmen; am earnestly in favor of a
bounty on these last-named animals. I have seen where wild-
cats killed deer from one to two years old."

IVIKSSRS. JORDAN & SON, OP LUZERNE COUNTY.

Messrs. N. P. Jordan & ^on, extensive hatters and
furriers, of 40 West Market street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.,
in a letter of April 21, 1896, say:

"In reply to your letter of the loth Inst., we beg to state that
during the past few years we have obtained from hunters and
trappers, in this region, i-elts as follows: 1 otter, 61 minks, 25
red foxes, 4 gray foxes, 372 skunks, 29 'coons, 6 opossums. 486
muskrats. This represents a very small portion of the animals
captured in this vicinity, as a large majority of the hunters
seiid the pelts direct to the market or sell them to representa-
tives of different firms, who have men out continually during
the fur season, scouring the country to buy up raw furs. Wo
have no record of our purchases during previous year, but tho
above is about the average annually. Our books show about
the same amount each year for several years in the purchase
of skins, which, of course, indicates an equal number of pelts."

MESSRS. WEIL, OF CHESTER COUNTY.

The Zooloji:ist is indebt(Ki to Messrs. Morris and
Moses Weil, fur dealers of West Chester, Pa., for the

following data concerning the nnmber of pelts they
handle^early, and which they buy in Chester and
neighboring counties, territory which embraces many
of the most productive and valuable farms m this
Commonwealth :

•There are from 300 to 500 persons in Chester county (which^
by Ihe way. ranks as the third agricultural county in the Umted
slates) wh^se chief occupation is trapping. The average yea ly
It h of a Skillful trapper of skunks is about 100 but some in-
u^s and Skillful trappers secure considerably more t^a^^
this number. Except along the Brandywine and ^^^ J^^S^^^^
butaries few muskrats are taken in Chester county. Exper-
ienced rat' trappers along the historic Brandywine average
about 100 'rats' a season. One individual last y^^^;;^;^^^^^;
tween 200 and 300. We obtain about 200 mmks annuaHy. These
animals by reason of their aquatic habits, are found chiefly
along the Brandywine and its large feeders, and they also fre-
quent mill dams, where stone and rubbish are plentiful. We
have handled annually for the last five years not less than
5 000 skunks, of which 75 per cent, were taken in Chester county
Our books for the last five years show that we have purchased
on an average each year, the following additional fur-bearing
animals: 8,000 muskrats. 2,000 opossums, 25 red foxes. 500 rac-
coons. We never got a gray fox in Chester county, from which,
at least, three-fourths of all the pelts we obtain come. We are
the largest buyers of raw furs in Chester county, and in our
opinion it would be a fair estimate to say we buy one-half of
the skins taken in this region, so by doubling the figures given
you can form a good idea of the number of fur-bearing animals
which yearly are marketed from Chester and a few districts of
the neighboring counties."

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II

'HVi

SKUNK. . .

Mephitis mephitiea.

DESCRIPTION.

A heavily-built animal, about the size of the house cat al-
though Us body is shorter and more bulky; weighs about
eight pounds; its legs are short, ears low. eyes brown, with a
fong bushy ail. Color black (some examples maroon and
wSfte)TL white markings vary greatly in extent and de-
^Yl; some examples of the genus have a small white head
spot only, but the common pattern has narrow white frontal
(head) stripe, a broad nuchal (neck) white patch, from which
diverge on either side of back, and extend to or near the two
stripes of white. The tail may be black, but oftener it is
mnrked with white especially terminally.

HabitaU—This species, including its varieties or subspecies,
occurs generally throughout temperate North America.

9

This familiar animal generally hides in some dark

retreat during the daylight although occasionally on

cloudy days he is seen abroad and he also hunts in the

twiliglit. The species technically known as mephitiea

and a form or subspecies called the Carolinian Skunk,

Mephitis mephitiea elongata as d(> fined by Mr. Bangs,

with perhaps other subspecies, are in Pennsylvania,

where many thousands of these animals are annuallv

killed for the fur trade. Indeed, the long and heav.v

coat of this mammal is so valuable in the fur markets

that Skunk farms are conducted on an extensive and

profitable basis in New York, Ohio and other states.

The Skunk, in different shades of dress, which, for the

purposes of this article, it is not necessary at this time

to discuss, is one of the common mammals of our

State. .

SOME OF ITS COMMON NAME'S.

Many persons know the animal by the name of Pole
cat, a term api)lied to a small, brownish-black, ferret

'i^^-^^^^:iX

COLOR PLATE

SKUNK.

Mephitis mephitica.

DESCRIPTION.

A heavily-built animal, about the size of the house cat al-
though its body is shorter and more bulky weighs about
eight pounds; its legs are short, ears low. eyes brown, with n
long bushy iail. Color black (some examples maroon and
white). The white markings vary greatly in extent and de-
tail; some examples of the genus have a small white head
spot only, but the common pattern has narrow white frontal
(head) stripe, a broad nuchal (neck) white patch, from which
diverge on either side of back, and extend to or near the tw;-
stripes of white. The tail may be black, but oftener it ib
mnrkod with white especially terminally.

Habitat— This species, including its varieties or subspecies,
occurs generally throughout temperate North America.

This familiar animal generally hi(l(^s in some darK
retreat during the dayligiit althougli occasionally en
eloudy days he is seen abroad and he also hunts in tin
twiliglit. The species technically known as mephitica
:ind a form or subspecies called the v.^arolinian Skunk.
Mephitis mephitica elongata as ddined by Mr. Uangs,
with perha])s other subspecies, are in IVnnsylvanijL
where manv thousands of these animals are annually
killed for the fur trade. Indeed, the long and heav.v
coat of this mammal is so valuable in the fur mark(Ms
that Skunk farms are conducted on an extensive and
profitable basis in New York, Ohio and other states.
Tlic Skunk, in different shades of dress, which, for thr
purposes of this article, it is not necessary at this tiuM-
l(> discuss, is one of the commoii mammals of oui
■ State.

SOMK OF ITS roMMON NAMK'S.

IM.'iny persons know the animal l»y the nnme of P(d«
cat, a term applied to a small, brownish-black, ferre'

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND FYPHQITpr

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333

like creature-a member of the Weasel g^'^PT^'jjf
nllbits the temperate zoue of Europe and Asm. ihe
:^Z domesti^ted Ferret, so frequently employed
0^^ Rabbits and Rats, is, it is believed, a descen-
dant of the Polecat of the Old World. Some furriers
ill Skurks-those lacking the white stripea on backs
^-under the name "Alaska Sable," and many ladie«
weaTthese pelts and never know they once covered
The backs of vile-smelling and insect-devonnng ani-
mals of the genus MephUia.

SOME OF ITS ENEMIES.

This well-known quadruped, it matters but little
whether called Canadi^in Skunk, Carohnian Skunk
Polecat or "Alaska Sable," has numerous enemies to
contend with, notwithstanding the wise provision
nature has m;de to enable it to prevent the- near and

dangerous approach. The Skunk ha« g'"^'^* !^°«^^„X
in its batterj- and is often enabled, when acting on the
defensive, o.-, if aroused by either anger or fnght, to
protect its life from preying animals, by discharging
from the anal glands a yellowish fluid of most pene-
trating and sickening odor. This, ho^N-ever is not
always the case, and the slow-moving Skunk often be-
comes a victim of its own temerity inspired, doubtless,
by too much confidence in the repelling i)Owers of the
contents of its perfume reservoira.

\mong carnivorous mammals, the Wildcat, Red
Fox, Mink and Weasel will attack and kill Skunks^
Large Hawks, particularly the Red-tailed species and
the powerful Goshawk, also capture them. The Snowy
Owl, when pressed by hunger, will, it is stated, some-
times make a meal on a Skunk which happens to cross
its path; and the Great Horned Owl often attacks

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JSkunks. On two oorasions I have known that re
mains of ree^^ntly killed Skunks were discovered in
nests occupied by Great Horned Owls; and at different
times I have secured owls of this species which were
so strongly scented with odor that there was no room
to question what they had been feeding upon or med-
dling with. Mr. Thomas H. Jackson, of West Chester,
Pa., writing in the ^^Ornithologist and Oologist," June,
1886, says: . :

"Great Horned Owls are liberal providers for their young.
T have frequently found full grown Rabbits lying in the nest
beside the young, and scarcely a nest visited did not have a
strong odor of Skunk, while bones and feathers were scattered
around attesting to the predaceous habits of the proprietors."

Chief among all the enemies which the poor and
well-disposed Mephitis has to guard against is man,
wiio should often protect rather than persecute this
animal. ,>

THEY DO MUCH GOOD.

Of all our mammals this species is probably the most
valuable to the farmer and fruit grower. The insect
eating habits of this nocturnal prowler are so gener
ally known to the farmers of the hop-growing districts
of the Empire State that local laws have been enacted
for the protection of the much abused and persecuted
Skunks, which Dr. 0. H. Merriam very truly says, is

•'Pre-eminently an insect eater; he destroys more beetles,
grasshoppers and the like than all our other mammals together,
and in addition to these devours vast numbers of mice."

From numerous reports received at the Department
of Agriculture from farmers, poulterers and sports-
men in Pennsylvania it is quite evident that the odorif-
erous Skunk is not regarded with much favor; in fact.

^1

11 nvm^her of our correspondents appear to ;
'"* ' Tf L Is!^ Le anv especial inclination to eat
'"'!. !nd destrnctWe larvae Tlie general impres^
insects a°d/'^"*"!'7,': i,, animal reaches the acme of
sion seem« to be that this «°J™« ^^^

,Uss when ^^^^^^Zr.^^^^'^^^^^^^ ^^^'^''^
devour chickens oi suck e},r,» »

l,ow old the latter may be. -

- SPORTSMEN GENERALlV DESPISE SKUNKS. .

A number of spoH m.n who s^jnd — ab^^^^^

:3^:L;:r^:t: t^ ^tx^ ^--bie

''wS!' few exceptions the testimony from sportsmen

which nest on or close to the ground, ^f^^^^^l
..oncerning the Skunk are wrong yet thej «J' »^^
tnnntelv quite generally entertained by a large cass
oufd'tirns who become unjustly prejudiced agains.
this useful mammal and destroy him and lus fam.lv.
>^ent reality these animals are of great benefit on
t f.m wheie detrimental insects and sleek-coa ed
llntrare almost continually at work preying on the
crops.

; PR. MRRRIAMS OBSERVATIONS.

Concerning the food habits of the Skunk, Dr. C
H.?t Merriam, of Washington, D. C, a gentleman who
" ,:livellly 'regarded as one of the most eminent and
reliable economic zoologists in America, says:

"He prey, upon mice, salamanders, frogs, and the eggs ut
.r?;tnV„est on or wUh.n -y--^ ^TsiumUle upon
a".^e;rn::tire;g:"rua\re Ts^rrer; ana once In a wnUe

336

he acquires the evil habits of robbing the hen-roost. Still, as a
rule, Skunks are not addicted to this vice, and it i^ with them
very much as it is with dogs and cats; for every now and then
a dog will get into the habit of killing sheep, and a cat of kill-
ing chickens and sucking eggs, and yet we do not wage a war-
fare of extermination against them, collectively, on account
of the sins of a few of their number.

"He is of the greatest practical value to the hop-grower,
for he frequents the hop-yard with great regularity, and greed-
ily devours the insect pests that, from their numbers and de-
structiveness, always injure, and sometimes ruin the crop. *

* * Indeed, the benefit that accrues to the farmer from the
occupancy of his premises by a family of these useful animals
can hardly be over-estimated. They are large eaters and sub-
sist almost exclusively upon his greatest enemies, mice and in-
sects.

"Of the truth of this assertion he may easily convince him-
self by merely taking the trouble to examine any bit of 'Skunk
Sign' that he happens to come across; for in the summer sea-
son, their dejections consist wholly of the indigestible chitenous
coverings of beetles, grasshoppers and other insects.*"

These statements from the facile pen of the genial
and able Merriam, tos^ether with such information as
any one can readily jj:ain by devoting a little study to
the Skunk in his native haunts should cause th(»
thoujxhtful farmer's boy to hesitate before destroy-
ing every Skunk and its family which he may come
across.

SOMETIMES DISTRESSES OTHER NIGHT TRAVELERS.

Of course we know it's verv trving; on a "fellow's
felins"' when he goes out, "as the shades of night are
falling," in a nice clean buggy drawn by a well kept
trotter, to run over a clumsj' prowling Skunk when he
is hnrr\'ing to see his best girl; but always bear in
mind it might have been much worse if that best girl

♦The vertebrates of the Adirondack region, N. E. New York.
Dec. 1883.

337

had been with you. Yet, under such circumstances,
the Skunk should not be too severely censured; the
chances are he would suffer more from the unexpected

meeting than you.

Remember, also, the Skunk tribe should not be per-
secuted because you may on one occasion have been
unfortunate enough to have gotten a good supply of
perfume when "a wooing you would go."

INTERESTING AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.

The information on succeeding pages of this paper
under the caption, "What Farmers, Poulterers and
Sportsmen Say About Skunks,'' is both interesting
and instructive, although it shows a wide difference
of opinion as to the good or evil which these mam-
mals do.

While it is true that many of these contributors,
who have kindly taken the trouble to send their views
on the food-habits of Skunks, condemn them, it is a
fact worthy of note, in this connection, to observe that
no one of these correspondents who has examined tlie
stomachs of any considerable number of Skunks is
found denouncing th(mi. According to my experience
s;kunks, either alive or dead, are very disagreeable to
liandle, and to this fact, no doubt, must be largely
attributed the censure so many persons heap on them.
Furthermore, Skunks are most active in the night
time and the many good deeds they do about the farm-
er's possessions are not nearly so easily seen as are the
results of their occasional predatory visits when they
kill chickens or suck eggs.

!• «- .••

' «• •.

■ ' THE SNEAKIKG CAT AND CUNNING RAT.

I am a lover of birds— game, song, insectivorous, and
raptorial kinds— and with the exception of a few, en
22-11

f* I

i

aa8

deavor, iu .uy feeble way, to protect these beautiful
creatures which a thoujjhtful Maker placed on earth
to assist mankind. I certainly would have a much
hi-her regard for Skunks if they evinced less industry
in^sceking the eggs and young of ground-nesting feath-
ered tenants of the fields, clearings and forests, when
they go in searei of May beetles, larvae, Mice and
other enemies of agriculture. However, I am inclined
to the opinion that Skunks are often blamed for rob-
bingneststhat have been visited by other pilfering ani-
mals. T« A V

The common house cat— concerning which Dr. A. K.
Fisher truly says:

"That gigantic • • • fraud, is petted and fed and given
a secure shelter from which it may emerge in the evening to
spread destruction among the feathered tribe"— '

does a great deal of mischief in the poultry yard and
devours all the wild birds, both old and young, it can
catch. It IS a sly robber and frequently its depreda-
tions are charged to other animals.

Rats, likewise, are cunning and vexatious pests, and
their deeds of rapine are often unjustly placed to the
discredit of Skunks, Hawks, Owls, Weasels, etc.

THEY CATCH BENEFICIAL INSECTS.

It is unquestionably (rue, as intimated by my friend
Dr. Thornton (see page 359), that Skunks consume bene-
ficial insects, particularly predaceous ground beetles
which, with their larvae, catch Army Worms, Cut-
Worms, etc., yet the painstaking investigations of
economic entomologists and mammalogists, prove be-
yond all doubt that the noxious forms of insect pests
which they feed upon are the ones which fn the great

iriuajoi-ity of cases so often distend the stomachs of
I' Skunks they dissect. ... / .

t,\. I

THESE FARMERS DEFEND SKUNKS.

The very instructive i>aragrai)h8 (see page 344) from
'"the pen of Hon. F. N. Moore, a loyal friend and one
rrof t^ best and most successful ^^^ocates ol^ agr^
. cultural interests that ever represented Bradford
bounty in the Pennsylvania Legislature, explains m
■ a very succinct manner the good habits of Skunks.
The terse communication from Mr. Moore's pen shows
"that the Patrons of Husbandry of his lo<:ality have^
by a little careful observation, learned the great worth
of these anitnals which are of so much service in pro-
~ tecting their potato and corn crops from "white grubs
that in recent years have been doing a great amount
' of damage in many parts of this Commonwealth.

i_

:-i: .

' SKUNK FARMING.

This industry, when properly conducted, is said to
be a very profitable business. The writer is unable
either from personal observation or practical exper-
ience to give any information on this matter. In view
of the fact that a number of requests have come to
this office from farmers and others who desired to
learn some facts about Skunk farming, the foUowmg
extracts are made from an interesting paper written
by Mr, Arthur D. Warner, and published in the "Rural
New Yorker," Feb. 13, 1892:

••One of the pioneers In the Skunk-breeding industry is Mr.
Henry Gurnsey, of Lima, N. Y. Mr Gurnsey has been tor a
number of years a dealer in Skunk and other furs, and about
six years ago determined to attempt the breeding of Skunks
in confinement. He first inclosed a portion of his backyard by
a tight board fence, and sank planks in the ground below the

J J

.'1

i'ii

340

fence Then he trapped or bought a tew pairs of Skunks, and
S: d Them ,n the'Llosure. The experinvent was a succeB
from the first. The Skunks Increased so rapidty as to become
atTngth somewhat of a nuisance within the corporate limits
0 1 vfl age?ld Mr. Gumsey decided to remove them to some
^nint in the country where he could engage in Skunk farming
on a cae worthy of the name. He found a suitable location
about three miles east of Lima village, and formed a partner-
ship with Mr. W. Shaddack, who owns a part of the land now
occupied by the farm and who assists in caring for the anl-
mals. . .: ^

THE FARM. • /

"About five acres were inclosed. A trench was dug In line
with the proposed fence, and planks were sunk in it a depth
of two feet; then it was filled in on both sides of the fence with
small stones, which were covered with earth. The part of the
fence above ground is tight and four feet high. On a recent
visit to this farm a faint but characteristic odor warned us of
the proximity of the "ranch." On arriving, it became evident
at once that a steep sidehill, underlaid by a tenacious clay
subsoil and which would be worthless for other purposes, is the
proper thing for Skunk breeding. It is only on steep land that
the burrows can be made with ease, and all of them have good
drainage. The hill rises to a height of perhaps 150 feet above
the road which runs along the base. - '

"The face of this incline is honeycombed all over its surface
by hundreds of Skunks' "nests," but during the greater part
of the day a casual passer-by will see little of interest within
the inclosure at any season. Only occasionally will a Skunk,
driven out by hunger, make its way to a portion of some
freshly slaughtered animal that has been placed there for
food. But about six P. M. on summer days, and somewhat
earlier in the spring and fall, the colony begins to show signs of
activity, black heads appear, then bodies emerge and make
their way down zig-zag paths of their own making toward the
point where food \9 placed; from this time on during a consid-
erable portion of the night the hillside may be said to be
literally alive with Skunks.

THEIR FOOD.

"The question of obtaining food for them is the all-absorbing
one with the proprietors of the ranch. During the Woodchuck
BeaBon they are out day after day scouring the country for

«'

"':■ ■■■■'■/:',■ -•"■■ 341 •; • ^.

-;;ese animals, and "t-r hunters are - -pt^bu^^^^^^

Woodchuck, -coons -"\° ^^^/^upply o" „>-' '^ ^"'''''''^ '"
Bufncient numbers, and a '"f J"fjf ^^^^ ^^tuved their period

the Shape of domestic ^^'^'^/J^^^f^i^'^eath. The wants of

of usefulness, or have "««\f " "'^f'^,,^^ ^n through this see-
the Skunk breeders are pretty we„Know^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^_

tion of county, and they are cue decrepit horse, a

letter or verbally ^^ ^'^ ^sJeTThen the supply of meat be-
dead cow. or abandoned ^^eep. When ^^^ carcasses

comes too great for ''"""f '^„*\"f ;,\*i' „£ „„« of the buildings

and salted ^-" '"'t'the anch S r on this meat is taken
which are attax;hed to the ranch^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^_

- and boiled in ^'-ffrdTkinr^ P>aced in a series of
ture as well as water tor skunks become semi-

troughs along the *>*^\°Vmtle food during the coldest parts
dormant, they consume ^-'J'^rllltJlv, feft out for several
of winter. In spring ^ ^f "^ '=;;„^\':rbe done in hot weather,
days until consumed. As h s can no ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^,y

the cooked ration is '^^ J^J^^'^- ^y fail the young ones

spring, eight or ten making a ^^^^^ J „,a. overfeeding

are fuU-grown, and '^-^'I'^'^'^llZX, ,i^e of the litter,
must be guarded against, as it reduces

' . THEIR NESTS.

..Recently I visited the farm during the annual WlUng. which

Keceniiy j. v eieht men were at worK on

begins about December 1. Six or eight « ^^

the steep hillside digging out ^he Skunks wWc ^^^

sacks, held by helpers. These holes or ^^^^^''J^^^^^^ ,^,,

and dirt is thown over appropriate the

••Skunks burrow but little, ana in a w animals New

holes of Woodchucks and other burrowing anima s. New

holes or wo ^^^^^ ^^ require them.

or twenty had crowded together in one hole.

IN SLAUGHTERING SEASON.

' -The males also were found collected in one portion of the
grounds At the "Skunk harvest" the roofs are thrown off
fhe holes, and a little digging brings out all that are inside.

'"

3i2

When a bag is filled, the man throws it over his shoulder and ^,
carries it down to the skinning room. Here the animals are ^
sorted. The best marked are saved for breeding, one in ten^^^
being a male. They will be kept in the building until all have
been dug out. when they are turned into the inclosure. Those
to be killed are taken outside and dispatched by a blow on
the head, and skinned as soon as dead. Only rarely do they ^„
throw scent at this operation. The skins are hung up to dry
with the flesh side out. The building contained many Fox.
'Coon and Muskrat skins, besides hundreds of Skunk pelts. The
output of the ranch will be about 800 skins this year, as many
live Skunks will be kept for the next year's breeding. Before
the carcasses are removed after skinning, the fat is ^cut off
and tried into oil. Good black skins are worth in the* neigh-
borhood of $1.50 each." _ „ ^. . .

WHAT FARMERS, POULTERERS AND SPORTS
. MEN SAY ABOUT SKUNKS. /,.;T

ADAMS COUNTY. ^

DR. C. E. GOLDSBOROUGH. Hunterstown:

Polecats are an abomination: they kill chickens, rob hens' and
birds' nests, bee nests; but they are supposed also to destroy
much vermin. We have Skunks or Polecats very common.
Woodchucks or Groundhogs rare in lowlands, tolerably common
in highlands, ifeabbit or Cottontail numerous everywhere.
Wildcats common in the moimtains of the county; field or
meadow mice very common; Minks. Moles and Weasels com-
mon, Foxes common. Muskrats very common; Squirrels, Rac-
coon and Opossum common.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

JOHN NELSON, Talley Cavey:

They will not let us get an egg if they can have their way;
have caught them in the act of stealing eggs of fowls. «^i.

ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

Dr. L. B. SCHNATTERL.Y, Freeport:

. ,1

> • • (.

They are a great enemy to the farmers' poultry and very de-
structive to nests of Partridge (Quail) and Pheasant. Mr.

I

; 343
' ' .u«f v,o raueht a Polecat destroying

Groundhog will do the same.

BRADFORD COUNTY.

.■1 • . '

'■)

It? W^'i'i '

p M ANGLE, PottervlUe: , ^ ., t

E. M. ANi-i. „„hbit8 Pheasants and Quail. I

Skunks are destructive to Rabbits Ph destructive

have known them, with the Red F°'^-;°_^,^^^^„tie, ^here the
to the above-mentioned ^ame.^ P^oo ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^

Skunk and Fox are -"'^^f^^^^irinjurlous to the farmer's
plenty and vice versa. They are a so i ] ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^

Lids: m the absence of game^ \°'^l'X^^\, sidehill or slop-
t.e meadows and P-^-^^^^'^^jy^J.^Ind turn over every
ing will convmence at the low strength. In search

n^ovable stone that is not t^ '^^se J""- ^^^ certain grubs

of ants, tumble-bugs. ^f^^^^^^J'^^'f ^l^eflcial; If so. the damage
and worms. This, some may say is oe ^^^ ^^^^^

aone is so much ^-^f ^^^f^^^^^^W o^ about three acres
into insignificance. I had a mea ^^^^^^ ,^

sloping to the northeast ^^""^^^"JX splendid stand; dl-
timothy and clover, and when "'^^fj'^ ^^^ aforesaid way
rectly after mowing they J=<""'";;;f^ j"^ J^^ ,„ds of ground
at the bottom and turned the stones over a^few ^^^^^

1 !_*. /Pr^-n i4Up all evil doers tney wuin. «* o , .,
every "'«" (for like aU e ^^^^^ ^^^ accumulated the

they reached the top, oy uiti ^ould overturn •

same food under the stones -^^'" ^^"^^/if ,"er having left '•
every stone, P'-'"-j;^„trgra" s ^here U lay. the sun, wind,
it Just long enough to I^'" /''^ fj^.'^/^^,, ^ntil the field was
and covering having destroyed ^h^^^*"!^"^ witnessed the

ruined until taken "P -f^ "^'^J^'^f , ,?.r„rhes,tatlon in
aforesaid charges against this animai i

-^'"^r aTor^agt^n^ r^rm d^-lnlcom^Sund ^nter-

r L'Te; .r:L^ .a- a- --p^— - rot ^^r^
in favor of a light bounty^ say - ^^^'^ J^^^J/, „,,,, one

::r ruItVetrsI^rfawTe Tamended that the said Jus-

"rc::s;d:rThTkrk\S;inj:Hous for the fonowmg reason.

Tn Lcaimes where farmers do not have good protection for
heir poLury They will destroy both old and young that roost
ow enough for ^em to reach. They are cunning fellows and

shTw i-eat wisdom. If a young turkey or guinea fowl are

i

312

When a bag is filled, the man throws it over his shoulder and
carries it down to the skinning room. Here the animals are
sorted. The best marked are saved for breeding, one in ten
being a male. They will be kept in the building until all have
been dug out, when they are turned into the inclosure. Those
to be killed are taken outside and dispatched by a blow on
the head, and skinned as soon as dead. Only rarely do they
throw scent at this operation. The skins are hung up to dry
with the flesh side out. The building contained many Fox,
'Coon and Muskrat skins, besides hundreds of Skunk pelts. The
output of the ranch will be about 800 skins this year, as many
live Skunks will be kept for the next year's breeding. Before
the carcasses are removed after skinning, the fat is cut off
and tried into oil. Good black skins are worth in the* neigh-
borhood of $1.50 each."

^1

.n

i^:

* • .\

WHAT FARMERS, POULTERERS AND SPORTS-
MEN SAY ABOUT SKUNKS. ,

ADAMS COUNTY. . /

DR. C. E. GOLDSROROUGTH, Hunterstown:

Polecats are an abomination; they kill chickens, rob hens' and
birds' nests, bee nests; but they are supposed also to destroy
much vermin. We have Skunks or Polecats very common.
Woodchucks or Groundhogs rare in lowlands, tolerably common
in highlands, ifeabblt or Cottontail numerous everywhere.
Wildcats common in the mcimtains of the county; field or
meadow mice very common; Minks, Moles and Weasels com-
mon, Foxes common, Muskrats very common; Squirrels, Rac- ,
coon and Opossum common. ,,..

ALLEGHENY COUNTY. - . Z

JOHN NELSON, Talley Cavey: '.''][

They will not let us get an egg if they can have their way;
have caught them in the act of stealing eggs of fowls.

ARMSTRONG COUNTY. i

•<»

Dr. L. B. SCHNATTERLY, Freeport:

They are a great enemy to the farmers' poultry and very de-
structive to nests of Partridge (Quail) and Pheasant. Mr.

343

• - » ■ -

■ , 4 . .

^ u* o -Pnlecat destroying

Groundhog will do the same

■ T V

■'X'

- BRADFORD COUNTY.

f :

K. M. ANGI.E, Pottervme: ^^^ ^^^^^ ^

Skunks are destructive to RabbUs ^^^^ destructive

have known them, with the Red ^o^-'°^^^^^^,,,,,, ^here the

to the above-mentioned S^""^' jj, ^^3 said game In

Skunk and Fox are -^-^'l^'^^^^l^lZinHo.. to the farmer's
plenty and vice versa. They "^ a ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^

fields; in the absence of game^ "^^l {^^^ U sldehiU or slop-
the meadows and P^^t-res -d If the^^ ^^^ ^^^„ ^,,, ,,ery
ing will commence at the 1 strength. In search

„,ovable stone that is not ^^ '^^^e J ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^s

of ants, tumble-bugs. «f^«^;"^'^f ,tbe„enclal; if so. the damage
and worms. This, some may say so ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^

aone is so much greater than the little go . ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^_.^^

into insigniflcance. I had a '"t^"''™ ^^11 seeded to

Sloping to the northeast ^^^l^'^^^J^a splendid stand; di-
limothy and clover, and ^^^""J^^Z^ti" ,„ ^he aforesaid way

,ectly after mowing ^'^f^.^^^^^J^^f.e a few rods of ground
at the bottom and turned the stones ov ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^„

every night (for like all evil doers t^ y ^^^^^^.^^.^ the

they reached the top; by t^at time there ^^^^^^^^

same food under the stones ^^^'" ^""Va J^fter having left

every stone. P'-^JJ^^trgra" s ^here it lay, the sun. wind,
it Just long enough to kill the gra-s ^^^^ ^^^

and covering having destroyed th«^-^«J^"*„g ^,t„,,,ed the

ruined until taken up and "^-J^ ^^^^^f "^ ^^^ ^, hesitation in

• aforesaid charges against this animal I ha^e ^^^

^^^'"^rarortrag:o^:or^m drying compound Inter-
worse than a mortgage "" ^ " greater ratio, and I am

est, for they Increase faster and " * ^r^at^^ ^^ ' ^, ,„„,
,„ favor of a light bounty^ say ;' J, ^^^ ^[''^rv/a larger one
rtrScX^rtrrb: r:me„ded that the said ,us-

T„ localities -^"Vm de's" oy b" ^ old an'd young that roost
their P<>""J>V''*Z,I,"' ^"ach They are cunning fellows and
rwTelt wlsd":r ^ ^^ylng turkey or guinea fowl are

1".

.,!-

V^ •

344

apt to wander to a distance that they may hide their nesting
place, the Skunk, keen of scent, soon locates the nest and eats
the eggs', should the birds be lucky enough to lay their quota
and commence setting, of course, the odor Is still stronger and
the Skunks can scent at a greater distance; they will drive off
the birds and eat the eggs, being careful to save the birds
that they may keep them supplied with such toothsome food
and will not kill "the goose that lays the golden egg." until
they see they are not likely to get any more or are driven by
excessive hunger to attack the mother bird. This same being
true should they come upon the mother bird while with their
young they will destroy the young by piecemeal as they will
have need, not like the Mink or Weasel, destroy for the blood
and leave several dead In a pile. .. . >

HON. F. N. MOORE, North Orwell:

Skunks are quite plentiful In my locality, but twenty years
ago they were much more numerous, and at that time we did
not experience the great losses we now sustain In our mead-
ows through the ravages of white grubs which are the larvae
of the May beetle or tumble-bug. In this region we grow po-
tatoes extensively for the eastern markets and experience ma-
terial losses to the potato crops as well as to corn by reason
of the white grub eating them. These Inroads made by the
white grub became of such a serious character that It brought
out discussion among our farmers at local grange meetings,
when It was learned that the potato and corn fields, most ad-
jacent to sections where Skunks harbored, were least damaged
by these larvae. Observation proved that the Skunks, to get
the grubs, dug small round holes In the hills and rows of the
potatoes. The testimony of our observing and Intelligent farm-
ers Is that the Skunk Is the greatest enemy to these noxious
pests, for he not only seeks them In the plowed ground, but
will dig for them In the meadow and pasture lands.

Skunks, as Is well-known to every one, will turn over flat
stones, pieces of wood, etc., which serve as harboring places
for crickets, ants, grasshoppers, army worms, may beetles and
other forms of Insect life which subsist on the farmer's crops.
While It Is true the Skunk occasionally will visit the hen roost
or get under the barn to the dismay of the farmer's dog, and
the disgust of the farmer's boy, yet the damage which he does
In the poultry yard Is light when compared with his beneficent
services, rendered in destroying Insects, mice and other ver-
min which attack the farmer's crops by day and night. The

^45

animal. #„^^or u that these animals

are certa-nly friends nt ^^ ^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^_

[t:Zl^el: eTT.t^on wouM be prejudicial to the far.-
ing interest.

J. S. GAY. Terry town:

Skunks are very injurious; they are very plentiful and will
catch all the chickens that they can find; also suck eggs.

W. R. PARK, Athens:

injurious; destroy eggs, game and eggs "' g^"'%^'''''",,,,^''"f,
a sportsman I desire to protect game and favor the Killing of

Sltunks.

BUTLER COUNTY.

JOHN F. WEAKLY, Slippery Roclc:

I thini. Sicunks are a benefit as they live almost entirely on
bugs and worms.

CARBON COUNTY.

M. E. KDMERBR, Welssport:
Skunks kill chickens and other kinds of poultry.

CENTRE COUNTY.

T. H. HARTER, Bellefonte:

I think the Polecat Is the most destructive to our game as
it does Its work at night and catches the birds while hatching.
In my opinion Skunks are Injurious because they feed upon
game when they can get it. I consider them next to the Hawk
in destructlveness to game. . ,

1

34(5

CAMliRIA COUNTY.

MR. PIERSON, Dysart: . .

Skunks eat €ggs of the ground birds (the kind that are bene-
ficial to the farmer, such as Thrush. Catbird and native Spar-
row) They have killed a great amount of chickens around
here; have lost some myself and set trajs and caught them
in my hen house. They are injurious.

,». o

JOHN F. THOMAS, Carrolltown:

While the Skunk devours many insects and other vermin, it
is obnoxious to the farmer and sportsman. They are invaria-
bly abroad on wet nights, when they may be found prowling
about the barn or hen coop, and have even been killed in cel-
lars of inhabited houses. Their methods of procuring insects
manifests much cunning. I have seen them go about a field in
the evening overturning all small flat stones in their way, and
quickly gather up all the surprised bugs and beetles. It is un-
suspecting and may be taken with a steel trap very easily.

CHESTER COUNTY. r ?.

*•- • . • •

THOS. B. DARLINOTON, West Chester:

The Skunk or Polecat is a frequent visitor to the poultry
yard, for poultry or eggs, or both, and breaking up setting hens.

A. SHARPLESS, West Chester:

The Skunk has been pretty plentiful here in years past. I
think it is more beneficial to the farmer than otherwise. True,
old ones sometimes destroy young chickens when exposed at
night, but their food seems principally to be noxious insects; I
long since forbid their destruction on my farm. There will be no
danger here of any surplus of these animals, as the value
of their pelts is such that trappers will keep their numtbers
down.

HARRY WILSON, Gum Tree:

In my opinion are one of the most beneficial animals; their
principal food as shown by their stomachs and excretions are
insects, such as beetles and grasshoppers. I had an illustration
of their food habits shown to me a couple of years since. I
had been hunting Groundhogs one summer evening and re-
turning through a clover field near a woods T saw a small black

.^

u ■

. ohnnt in the grass near my Intended path. I
animal moving about •" th«^ half-grown Skunk;

,oon found on nearer approach^lt ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ ^
so coming to a stand iw ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^h ^^

hood; 't wandered ^-st one w y^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^._ ^^ ^^^^^ ,„„^
came ^l^^m a few fe^t of m ^^^^^^^ ^^^ grasshoppers as

the least notice of me. ii wa ^^^ gteps it

was evident '^^^^^^ ^^^l^^J^ZtlT.^.r. U came across
„,ade a sort of ^"«' !^''^f 'i\^„a dew after night-fall, which
a grasshopper, stiffened '°^/'°^°-^ ,, .^ ^ short spring

would hop but ^-iXX^vT^^^^^^^^^^^^^"^'^ '-''-'
placing both >;-- 7^,f^j,;°n„t!l too dark to see its opera-
leisure. I watched th'^ «™ ^j capturing was always the

tions any VT^^'Tmict with his Paws first. When a Skunk

same-catching the '"^^t^un ^ chickens,
however, acquires a tas e for ^^^ ^^g

death alone, I believe, will stop his ra^^^^^^ '^. ^^j,^ ^^^^^ ;,

^"V ^«:c^eTargT:::X:g sTr%^": P^oTes very tempt.

raVdrrmritrslicide. X beu^^^^^^^^

educated to abandon the habl » ^-y"^;^-, ^^^^^^ ^^,,^

^^ZTT^:^tXri^^^^^^-^ a -^-V .enenclal

and useful animal to mankind.
. DR WALTER VAN FLEET, West Grove:
■■ Skunks beneficial; stomach usually filled with insects.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

• j! BLAIR READ. Clearfield:

' Injurious. Destroying poultry. ., '.

JAMES THOMAS, Curwensvllle:
•..I had forty young and an old turkey killed '" t*.ree succes^

sive nights by a Skunk. I trapped It and it was not very

large one either.

ABRAHAM NEVELING, Coalport:
:.. Skunks are Injurious; they destroy poultry and eggs.

E. GARD EDWARDS, Ramey: •. , .,

Skunks are more Injurious than otherwise on account of dep-
• redatlons on poultry.

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348

W. J. STULL. Coalport:
Skunks injurious; destuctive to poultry. .. ,

BNOS BLOOM, New Millport:

The Skunk or Polecat is very common and very destructive
to poultry and eggs. They are so bold that they will enter a
poultry house or anywhere else that they can, in broad day
light. They are very destructive to Pheasants and Partridges,
eating both eggs and young. / -'

CLINTON COUNTY.

L. M. CASTETTER, Green Burr:

Some people think Skunks harmless, but they are the most
destructive animals to birds that build their nests on the
ground, such as the Lark, Quail and Pheasant, as they are
fond of such food as birds' eggs and young birds. They visit
the poultry yards very often in our section and kill lots of poul-
try; they are very plentiful because not every one will kill them
on account of the offensive musk they will discharge when pur-
sued. Our Quail are very scarce, and I blame nothing but the
Skunk for it.

CRAWFORD COUNY.

W. G. SARGEANT, Meadvllle:
Skunks do no especial harm; many are taken for their fur.

HON. J. B. PHELPS, Conneautville:

The Skunk is the farmer's friend. I have watched them hunt-
ing grasshoppers and digging out grubs in the field.

H. C. KIRKPATRICK, Meadville:

The Skunk destroys poultry and eggs; and in my oipinion is
injurious, but to what extent I cannot tell.

COLUMBIA COUNTY.

E. H. DAVIS and JOHN M. BUCKALEW, Pishing Creek:

Would estimate that about 1,000 skins of Skunks are obtained
annually in this section.

Polecats catch a few mice, bugs and insects when they can-
not get a meal of Quail, Pheasants or their nests of eggs or

349

young, or rabbits' or their nest of young. We sometimes ofter
r^ocal bounty to the boys-to the one producing t^e most
Laips-and always see beneficial results in Quail and Pheas-
ant increasing, as well as Rabbits thereafter. ,

'"'''"'!. CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

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JACOB MEIXEL, Boiling Springs:

Skunks are injurious; they destroy young chickens and leave
a disagreeable odor. I have known Skunks, Opo^ms, We^
sels and Mink to kill much poultry and game; they generally
destroy all that are at one place.

FAYEl^E COUNTY.

N, W. MILLER, Uniontown:

Skunks are valuable; they exterminate field mice and rats.
Some of our farmers have forbidden the trapping of Skunks on
their farms, because they keep their meadows free from rats
and mice.

FRANKLIN COUNTY.

HON. A. NEVIN POMEROY, Chambersburg:
Skunks are injurious; destroy poultry.

GREENE COUNTY.

B. F. HE'RRINGTON, Waynesburg:
Skunks beneficial; they destroy a great many meadow mice.

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

GEO. S. APPLEIBY, Decorum:
Skunks injurious; they destroy poultry.

E^DIANA COUNTY.

WM. D. ROMBACIH, Saltsburg:

Skunks are very injurious to all game, while they destroy
many moles and mice; their pelt is big premium to kill them.

L. C. OBERLIN, Smicksburg:
Last winter I believe I handled over 1,000 Skunk skins besides

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350

hundreds of other kinds. Skunks are plentiful all over the ,
country; I am sure that they are benencial to the farmer; they
km mic; destroy bee, wasp and yellow jacket nests. Very llt~
ne htr^' to pouury. On the other hand their hides are ven^^ .
valuable. . , ■ .\ ^r^j >?>

SAMUEL BOTHELrL, Shelocta:

I think they destroy quantities of bugs, grasshoppers and ;
bumble bees, grubs, etc.. that are more of a pest than they. ^ .

R. W. WEHRLE, Blairsville:
Injurious.

'?iv-

JU^^IATA COUNTY.

W. H. KNOUSE, Swales:

T am firmly convinced that Skunks are beneficial. I have
known them to harbor in buildings and have not heard of a
single instance in which they destroyed roultry or eggs of.
which they are somtimes accused. To the contrary, they de-
stroy large numbers of field mice, bugs and worms. My boys
catch them sometimes and upon examination we find that the
contents of their stomachs verify this statement.

MR. WELLINGTON SiMITH, Mifflintown:

The Skunk is the boldest and most plentiful of all poultry
destroyers; I have really killed as many as six in one season
right In my barn. Last summer I shot one in broad daylight
in the feed entry. It is surprising how nicely they can eat your
eggs for a long time before you know what becomes of them
and eat your chickens too. His depredations will always be
saddled somewhere else. ' *'

LANCASTER COUNTY.

Messrs. H. M. ENG-LE & SON, Marietta:

The Skunk is quite common and the damage done by them is
not very great. I know they destroy eggs and poultry; whether
they destroy field mice, as it is claimed, I do not know.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

«

F. L. BENJAMIN, Kizers:
Skunks occasionally kill chickens and eat their eggs.

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351

... . • , < . ' ' '

AC. SISSON, La Plume: . .' , '

Skunks occasionally destroy poultry and eggs in a small way^
hut subsist principally upon bugs, worms -^-/^-/^f ^^n,
""th^Trrrs'^"st^rdt^nVsruM^eTrotected to the
of the f^;'"^'^^„!'f,';Jf,;,ge,y upon insects that are detrimen-
!"! f TirlJ Th May beetle and its larvae, that are so

r;r:e=- --Tnd^°„„— t^: z^^z

•""rLlurLrth: us "ul :njT^ U^^^^^^^ by stnngent
fe-glSr s^ra^rr^ growing wm

TZ^:^^^^^'-^^^^^^ -'^ ^-' 'V'the
r verv ereat extent. The damage to the potato crop by the

^hHegTufis rabidly increasing, and calls loudly for prompt

CthrseTay^f r.riculLal depression, when new industries
are eairly sought !hat otter profitable results, we would re-
rmmend Skunk farming. It has been demonstrated that these
lune animals can be grown to an almost unlimited extent, and
1 he sLme time afford a pleasant and lucrative em,ployment^
our American ladles delight in wearing the excellent fur of
heseiiUle animals, althougi, usually under "je assumed name
nf exnensive furs of animals now nearly extinct. The pelt o
« black Skunk will bring from $1.50 to $2.00 each, and the o>l
:f aTat Skunk $S. They are as prolific as swine-, they usually
breed twice in a season, and drop from six to twelve a a Iter
they are easily domesticated and become as gentle as kittens,
and can be handled with Impunity, if the tail is used as a han-
dle Unlike our farm stock, they require no feeding in winter,
t^ey hib rnate. only making their appearance at rare intervals
when the weather is mild; their food is refuse meat and bones
Trim the butcher's shop, mush made of wheat t>ran and cows
milk. When they are ready for slaughter they ^-"^ ""^ /f •°[°;
formed, and when the oil is extracted they can be fed to the
rest of the herd. The Ithaca Fur Company, of thaca. >r ^.
have perhaps the most extensive Skunk farm In the United
States, situated about seven miles from that city, where sev-
eral thousands of these useful animals may be seen at an>
time during the summer months by those who care to inves-
tigate this comparatively new and unique enterprise.

ZIBA SCOTT. SPRING BR(X)K:

The Skunk Is a very mischievous animal, he Is not a fast
runner, but sneaks around the chicken coops at night and

352

sucks all ihe eggs he can find. If a hen or turkey sUalB its
nest in Ihe field and sets there he is pretty sure to get the egg.
He serves the Quails and Pheasants the same way. _ «. .v.

LEHIGH COUNTY.

.*-A~/'

W. B. K. JOHNSON, Allentown:

Skunks. In a poultry yard I should not want them; they love
eggs too well and have often come from the woods to steal
eggs in our tarns during winter and were caught entering a
square hole for cats to enter; after feasting on eggs were not
able to repass and were caught.

LUZERNE COUNTY.

JOHN E STOCKER, Ashley:

Skunks are injurious and dangerous. I know of a family by
the name of Bergers, who lived along what is known as the
middle road between Ashley and Buttonwood, about a mile from
here, who had a very nice flock of ducks and chickens. There
is a running stream about a stone's throw from the house, and
on the side of a small hill they had built a coop to house their
flock; it was not long before Mr. Berger noticed the number
of his flock going down; his idea was that they were stolen.
One night he had occasion to go out on a bright moonlight
night; he noticed what he thought were two dogs playing in
the road; he moved a little closer and soon found they were
Skunks; he was attacked by them and it was all he could do to
get away. Had it been a child instead of a man, the result
would have been the child would have been killed or nearly so.
Mr. Berger's suspicion was aroused and he made a hunt around
his premises; the nest containing five young was found under
the pen; of course they were all killed, as was one adult.

M. B. TRESCOTT, Harvey ville:

The Skunk is injurious. It is a great destroyer of eggs, rob-
bing hens' nests, particularly those "setting," and destroying
whole broods of young chickens in a night and sometimes
killing an old one. I have known a number of instances where
they have got into out kitchens and cellars, and spoiled by their
"scent," nearly everything stored there. I do not know of any
good they do.

LAWRENCE COUNTY

HON. A. L. MARTIN, Enon Valley:
Preserve the Polecat.

McKEAN COUNTY.

C -W IMCKINSON, Norwich:

■, ,:,.Uin,y thlnK the S.unU ^-« -^.^f ^rwhul^grlb,

,e ,. an enemy to the ^^-^^^^'^^^'XuTnsTou ir^e above
and nearly all kinds of beetles. The S'<""^U^^es

„amed Insects, ^nd only ^^^^^^ ^';ilJ\Zll Z-- «'^---

» raid on the farmer's poultry or eggs. im

to k!?. chickens and devour a whole nest of eggs.

NOAH H. PARKER. Gardeau:

;S and often will repeat his visit, if left t.ndlsturbed.
C. R. BROWNEI.L, A. P. POPE and W. R. PAGK. Smethport:
Kill chickens and furnish material for fur capes.

\ P. BREWKR. Norwich:

Skunks are quite plentiful in this county -^ ^^ -^^^^^'^^I
a great nuisance on account of their unpleasant Perfumery, ana
he^use they are destructive to eggs and young chickens.

J B. OVIATT, Norwich:

consider the Skunks a benefit to the farmer as they catch
mice, beetlts, larvae, etc.

MERCER COUNTY.

A D. Mccracken, New Lebanon:

we have had young chickens killed and «° »^,^^ °";"^'«J;J;''";,
as many as fourteen at one time: supposed it was a Skunk or
Polecat for when a Skunk was captured we '"^t "o more chick-
ens that year. Skunks are considered by some beneficUl to th^
farmer: I think they are Injurious. They are becoming scarce
which I believe will be beneficial to the farmer and poultr>
raiser.

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354

M. C. OSBOURN, Henderson:

The Skunk I think is a friend to the farmer in many ways;
he sometimes may kill a chicken, but this is overbalanced by
the good he does in the field by killing mice and other harmful
forms of animal life.

ARTHUR M'AjRTIN, Sandy Lake:

We have the Skunk; they are the farmer's friend; they de-
stroy more mice than any animal we have; we have a great many
mice in our clover fields; we will notice late in the fall when
a small skif t of snow falls, the clover field is travelled over and
a great many mice killed in a single night by a Skunk.

MIFFLIN COUNTY.

JOS. W. KYLE, Milroy:
Injurious.

MONROE COUNTY.

H. T. FRANKENFLELD, Frutcheys:

I would consider Skunks beneficial to the farmer, as they
catch the Meadow or Field Mice.

MRS. ALMA S. WILLISTON, Frutcheys:

Last April my boy of ten years trapped a Skunk In our next
neighbor's chicken yard and wanting to sell her to a "Skunk
Park" on the Delaware, about five miles from here, he put her
In a box and kept her until he had a chance to send her to the
park; he had her two days when she gave birth to a litter of
seven; of course he was more anxious than ever to keep her
until the little ones were large enough to sell, so he tried giv-
ing her fresh eggs, one three times a day; she liked them well
and the whole family throve nicely; she would take the esK
between her front feet and bore a small hole in the end with
her teeth and suck the contents. We kept them three weeks
and then took them to the park. In the meantime the mother
became so tame my boy could handle her with Impunity, take
out the little ones when he liked and look at them without the
mother interfering at all. I was sorry he did not keep them
until they grew large for at the park they had poor success in
raising the young. They said the old ones ate them; I do not
know why, as the one we had seemed very fond of the little
ones.

355

RMIL ULRICH, Stroudeburg:

If it were not for his odoriferous propensities I should think
the Skunk a great friend of the farmer. He may occasionally
destroy a nest, eat some young birds, but ^^^ /^llgh s are
ground hornets' nests and grubs and worms, after which he
win dig m the field. I have noticed the numerous small holes
made by skunks when searching for grubs.

MONTOUR COUNTY.

■A ' i i-

J. L. BRANNE-N, Exchange:
Skunks are Injurious to poultry and game.

PERRY COUNTY.

F. M. McKEEHAN, Ferguson: .-. .

Skunks are tolerably common In our parts; more numerous
than they were a few years ago. They are certainly destruc
tlve of game, destroying the eggs and brood; they also destroy
young rabbits. They seldom now approach farm buildings to
molest young poultry as they did fifty years ago, for as the
country Is Improved they are destroyed.

C. R. NOTES, Westport:

Skunks rob chicken and turkey nests and frequently kill tur-
keys and chickens.

PIKE COUNTY.

C. p. MOTT. Mllford:

Skunks are not very numerous In our county, and the mice,
etc., detroyed by them more than compensates for the very
small damage that they do to poultry.

POTTER COUNTY.

O. J. JACKSON, Borie:
The Skunk does some damage to poultry.

SNYDER COUNTY.

F. J. WAGGENSELLER. M. D., Sellnsgrove:
Skunks are Injurious; have known them to kill chickens, de-
stroy birds and small gamp. «

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356

SOMERSET COILNTY.

• uKC-IS OTT-,~;
E B HOSTETTER, Kingswood:

The Skunk is a very injurious animal, will kill all th* feath-
ered fowls, sucli as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, qua". et«--

JIOREMIAH PHILLIPS, Garrett: _
Skunks suck eggs and sometimes catch chickens and ducks,

but not often. * .: ,<-

:.i J

I>R. H. D. MOORE, New Lexington:

Skunks. Both beneficial and injurious, but I believe the in-
jury outweighs the benefit. If there were not any ground-nest-
ing birds or fowls, I have no doubt he would make a good liv-
ing on grubs, bugs, etc. I have a very poor opmion of the
Skunk He is entirely too familiar; when he goes on a visit
he is iiable to stay a whole week, and if you disturb him the
whole neighborhood finds it out and everybody is down on him
and every effort is made to destroy him, bounty or no bounty.
Allow me to digress a little from your question and say that I
haven't the least idea in the world what the Skunk was created
for He doesn't seem to have any sense at all. I never knew
one to turn short around and start for home; if he didn't find a
barn or log, or the fence around a ten acre field to turn him
he would go on and on forever. I have met him at all hours
of the night, on the road, on the walks all around my house,
office and stable, and he always has the right of way. Coming
home late at night I have found him in possession of the prem
ises. By maneuvering around and calling to my wife to hand
the shot gun out of the back window, I have been able to con-
vince him that he had been jumping my claim. '

JOSIAH PILE, New Lexington:

Skunks are injurious, they will come to the farmers* barn at
night and if there are any young chickens about the barn that
are not shut up he Is sure to get them; It matters not how
many young chickens are there he generally takes them all;
it is no mystery when the farmer gets to his barn In the morn-
ing and finds them all gone what has taken them— the smell
tells the story. I cannot see In what way they are a benefit.

357
SULLIVAN COUNTY.

OTTO BEHR, Lopez: i - .

Think Polecats are ibeneficial to the farmer; the damage they
.10 m occasionally eating the eg^s out of a nest out doors or
matching a setting hen Is more than balanced by the insects they
teed on. • • ' '

J. K. BIRD, Millview:

The Skunk is one of the worst pests the farmer has, often
coming to our doors and poultry houses and robbing eggs and
young chickens from under the hen. and many times killing old
towla I would recommend a bounty of one dollar on Skunks.

O. F. HUNSINGER. CoUey:

I consider the Skunk more of a benefit than an injury, for the
reason that I know of many parties who trap them, mak ng
Kood wages selling their hides and a good fair income by frying
out tHe oil from the carcass, which is useful and valuable.

, ;. f: SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.

JASPER T. JENNINGS, New Mllford:

The Skunk does little or no damage to crops of any kind.
Their principal depredations are among the chickens and
young poultry. I have often known a whole brood of young
chickens to be destroyed by them in a single night. They often
burrow under some rock or go Into a Woodchuck hole near the
farmer's dwelling and prowl forth at night in search of prey;
they are great destroyers of meadow mice, and they dig out
hornets and bumble bees' nests for the larvae of the bees; they
are rarely seen In the day time, but when so found will often
follow a person to throw their almost unendurable odor upon
him. Skunks bring forth several young at a time and increase
verv rapidly. They are taken quite extensively in the fall of
the* year when their fur is good, by means of a stone trap,
.et with a figure four, denominated a "dead fall." The bait
Is generally composed of a chicken's head or entrails; the boys,
as well as some men, derive no little pleasure, as well as some
profit, in running a line of traps.

S. S. THOMAS, Lynn:
Skunks very common; think fully 3,500 are killed in this county

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annually. Woodchucks. about one to the square acre. Rabbits,
^uite common, diminishing before ferrets. Wildcats QUite rare;
m fact, almost unknown in this part of the county^ Meadow
mice, exceedingly thick some years, in others rare Minks and
Weasels quite common. Foxes, quite common, but dimmishing.
Squirrels: Pine, common; Gray, plenty when they migrate this
way Black, nearly or quite extinct. Raccoon occasionally seen;
less plentiful than formerly. Opossum very rare. Black Bear
unknown in this part of the county; one killed near here some

twenty-five years ago.

Am inclined to believe that the Skunk by his ceaseless war
on other vermin compensates for the damage he does to the
poultry I have twice caught him at the bee hives scratching
the outside of the hive to bring out the inmates and devouring
them as fast as they appeared. This was just at daylight in
the morning.

M. B. LYMAN, Lynn:

Skunks. Beneficial in killing mice, grasshoppers, insects and
other noxious insects, evidenced by upturned stones and shal-
low punctures in meadows where they are often seen.

TIOGA COUNTY.

p. W. REXFORD, Mansfield:

I think Skunks are injurious for they rob all birds* nests that
are on the ground, and they are bad on poultry.

U]SIION COUNTY.

GEO. W. CHAMBERS, Miflflinburg:

Skunks are certainly of no benefit to farmers or anybody else.
I know that I have a good deal of trouble with them and 1
would be willing to help pay fifty cents for every scalp. I have
had to fight them for years. If they get under a floor in a
barn or house they destroy all the eggs and chickens in a short
time. The act paying fifty cents a scalp should never have
been repealed; if it had not there would not now be a Skunk
in this county and that would have been a benefit to the
whole country.

DR. THOS. C. THORNTON. Lewisburg:

Poultry raisers In this section suffer considerable loss yearly
from the depredations of hawks included In the genus Aedpi-

359

^ The Great Horn.d Owl and sometimes ^ ^^-^^^ f^l^

t;troy domesticated fowls. TheJ..^^^^^^^^ ^J ^1 d^mS
-ointlve the Pigeon Hawk, and the Bald i^agie wiu ».«ii
relative me jri5=" />nmmon Weasel, Mink,

tioated fowls. Among mammals, the common vvea ' „„_.
wndcat and both kinds of Foxes also destroy a large amount
^nouUr^ every year; and these four-footed depredators in
on^lthSe raptorial birds above cited do a great deal
^rmThllf V'esZing game-birds and -ammals-as well
1 ma^y kinds of small beneficial song birds. TJe Mink which
14 ,^e \r^ the vicinity of water courses, in addition to auuig
Tny other b^d de'eds, destroys «sh; large-slzed trout seem
The most agreeable to the taste. While ^-^-^^^^ ^^^^'^^
like some of their mammalian cotemporarles, do not. so far as
i canlTarn isturb the eggs of poultry or wild birds we have
!he pestiferous Skunk which is a most adroit nest robber This
animal like many other evil doers, goes about in the dark to
klirpoul^o'eat their eggs, and when these cannot be readily
Ob amed he attacks the eggs and broods of all ground-nesting

hldThe can find. Skunks do --\,^r''' ellalT Sktys
the havoc they make among game birds, especially Turkeys

■ QuairPheasants and Woodcock. «*^-'\P--P* f 7/^^^'
the dog and gun to extirpate these sneaking and ^'^ P"'^'^;
They of course prey to some extent on different forms of In
sect-life but, possibly, it may be they consume almost as many
beneficL sp;c'les as they do of noxious kinds. «<>- "J--^"
believe this to be the case, and if they are correct, then there
can be no room for doubt that the whole Skunk race should be
exterminated as their ravages in poultry yards, to game, and to
msect-devourlng birds Is well established.

C. K. SOBER, Lewisburg:

The Skunk, or Polecat, as this nocturnal quadruped Is called
by many. is. according to my observation, a most despicable ani-
mal While it is probably true that he destroys some destruc-
tive larvae and beetles which subsist on the farmers crops,
the damage he and his numerous family occasion by frequent
visits to the hen coops Is considerable. I think the loss to the
farmer and fruit-grower, through the destruction of the eggs
and young of Insectivorous birds by Skunks. Is much greater
than the good these animals do by devouring crop-destroying
Insect pests. Sportsmen who desire to see the game birds in-
crease, very generally favor the extermination of Skunks be-
cause they devour the eggs and young of Pheasants. Turkeys.
Quail and Woodcock; and they sometimes eat young Hares.

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360

ThPv also catch, it is said, destructive mice in meadows where
Tey hunt or food; but in such places. I have little douht. they
do Luch injury to small song and insectivorous b.rds, as they
will not hestitlte to rob ail the nests which they can reach as
they slowly and methodically hunt over the ground in the
twilight, moonlight and dark.

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VENANGO COUNTY.

0 ■

L. T. VVILiT, Franklin:

Skunks are no doubt beneficial as well as injurious. If left
alone they will Injure no one. except In case of extreme hun-
ger or on being molested. Why not rate him among the higher
order of mammals, on account of nature endowing him with
the faculty as chemist of preserving so fine a weapon of de-
fence and in so fine a chemical state of subdivision and in su
small a laboratory and capable, with, a very slight effort on his
part, to open his laboratory and in an instant perfume so great
an amount of atmosphere.

H. C. DORWORTH, Oil aty:

I consider Skunks Injurious for the reason that they will
kill poultry and eat eggs. I have been told that the stench
from these animals Is readily taken up by milk; I know that
local dairymen are bothered by these animals.

Many Instances of Weasels and Polecats killing poultry In this
county have occurred. I know of a case where a farmer hearing
a commotion in his chicken coop went to Investigate; he got
there In time to see a Weasel killing the eighteenth chicken.
James Black, of Black Siding, this county, not long ago lost
twenty fine White Brahmas. The Weasel had come up through
a crack in the floor, killed the whole flock and dragged every
chicken to the crack. The owner found his twenty chickens In
a row along this crack with their heads drawn down through
it. The Polecat does not kill as many chickens at one time as
a Weasel; one or two usually satisfies his hunger.

WASHINOTON COUNTY.

GEORGE MONTGOMERY. Washington:

The Skunk has been very destructive at times to our poultry,
a few years ago one was quartered under the coal house,
not more than twenty feet from the kitchen door, and took
two dozen full grown hens before we discovered his where-

361

K .« T had no dog at the time and that was perhaps the
on he took quarters so near the house. There was another ;
r;: few years a«er, which was under a pig pen In the orchard
that ga7e me considerable trouble, and destroyed many eggs
r„d chTckens. before I succeeded In killing him. JJ;-; -^"J^
at the present time staying under our barn, which we have
1 succeeded In capturing; he has killed -ny chickens for u«
the past summer and oaten a great many eggs. There have
been s X Skunks killed on this farm this year. I have been
a n"sed to let the one remain at the barn so long as he does not
kill the chickens, and have a dead sheep or something of the
Ld tor him to nibble at. but my sentiments don't tend that

way.^ ...

JAS. S. NEASE, Washington:

During the vear 1870 Skunks were very abundant in Wash-
ington county.' T saw one in the town of West Alexander in the
chicken coop eating a young chicken; 1 think It had killed two
or three and destroyed some eggs under a hen. This was early
in the evening, about eight o'clock. Father shot it while it was
eating the chicken. During that winter Skunks would come into
the yards in town and on soft nights, scratch on the bee hives
and when the bees came out would eat them; this weakened the
hive When the ground was muddy (the kind of weather
Skunks prefer to travel) they would leave the hives muddy
where they scratched It at the hole left for bees to enter. At
this time the Skunk was hunted but very little for its fur, but
in a few vears thereafter the fur brought a good price and
they have become very much scarcer. The incentive in obtain-
ing Its pelt has so reduced It in numbers that It now ought to
he protected for the good of the farmers. They now stay far
from dwellings and those which remain are needed to kill
mice, yellow jackets, hornets and bumble bees. The Skunk
when not exceedingly numerous is very useful. The price of its
fur makes it much sought after and keeps its numbers greatly
reduced. It should be protected for a year or two.

WAYNE COUNTY.

G. C. BELL, Maple wood:
Injurious by eating up our small birds' eggs.

G. W. WOOD, Equinunk:

Skunks are odious and ordorous; destructive to poultry; wors9
even than Foxes.

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PAUL SWINGLE, S. Canaan: - ;» »i^oi- ;

Skunks are very injurious by destroying poultry.-, o -^- .&

JOHN KELLOW, Carley Brook: ^ . „

Skunks like good fat poultry, but I do not think they are very
destructive; they also catch mice; while we do not know how
many mice they catch, they might balance accounts.

E. B. GAGER, Dyberry:
Skunks kill our chickens and eat our eggs.

GEO. FRANC, Ariel:
Skunks, quite common. Destructive to poultry.

GEO. M. DAY, Dyberry:

Skunks are beneficial. They destroy many bugs, beetles,
squash bugs, bumble bees, nests, etc. Where do they collect
and bottle up their ammunition for defence if not in our fields
and pastures? Step on a lot of the large bugs found on the
squash and pumpkin vines, then Interview a Polecat, at a
safe distance, and see if the perfume is not the same. Now
if they are willing to pick up a living in that way, and grow
fat on it, why not let them?

C. W. PENNELL, Hemlock Hollow:

The Skunk is very destructive to poultry of all kinds and is
quite plentiful here. I have known the Skunk to destroy nests
of eggs and whole broods of young chickens in a single night.
I am sure it was a Skunk, as I put a steel trap in a nest with
a few eggs and caught him the next morning. Think the
State should pay a bounty on the Skunk.

N. F. UNDERWOOD, Lake Como:

Skunks are plenty here; do not do much damage; they will
occasionally kill chickens.

PETER COVEY, Newfoundland:

Skunks are common; from personal knowledge know they are
injurious to poultry.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

JOHN NICHOLAS, Bradenville:

The Polecat is an animal most unpleasant in many respects,
but must, like all other animals, have been created for some

. 363

nurpose It is only within one year that I have discovered
their use to man. Most all animals prey upon one another the
Skunk upon field mice and what is called the "hop grub;" he
should be protected as beneficial to man. ,

W. C. SLOAN, Sloan: • ,^ ' " .'^^'-

Skunks carry off young chickens. ■■'■-,, .-rrr^

YORK COUNTY. . • - .

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DR WM. B. BIGLER, East Prospect:

Skunks are Injurious. 1 know they will destroy eggs and
sometimes chickens.

Mr. L D. HOWELL, York:

Skunks or Polecats are plentiful, and in my opinion, based
on experience and obsermtion of over fifty years, they are the
most destructive vermin in the whole catalogue as regards
wild game and all forest birds that hatch or build their nests
on the ground: Wild Turkey, Pheasant, Partridge or Quail,
Woodcock or snipe. Lark. Whip-poor-will, or Night Hawk.
Si^arrows, and all of the bird kind which nest on the ground
They are great workers, constantly rooting over the surface of
the ground, turning up the leaves and decayed matter, hunting
bugs, "clocks." ants, worms, insects of all kinds. These habits
bring them in direct contact with the hatching fowl; the mother
bird usually escapes but the eggs or young birds are easy prey
for the Skunk. I have known them to take the eggs from under
a tame turkey and not disturb the old bird. They are a great
damage to all kinds of poultry, they sometimes go in families,
as many as eight together.

OTHER STATES.

DAKOTA.
I. H. TROCH, Watertown:

Skunks, Foxes. Muskrats, Minks,
common and injurious.

Rabbits and Mice are

WISCONSIN.
ALBERT BOEHN, LaCrosse:
Skunks are destructive to poultry and their eggs.

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. KEI) SQUIRREL.
SciiiiU8 hndsonicus.

DESCRIPTION.

Body longer than the tail; body averages SV* to IVz ^^jches
long. Weight, about half a pound. (Fox Squirrel, old adults
sometimes weigh fully two pounds). Its rather broad ears in
winter, are coated with long hairs, and those on back of ears
form a short tuft. The tail is flat and narrow. In summer,
soles of feet are naked, but furred in winter, except tubercles
at base of toes. Upper parts grayish rusty; a bright, reddlsti-
brown, broad band extends from the top of head down middle
of the back, and on upper surface of the tail. Lower parts, ex-
cept the tail, are white or whitish; under surface of tail, rusty,
blackish and gray. Eyes, brown; teeth (incisors) yellow.

Habitat.— This species, "including its varieties, is found over
most of North America, extending north to the limit of forest
vegetation, and south over the northern two-thirds of the United
States."

The Red Squirrel or Cliickiiree is eoiuiiiou throu|^h-
out this Sla^e. Many persons, particiihirly those re-
siding in the inonnlainous dislHets, call this animal
the Pine Squirrel, or "Piney." It is spoken of some-
times by sportsmen and hunters who are not famil-
iar with the Fox Scpiirrel, as 'Tox Squirrel." Of
(!Ourse such an appellation is erroneous and mislead-
iu<r. The Ohickaree is not over one-third the size of
an old Fox Squirrel, from which it can easily b<^ dis-
tinguished by its white under parts, brij»hter-(toloi'ed
dorsal niarkin^ijs, as well as its o^reatly inferior size.

ALBINISM.

Partial or complete albinism is common amonfT
birds. We often sec* white or whitish colored Black-
birds, ('rows. Sparrows, Hawks, Owls, etc. This freak
of nature — a result of the absence of coloring matter —
may be observed in many mammals; Squirrels, espec-

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364

KE!) SQUIRUKIa
Sciiinis hudsoniciis.

DP-:SCRIPTION.

Ho.lv lunj^er than the tail; body averages 6V4 to TVs inches
lone?, 'weight, al30ut half a pound. (Fox Squirrel, old adults
sometimes weigh fully two pounds). Its rather broad ears n
wintf^r, are coated with long hairs, and those on back of eais
form a short tuft. The tail is flat and narrow. In summei-,
soles of feet are naked, but furred in winter, except tubercles
at base of toes. Tapper parts grayish rusty; a bright, reddish-
brown broad band extends from the top of head down middle
(.f the 'back, and on upper surface of the tail. Lower parts, ex-
cept the tail, are white or whitish; under surface of tail, rusty,
blackish and gray. Eyes, brown; teeth (incisors) yellow.

Habitat,— Thiti species, "including its varieties, is found over
most of Nt)rth America, extending north to the limit of forest
vegetation, and south over the northern two-thirds of the United
States."

The lv('(l Squi! rel or Chickaree is eoiumou tluoujj:li-
(Mil this Slnle. Many persons, i)artienlarly those re-
sidinu in ihc morntainons disiricts, call this animal
llie Pine S(iniri(d. or ''Pinev/' U is spoken of some-
limes by s]»oiismen and hnnlers who are not famil-
iar wilh Ihc Fox S(|nirrel, as '*Fox Squirrel/' Of
i-ouise such an appellation is erroneous and mislead-
iip--. The (1iicl;aree is not over one-third the size of
;tn old Fox Sqinirel, from which it can easily be dis
tin.iiuished by its white umUu* parts, brij;]iter colo-red
doisal )na'kip«;s, as well as its ureatly inf(»ri(U" size.

ALBINISM.

I*artial or complete albinism is common amon^
birds. \V(» often see white or whitish colored Black
birds, ('rows. Sparrows, Hawks, Owls, etc. This freak
c^f nature — a result of tlu^ absence of coloring matter —
may be obseiwed in many nmmmals; Squirrels, espec-

ili

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TAT crrr<r»Mr4 PVPn<sT TRF.

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COLOR PLATE

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T ccroND EXPOSURE

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■- ,1''.'-. «7«i..'Jl. . . ', • ^'^^ , .

HOW TO FOOL A FOX

365

i,Uy are ofteu capluvod whirU aie wholly or partially
white During tlie past Ave years the wnter has^se-
,w^ seven specimens of albino lied Squirrels One
olteewa. taken back of a farmer's poultry house
Where for several days he had be<m seen at different
H,ne7 When the owner of the premises first observed
he Squirrel he thought "it was a 'white' Weasel which
V.S after mice and rats," but as the brcK.d of young
Tidins decreased daily it was determined to watch
for the depredator.

HIS LAST CHICKEN.

A bov took a good position near the old l'^" axid her
brood. Presently a white animal was seen o come
from a near-by woods, and rvmnmg along the f enc
uls make a straight course to the hen coo ., where 1h
:;Ll a young chicken and started otf. The boy sho
the thief, I bought it, and reader, you can see its
stuffed skin reproduced on the :V**""'l''''"^';;f, / f, ;
No more chickens were stolen until a pan- of bold h«n-
...y Cooper's Hawks came that way and killed eleven
ruthreedavs,whenthe boy succ<.>ded in shooting them
.nd finding their nest with five young, nearly rea<ly to
flv This was when l>ounties were paid and the suc-
.;ssful bov got fS.oO for (he seven hawks from a neigh-
ring justice of the peace, who on a former occasion
>nid fiftv <-ents each for the heads of several Night-
hawks 4o S^hrikes, which were called "bird-hawks;"
amT it' is said, he also paid for and burned the heads
of urkevs and domesticatcKl fowls, believing them to
be the remains of i>oultry and game destroying hawks
or owls.

DESTROYS MANY BIRDS.

Although the Red Squirrel will eat mast, crenls.

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i,,ly are oileu captur-d wld.U are wholly or partiallv
w t'e During the past five years the writer Iras^se-
."'ed seven specimens of albino Ued S.pnri^ls One

f these was taken back of a farmer's PO" try hous
where for several days he had been seen at differeii
u!s When the owner of the pren.ises tirst observed

U : Hqnirrel he tlvought "it was a 'white' Weasel wh.ch
as after mice and rats," but as the brc.d oi younj,

ehkkens d..creascd daily il was d.Mermined 1o watch

for the (lei^irdator.

HTS LAST CHICK KN.

X ,K>v t<...k a sood position near the old hen and her
broml.' Presently a whitV animal was seen to c..m."
',„„. , ,,,,,., .voods, and running ah.n, the fence
,.,ils n.aUe a sfrai^d.t course to the hen c,.o{., where he
:•':;;; youn, chh-kc-n and s.ar.ed off. The boy sho
,„, ihief. 1 bought \L and reader, you can see s
slufTe.l skin repn><l>'.-ed on the ='••••''"M;='•^;:'"^■ 1* ' '
No nuue chickens were s.clen until a I-"" '' ^jdd lu -
..,,, rooper's Hawks cauu- that way and kdled ,-Unen,
in',hreedavs.wh(-n.he boy sue..<.e.le.l in shootmg them
and finding .heir nes, wi.h live youuu, nearly .-eady io
,lv This was when bounti.-s were paid and the su
eessful boy go, P-.-.O for ihe seven hawks frou. a neigh-
boring iusfice ,^f .he peace, who on a forn.er oenis um
,,ia ^f V eeu.s eaeh for .he heads of severa >.gh.;

Lwks two Shrikes, winch were ealled "bnd-hawks;
!::;;; ll said, he als.. paid for and burned the heads
of turkevs and don.es.ica.ed fowls. beli<-vmg them o
,,.. „ve remains of poultry and game destroying hawks
or owls.

DESTROYS MANY BIRDS.

Although .he U.d S.,uirre1 will eat .nasi, eer-als.

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HOW TO FOOL A FOX

COLOR PLATE

T:;VDn<5TlRF.

86(>

berries, fruits, roots, seeds, buds, certaiu kinds of ten
der fungi, as well as other plants, and sometimes, it is
said even catch insects, he is decidedly carnivorous in

his tastes.

Trappers despise him because he steals meat with
which they bait their traps; and he does much mis-
chief by destroying birds which nest in forest and
shade trees where he loves to live, propagate and dep-
redate. He is often seen in the apple or pear orchards
destroying fruit or robbing nests. I have several
times seen this noisy and agile marauder devouring
birds of different species. Robins, Flickers, Vireos,
Wilson's Thrush, Wood Thrusb, Oat bird and several
kinds of Span'ows, as well as other species of song
birds are victims of this SquirrePs attacks. The able
and venerable Mr. John Burroughs gives the sprightly
and wicked Mr. Sciurus a ^ninook-out" blow in the fol-
lowing language:

"Nearly all the birds look upon it as their enemy and attack
and annoy it when it appears near their breeding haunts. Thus,
I have seen the Pewee, the Cuckoo, the Robin and the Wood
Thrush pursuing it with angry voice and gestures. If you wish
the birds to breed and thrive in your orchards and groves, kill
every Red Squirrel that infests the place."

ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM.

Many testimonials of the Red Squirrel devouring
native birds, and destroying— "cutting off"— gi-owing
fruit, particularly pears and apples, have come to this
office. The impudent and frolicsome Red Squirrel also
sucks the eggs of birds of many species; among game
birds the RufFed Grouse suffers often from his visits,
for he spends much time on the ground.

Mr. James Games, Clearfield, Pa., writes:

"The Pine Squirrel, which is so common in our woods, is one
of the worst pests, as he destroys so many pheasants' eggs."

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367

Mr B P. Shaffer, Nittany; Centre Co., Pa, aays:

..saw a B«a ^^^^ ^^^^^^ SenVr^-^-
r^enTraJoTwuf^^irrsrcKV. e... an. .. a.o
sometimes catch young poultry."

-Mn TT M F Worden, of Harrisburg, and a gentle

^ fnwt has b^n one of the most e^nest advocates
man who has oeen u ^^^^

in the Oommonwealth for Dettei idw» i y
fish and insectivorous birds, says:

...or some time I .ou.te. - -tem^t t^^^^^^^^^ ^^XT.

T'ortSrs^^^rXrirvoTea l nest o. young
pair of these squiiic ,makinff inquiry among some

'°'''^- ^"7: To iTwe'll acruSS wlth'cniclcarees In
of my friends who are we i J ^^^^^^y young

their native haunts, ^hat these mam ^^ damage."

birds, and, In the course of a year, ao a g

SOME OF HIS PimSUREiRS. _

The Red Squirrel has his own troubles and must not
onWk^P bis eyes open for men and boys with guns,
or trapTset for his destruction, but he has to be on the
a ert for Hawks and Owls which often catch him m an
utguai^ed moment. Red Squirrels, in common w^l^
other species of the Squirrel family, are often de
stroyed bv the forest fires which almost every year, in

irstat'e, consume thousands of dollai-s wor^ o
property, besides destroying a great amount of animal
life.

- ADDITIONAL PACTS OF HIS LIFE HISTORY.

br 0 Hart Merriam makes the following remarks,
which portray in a most pleasing and entertam.ng
manner, much that is of interest:

••The Chickaree combines qualities so wholly at varjanoe. so
unique, so incomprehensible, and so characteristic withal, that

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one scarcely knows in what light to regard him. His inquisi-
tiveness, audacity, inordinate assurance, and exasperating inso-
lence, together with his insatiable love of mischief and shame-
less disregard of all the ordinary customs and civili-
ties of life, would lead one to suppose that he was
little entitled to respect; and yet his intelligence, his
untiring perseverance, and genuine industry, the cunning clev-
erness displayed in many of his actions, and the irresistible hu-
mor with which he does everything, command for him a certain
degree of admiration. He is arrogant, impetuous and conceited
to an extreme degree, his confidence in his own superior capa-
bilities not infrequently costing him his life. In fact, these con-
tradictions in character and idiosyncrasies in disi^osition render
him a psychological problem of no easy solution.

"From earliest dawn till the setting sun has disappeared be-
hind the distant hill, the Red Squirrel enlivens the silent soli-
tude of the forest with his merry ways and saucy chatterings;
and he may sometimes be discovered in the darkest hours of
the night stealing softly over the ground— bent, doubtless, on
some errand of dubious propriety.

SOMETIMES ACTIVE AT NIGHT.

"Moonlight evenings he is often as active, though not so noisy,
as during the day, and in early autumn he vies with the Flying
Squirrel in nocturnal nut-husking exploits.

"Though an expert climber, delighting in long leaps from
hough to bough, which he executes with grace and precision,
he spends far more time on the ground than other arboreal
Squirrels, sometimes even making his home in holes in the
earth.

HE SEEKS THE FENCE RATT.S.

"Old logs, stumps, wood -piles and brush-heaps are favorit-^
places of resort, and by excavating burrows beneath, he con-
verts them into the securest of retreats. Our fences s^rve as
highways upon which he travels from wood to wood, and the
zig-z!g rail fence in particular is one of the boons of his exis-
tence. It is his most frequented path, his playground, his race-
course, and when pursued, his readiest means of escape. It Is
the step-ladder from which he leaps into the branches of nelgh-
Imiing trees, and the place where he meets his friends at all
hours of the day. He frequently follows it to the farm-house
and tak-^s up his abode in the woodshed or other outbuilding,
placing his rest between the ceiling and roof, or in some other

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equally out-of-the-way spot, whence he Is with great difficulty
dislodged. " '"■ ,,

-- KEEPS JUST OUT OP REACH.

.'•He is the least wary of the Squirrels, --J^ f '^^^^^^^^Jl!
to hide himself at the approach of man In fa^ , on such oc
«.sions he usually assumes an aggressive attitude, chlppers,
shakes Ws tail In In impudent and wholly uncalled for manner,
buf take care to keep just out of reach. This daring fearless-
ne sTclearly the result of the fact that he is not worth the
r,owder necessary for his destruction, and he Is therefore t«l-

"ated though an acknowledged nuisance. But there are t.mes
when h s conduct becomes so scandalous that the shot gun is
UougM out for his suppression. He is soon deeply im.pressed
with the range and effect of this weapon, and though many of
his brothers may have perished before the warning was heeded,
he now becomes, in this particular locality, the most orcum-
"nect of brutes. He scorns the thought of running away, but
g^ows so vigilant, sly. and crafty that the farmer Is put to his

wits end to devise means for his riddance."

THE, GRAY SQUIRREL'S FOE.

Tlie indefatigable, nnt-hunting, biid-desti-oying Red
S(imrreli8aie]tiitle8sf..o of Gray Squirrels, wliichhave
.rood reason to fear his viciona onslaughts. In conclu-
sion I rejirel that it has been necessary to write and
..note as has been done, but to be accurate such a
course had to be followed. We can say, as has been
said "kill all the pesky Red Squirrels," but to those •
who are familiar with the woods and its tenants, I am
sure if the meirv and s^hrill note, chir-r-i -r-r, of the
t;bickaree was forever hushed in death, we would miss
him greatly and be glad to welcome him— crue ,
wicked and bad as he is-back to the scenes of child-
hood days.

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370

OPOSSUM.

Didelpliis marsupialis virginiana.

DESCRIPTION.

Variable in size; weight from six to ten pounds; measures
from twenty" to thirty-t^wo from -d of IK>^nted snout to t.p ^^^^
thP tail- the tail, about as long as the head ana Doay, ib veiy
flixiwe and! except at the base which U ^a jT. .sXV|red w h
snales which enable the 'possum to cling with absolute securuy
fothe' limbs amongst which he climbs with great dexterity. The
eves aiebrowr Fur of body Is quite soft, and woolly thickly
sorinkl^d witli long white and blackish hair that gives the
animal a ^aggy dfess. Sides of head, face, throat and chin,
thiuth wUh a more or less brownish area about the eyes;
^g9 and feet blackish brown; the ears, conspicuous, rounded
and lengthened, are dark-colored and naked; belly whitish.
The long whUe and blackish hairs of the body give the animal a
frosted, dusky appearance. In antediluvian times when father
Noah "lived and built himself a bark." 'tis said, the 'possum
had long and numerous hairs covering his long and tapering
iall: such a condition does not now exist, and this nakedness
has been facetiously accounted for in the following stanzas,
taken from Mr. A. M. Bray ton's report:*

WHY DB HA'R IS MISSIN'.

Go 'way fiddle— folks is tired a-hearin' you a-squawkin'.
Keep silence for your betters-don't you hear de bango talkln. .
About de 'possum's tail she's gwine to lecter— ladies, listen!—
About de ha'r what isn't dar, an' why de ha'r is missin .

De ark she keeps a sailin*. an' a sailin', an' a sailin';

De lion got his dander up, an' like to bruk de' palln —

De sarpints hissed— de painter yelled— tell, what wi d all de

fussin'. , ......

You c'u'dn't hardly heah de mate a-bossin roun an cussln .

Now Ham, de only nigger what was runnin' on de packet,
Got lonesome in de barber shop, an c'u'dn't stan' de racket;
An' so for to amuse he-self, he steamed some wood an' bent it.
An' soon he had a bango made— de fust dat was invented.

He wet de ledder, stretched it on, made bridge, an' screws, an'

apron; ,

An* fitted in a proper neck— 'twas very long an' tap rin .
He tuk some tin, an' twisted him a thimble for to ring it;
An' de mighty question riz, how was he gwine to string it?

♦Report of Geolog. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. TV. Zoology, page 170,
as a quotation from Scribner's Monthly, January, 1878.

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OPOSSUM

m

COLOR PLATE

370

OPOSSUM.

Didelphis marsupialis virginiana.

DESCRIPTION.

Variable in size; weight from six to ten pounds; measures
from twenty to thirty-two from end of pointed snout to tip of
the tai^ th J tail about as long as the head and body, is very
flexiWe and except at the base which is hairy, is covered with
scales wmchenlble the 'possum to cling with absolute security
?o the' irmbsf amongst which he climbs with ^^-^at dexter uyTh^
pvps are brown. Fur of body is quite soft, and woolly, tnicKiy
Skied w^Th long white and blackish hair that gives the
Sal a sTlggy d?ess. Sides of head face throat and chm.
whitish with a more or less brownish area about the eyes
Tegs and feet blackish brown; the ears, conspicuous, rounded
fnd iPnethened are dark-colored and naked; belly whitish.
The long whfte and tlackish hairs of the body give the animal a
frosted dusky appearance. In antediluvian times when father
Nolh-liv^d and built himself a bark," 'tis said, the 'possum
had long and numerous hairs covering his long and tapering
tail- such a condition does not now exist, and this nakedness
has been facetiously accounted for in the following stanzas,
taken from Mr. A. M. Brayton's report:*

WHY DB HA'R IS MISSIN'.

Go 'way fiddle— folks is tired a-hearin you a-squawkin'.
Keep silence for your betters-don't you hear de bango talkm. .
About de 'possum's tail she's gwine to lecter— ladies, hsten!-
About de ha'r what isn't dar, an' why de ha'r is missin .

De ark she keeps a sailin', an' a sailin", an' a sailin';

De lion got his dander up. an' like to bruk de' palin'—

De sarpints hissed— de painter yelled— tell, what wi d all de

fussin'. , . , .

You c'u'dn't hardly heah de mate a-bossin' roun an cussln

Now Ham. de only nigger what was runnin* on de packet
Got lonesome in de barber shop, an c'u'dn't stan' de racket;
An' so for to amuse he-self, he steamed some wood an' bent it.
An' soon he had a bango made— de fust dat was invented.

He wet de ledder, stretched it on, made bridge, an' screws, an'

apron;
An' fitted in a proper neck— 'twas very long an' tap rin .
He tuk some tin, an' twisted him a thimble for to ring it;
An' de mighty question riz, how was he gwine to string it?

♦Report of Geolog. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. TV. Zoology, page 170.
as a quotation from Scribner's Monthly. January. 1878.

ii

(\

OPOSSUM

Ml

->" ^*

COLOR PLATE

--T»T oT-!/-</-M\.TrM5VPn<^TTRF.

:{7i

!»,.

nat nigger shaved "em off as short as wash day dinner graces.
^- sorted Ob-em by de size, from little e's to basses.

He strung her. tuned her, struck a Jlg-'twas "Netaber mln' de

oi.^'L^w'^iikft fortv-'leven bands, a playin' all togedder;
tome went to paufn', some to dancln'; Noah called de nggers,
in^Hrm he sot and knocked de tune, de happiest ob niggers!

Now, sence dat time-lfs mighty strange-dere's not de slight-

est showin' ,, , ,

Ob any ha'r at all upon de 'possum's tall a-growin .
An' curl's, too-dot nigger's ways; his people nebber los em-
For wher; you finds de nigger, dar's de bango an' de 'possum!

Ka6«at.-Common and abundant in the South ; generally rare
or of irregular occurrence north of latitude of Central Pennsyl-
vlnia In some of the northern parts of this State the Opos-
sum is almost unknown.

This animal, wliich is so abundant in the southern
states where it is highly prized for food, is quite num-
erous in the southern parts of Pennsylvania. In the
the counties of Delaware, Chester, York, Lancaster,
Cumberland, Dauphin and several others Opossums
are plentiful.

3,500 A YEAR IN CHESTER COUNTY.

'rhe Messrs. Weil, extensive fur buyers, of West
Chester, Pa., say they have, for the last six years, an
nually purchased about 2,000 'possum skins in C^ies
ter and neighboring counties, and that fully two-thirds
of this number were obtained in Chester county. Ac
cording to the estimates of several fur dealers in Ches-
ter county it is believed that there are annually »old
to the "trade" about 3,500 Opossum skins taken in
Chester county.

MAY EVRNTUAI^LY GET TO KLrONDIKE.

On many of the higher mountainous districts of
uorthem and central Pennsylvania the«e animals are

^1

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372 ■ ■ ^-;-:

rarely seen ; but they have been captured, according to
reports I'eceived at this office, in probably evei7 covmty
of the State. As the forests are removed, the Opos-
sum, hunters say, is discovered in localities nortJi-
wardly, where, in former years it was rarely, if ever
seen. ." -: z*^* • -'• , .^Jtxhi

^ A NIGHT PROWLER. .^ ^

Tiie Opossum hunts in the ni<»ht and on briy:Ut star-
light or moonlight nights, in warm weather, can often
be seen moving about in a rather slow and awkward
pace. Unlike the Wildcat, Red Fox, and some other
preying animals it does not go far from its home; and
sometime**, but not often, according to my experience,
is it found traveling by daylight, yet frequently it g^s
out in quesv of food by twilight. . .

.- U V

ITS NEST.

V J«i- '

The Opossum's home is situated in varions places,
such as hollow logs, old stumps which are hollowed
and protected above, or in cavities which the animal
nuikes under i^oots of trees or stumps; and they have
been known to take up their quarters, like Skunks,
Minks and Weasels often do, under the farmer's build
ings. Their ne«ts are lined with miscellaneous ma
terials, such as leaves, grasses, lichens, etc. .. ..

HUNTS A TREE WHEN PURSUED.

The mischievous small boy when discovered in
wrongdoing will, usually, if his capture is attempted,
start off for home as fast as his legs can carry him.
The Opossum does not do this. He climbs up tin-
nearest tree, when dogs or Foxes attempt to catch him,
and makt^ himself comfortable. Ee will sit thert>

378

until his pursurers leave. When dogs are with hun-
ttl and the latter come to the tree -hieh the Opos^
s^ occupies, a shot-gun ends the hunt. Bometimes
rOpo.In/is shaken from his refuge and the do gs
sSedilv kill him. However, it is much easier to talk
atut Shaking 'possums and 'coons from trees, than it
is to do it.

A VERITABLE CURIOSITY.

'•we can imagine to ourselves the --^l-'-\^''\^^^'ll^''^^
opossum was regarded by Europeans when they flrst saw .t^
«nlroelv anything was known of marsupial animals, as isew
HOI S hal „<^t as yet opened its unrlyaled stores of cur.osi^
"es to astonish the world. Here was a strange ^"""^''j"*^

he head and ears of a pig, sometimes hanging on the limb of
a tree and occasionally swinging lilce the monkey by the tail.
Iround that prehensile appendage, a do.en «harp- nosed sleek-
headed young had entwined their tails and were sitting on

''■.tThrSrnUh^l^aveler approaches this extraordinary com-
pound of an animal, and touches it cautiously with a ^ Uck^
instantly it seems to be struck with some --'al disease^ Us
eyes close. It falls to the ground, ceases to move, and appears
o be dead! He turns it on its back, and perceives - 'ts sto
ach a strange and apparently artificial opening. He P«ts his
nnger into the extraordinary pocket, and lo! another brood of
a tfozen or more young, scarcely larger than a pea, are hang.ng
in clusters on the teats.. In pulling the c-'-^'ure about In g eat
amazement, he suddenly receives a grip on the hand-a tw nk-
Zl of the half -closed eye and the breathing of the creature
ovince that it is not dead, and he adds a new term to the vo<-a-
buiarly of his language, that of 'playing 'possum'."

WISK PROVISIONS OF NATURE.

"The whole structure of the Opossum Is admirably adapted
to the wants of a sluggish animal. It possesses strong powers
of smell which aid it In the search for food; Its mouth is capa-
cious, and its jaws, possessing a greater number and variety
of teeth than any other of our mammals. Indicate its omnivor-
ous habits: its fore paws, though not armed with retract le
claws, aid in seizing Its prey, and conveying it to the mouth.

111

i

374

The construction of the hind foot, with the soft yielding tuber-
cles on the palms, and its long nallless opposing thumb, enable
It to use these feet as hands, and the prehensile tail aids it
in holding on to the branches of trees, whilst its body is
swinging in the air; in thisf manner we have observed it gath-
ering persimmons with its mouth and fore paws, and devouring
them while its head was downward, and its body suspended
in the air, holding on sometimes with its hind feet and tail,
but often by the tail alone,"— Audubon and Bachman.

A PROLIFIC AND RAPID BREEDER.

Many curious and inislaken ideas are entertained
about the breeding of this marsupial. I secured an
Opossum in Chester county, Pa., early in the month
of March with a foetus in utero. Observations which
have been made show that the young remain in the
uterus fi-om fifteen to seventeen days — they have no
placenta or after birth— and when born they are
assisted by the mother into her pouch where at once
thev attach themselves to the teats from which they
receive nourishment and grow rapidly. The Opossum
is exceedingly prolific, producing two or three litters
annually. The female when one year old, it is stated,
begins to raise a faihily.

AN OMNIVOROUS ANIMAL.

The Opcflsum is a voracious feeder and where abun-
dant often causes the farmer and poultry raiser much
annoyance. Like the Raccoon, he loves green com.
He is fond of chestnuts, and other kinds of mast are
consumed by him. He sometimes kills and eats rats,
likewise mice, and insects, and he feeds quite exten-
sively, hunters and trappers say, on birds and their
eggs; he will eat young Rabbits and he feasts
on different fruits and berries. Ground-nesting
birds such as the Quail, Pheasant and other

. 375

Boecies \^hich build their nests low down in trees
or bushes are frequently destroyed by this robber.
Different roots, as well as other portions of plants,
furnish him sustenance. This animal often visits th.
hen-POOBt and destroys the farmer's fowls. Unfortu-
nately a large amount of data which was collected
from farmers, poultry raisers and sportsmen concern-
ing the damage which Opossums do to poultry, corn
and wild birds, was destroyed by fire in February last,
consequently I am unable to give in this paper their
valuable and interesting reports.

• ■

'.^ •" '.

SOME OF ITS ENEMIES.

Several of the larger species of Hawks, likewise the
Cooper's and the Sharp-shinned Hawks, as well as the
Great Horned, the Barred and the Snowy Owls, also
the Eagles, will alrtack Opossums. Foxes often surpnse
and devour them, and Weasels have been known to
kill these marsupials; and on one occasion one of my
acquaintances shot a Red Squirrel eating a young
Opossum which it was supposed he had caught and
killed Few animals are more easily trapped than is
the Opossum. The steel trap, dead fall or snare may
all be used with success to aid in his destruction, and
either vegetable or animal bait can be used.

It

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376

RED FOX.

Vulpes pennsylvanicus.

DESCRIPTION.

About as large as a medium-sized dog; weight about fifteen
pounds; height about fourteen inches; measures about fort>
four inches in length, including the bushy l^^^-haired tail
which measures about seventeen inches, to the tip whicn ib
general^ white. The ears, behind, outside of legs^ the snout
Ind the tips of many caudal hairs are black. The general
color is "a bright, clear, yellowish rufous, darker on the shoul-
ders and flanks." The belly quite white along ^^^ middle dark-
ens laterally; the chin, throat and breast are white or whitish.
The Black or Silver Fox. sometimes, though rarely, taken here,
and the Cross Fox, which is much oftener captured in Penn-
sylvania are called by naturalists melanotic forms or varieties

of the Common Red Fox. , •„ „„.i

I know of three Black or Silver Foxes in Pennsylvania, and
when last heard from they were all alive, elusive dnd hearty.
One is in Clinton county, another roves near Lake Ganoga, a
delightful and romantic place on the Lehigh Valley Railroad
in Sullivan county, and the third one lives largely like a good
many other poachers, on Ruffed Grouse up in Pike county.

We find, not infrequently, animals with very defective coats,
which fur dealers and trappers call "Sampson Foxes," they
have little commercial value. Mr. A. M. Bray ton* says: ''Re-
garding this peculiar condition of pelage, Mr. Allen is of th^
opinion that it is the result of a disease which i)roduces a
crisp, woolly condition of the fur much as though it had been
singed; hence the common name of 'Sampson' or 'Samson'
Foxes." Mr. Brayton referring to the Cross Fox, and the
Black or Silver Gray Fox, says: "Dr. Coues regards the Cross
Fox as a 'special state of semi-melanium' (melanism is the re-
sult of an excess of dark coloring matter) of the Common Fox.
This variety, common in northern New York, and sometimes
as far southward as Pennsylvania and Ohio, receives its nam*"
from the presence of a black cross formed by a black band
along the back crossed by another on the shoulder. It shades
by varying and almost insensible degrees Into the Black or
Silver Gray Fox.

"Complete, or nearly complete, melanism distinguishes the
Black or Silver Gray Fox. ♦ ♦ ♦ The color is a uni-
form, lustrous black, with conspicuously white-tipped tail;
more or less of the long hairs of the back and flanks, top and
sides of head greyish, silvery at the end, giving a silvered ap-
pearance to the pelage. The perfectly black pelts are found,
chiefly, in high latitudes."
Such pelts are very valuable.

•Mammals of Ohio. p. 17, in Geolog. Survey of Ohio. 1882.

COLOR PLATE

376

RED FOX.

Vulpes pennsylvanicus.

DESCRIPTION.

About as large as a medium-sizea do.^; weight about tmeen

pounds; height about fourteen i^^^^^^^^' "^^^"^';;^, j^^J^V^d t^^^^^^
four inches in length, including the bushy ^^^»--^^^ ^^^f .^'^^^
which measures about ^^v^n^een inches to ti^e tip which i.
eenorally white. The ears, behind, outside of legs^ the fenout
!nd the tips of many caudal hairs, are black. The general
color is -a'^bright. clear, yellowish rufous, darker on the shoul-
ders and flanks." The belly quite white ahnig ^^s middle ddik-
vn'3 laterally; the chin, throat and breast are ^^hite oi whitish.
The Black or Silver Fox, sometimes, though rarely, taken hen .
and the Cross Fox. which is much oftener captured in I enn-
sylvania are called by naturalists melanotic forms or variotus
of the Common Red Fox.

I know of thr^e Black or Silver Foxes in Pennsylvania, and
when last heard from they were all alive, elusive and hearty,
(^ne is in (^linton county, another roves near Lake (runoga, ;«
delightful and romantic place on the T.ehigh Valley Railroat
in Sullivan county, and the third one lives largely likt- a j^nn.i
many other poachers, on Ruffed (",rouse up in Pike county.

We find, not infrequently, animals with very defective coats,
which fur dealers and trappers call -Sampson Foxes. ' th*>>
have little commercial value. Mr. A. M. Brayton* says: ;'R« -
garding this peculiar conditi(^n of pelagt\ Mr. AlhMi is 'd th •
opinion that it is th«' result of a disease which i-roduees a
crisp, woolly condition of the fur much as thous;h it had been
singed; hence the common name of 'Sampson' or 'Samson*
Foxes." Mr. Brayton referring to thf> Cross Fox, and the
Black or Silver Gray Fox. says: "Di-. Coues regards the Cross
Fox as a 'special state of semi-melanium' (melanism is the re-
sult of an excess of dark coloring matter) of the Common Fox.
This variety, common in northern X^w York, and sometimes
as far southward as Pennsylvania and Ohio, rtneives its name
from the presence of a black cross formed by a black ban<i
along the back crossed by another on the shoulder. It shades
by varying and almost insensible degrees into the l^laek nr
Silver Gray Fox.

"Complete, or nearly complete, melanism distinguisiies tie'
Black or Silver Gray Fox. * * * The color is a uni-
form, lustrous black, with conspicuously wbite-tipiX'd tail:
more or less of the long hairs of the back and flanks, top and
sides of head greyish, silvery at the end, giving a silvered ap-
pearance to the pelage. The perfectly black pelts are found,
chiefly, in high latitudes."
Such i)elts are very valuable.

*Mammals of Ohio, p. 17. in Geolog. Survey of Ohio. 1882.

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COLOR PLATE ^^^^^^^^

377

ThP prices of furs are always changing but those Quoted In
The Pf'^ff °„/" New York fur exporter are:
a recent list ot a J>i«w i"

Red Fox (Northern Pa.). »l-50 ./;„ '
Rel FOX (Western Pa.). $140 to $1.50.
Grey Fox, (Penna.) .60c to -lOc. ^j,^_

Silver Fox (Eastern, Ca.. and N. W.),^ ♦ ,

Cross Fox (Eastern Ca. and N. ^ ^'^f p^xes are usually con-
"Whlle the Cross and Black or !»"yer _r classlfl-

sidered d'««rent 'vanetie^. they ^re X^^^^^e the red. black
catory sense of that terra, ap^ "J" •= Soulrrels. etc. The proof
or white wolves, the black Marmots t*im • ,^^^.^^^^^^. ^ccur
of this is m the fact that one or Dou ^^^^^^ parents,

in the same Utter of whelps from ^""^^ J,„„ although, on

They have no sp^^'^' ff f^f^il "^n^rthe^^^^ than otherwise, the
the whole, both l^»nf«,,^'^tnTt does not appear to be ascer-
Siiver ^-^^^.^Z^'^^J t^e styles of pelageTend to perpetuate
tained exactly how tar ine "> proportion of cases a cross

themselves; that Is to say, '" ^^t ^mpo ^^^ ^^^

will produce ^ "^/X sevira" var^eUes Ind their purely acci-
inter-breedlng of the several yariei, jj mcon-

rtl^b\°-^rCors'"aSrYCro°4,^zlotT;pl^ 100 Merld. V. 1«,

''Aa.-^^s species, Inciuding Us vaneti is commo^n^ln
the Arctic '■ef'on»^^"'*^XouKhout Pennsylvania, and In sec-
fi^ ^of ThTltaTtSfprSof; anfmal 1^ very plentiful.

The lied Fox surpasses all other of onr mammals
in cvmning; he is also exceedingly wary and often
when plentiful in a section, he frequently, by watch-
ful and cautious ways, escapes observation.

PLENTIFUL tN MANY FARMING DISTRICTS.

This species is much more plentiful in many highly
cultivated farming districts than is usually supposed.
This was noted in (Chester county, Pa., in 1886 , when,
under the scalp act of 1885, in about four months, up
ward oi a hundred Red Foxes (they were the genuine
aiticle, as no dog or other heads would "go" in Ohes-
ter for Foxes) were presented for bounty and paid for
by the commissioners. ,

m

♦See in Chapter IX numerous records of Foxes in different
counties of Pennsylvania.

:r7h

SOME FOX HUNTERS WORRIED.

The publication of these bountj payments, together
with the killing, for premiums, of some thirty Red
Foxes in one week, in the West Chester Daily. Local
News— a newsi>aper which goes to nearly every home
in the County of Chester, with its population of 100,-
000 people— created quite a furore among Fox hun
ters who loved to pursue, but not destroy sly Reynard.
The objectionable scalp act was freely discussed, and
by some roundly "cussed." T\\o fox hunters, with,
possibly, a few exceptions, who condemned the bounty
of a dollar a head on Foxes, made little complaint
about the killing of Hawks, Owls and other birds
which had been captured and paid for, at seventy-
cents each (twenty cents to justice of the peace) to
the number of about 800. The claim was made

"that it was a waste of public funds: the Fox was a badly
abused animal and he furnished lots of sport: Hawks and Owls
were of little or no aoount, and when they were killed off, the
large bounty payments would cease and the money spent for
them would, in future years be found, so far as poultry and
game interests were concerned, to be a wise outlay."

ROME THINGS THRY DID.

The members of the West C^hester Mici-oscopical So-
<iety, a body of well-informed scientific men, did not
concur in the expressions quoted above, as can be
seen by tuiuing to succeeding pages. These birds,
which devoured legions of destructive grasshoppers,
and beetles or thinned out the Meadow Mice, were not,
it is true, hunted by men in bright red coats, buttoned
high in front, nor were they followed by pedigreed
packs of baying hounds (that so often frightened the
sheep, and sometimes stampeded the cows) and swift,
high-priced, well-kept steeds, that tore the sod, or

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COLOR PLATE

TIGHT BINDING jeXT CUT OFF

31

:^7h
SOME FOX HUNTERS WORRIED.

The publication of these bounty payments, together
with the killing, for premiums, of some thirty Red
Foxes in one week, in the West Chester Daily. Local
News— a newspaper which goes to nearly every home
in the County of Chester, with its population of 100,
000 people— created quite a furore among Fox hun
ters who loved to pursue, but not destroy sly Reynard.
The objectionable scalp act was freely discussed, and
by some roundly ^^cussed." The fox hunters, with,
possibly, a few exceptions, who condemned the bounty
of a dollar a head on Foxes, made little complaint
about the killing of Hawks, Owls and other birds
which had been captured and paid for, at seventy-
cents each (twenty cents to justice of the peace) to
the number of about ^00. The claim was made

"that it was a waste of public funds: the Fox was a badly
abused animal and he furnished lots of sport: Hawks and Owls
were of little or no acount. and when they were killed off, the
large bounty payments would cease and the money spent foi
them would, in future years be found, so far as poultry and
game interests were concerned, to be a wise outlay."

SOIVIE THINGS THEY DTD.

The members of the West Chester Microscopical St»
rielv, a bodv of wcll-infornKMl scientilic men, did not
concur in tlie expressions (quoted abovr, as can be
seen by tuming to succeeding pages. These birds,
which devoured legions of destructive grasslioppers,
and beetles or thinned out the Meadow Mice, were not,
it is true, hunted by men in bright red coats, buttoned
high in front, nor were they followed by pedigreed
packs of baying hounds (that so often frightened the
sheep, and sometimes stampeded the cows) and swift,
high-priced, well-kept steeds, that tore the sod, or

:m —

mi

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COLOR PLATE

tot:?

:{79

occasionally smashed fence posts and rails, where bene-
ficial birds of prey so often waited and watched, in
daylight and dark, for insidious foes which consumed
the land owner's crops.

Finally several of the Fox hunters^those who pur-
sued Foxes for pleasure alone-who knew much of the
damage done to poultry by Foxes with young, n^de up
a purse, and agreed to pay farmers who were digging
out old Foxes and their whelps, for all the domesti-
cated fowls that were killed. It was further stipu-
lated that Mr. and Mrs. Reynard's heirs should not be
slain for bounty, but when caught should be kept aliTe,
until a certain size, when they were to be liberated.
This arrangement saved the lives of many Foxes.

A DIVERSION ENJOYED BY MANY.

Fox hunting for pleasure— a most exhilarating and,
to manT, enjoyable diversion-is engaged in by some
of the foremost citizens of Chester, Delaware, Mont-
gomery, Lancastei-, Washington and perhaps a few
other "counties. In these localities there is more or
less sentiment expressed in favor of Foxes.

THEY SAY HE DOES MUCH GOOD.

Some gentlemen, and I believe they are sincere in
what they siiy, claim that:

•■Foxes subsist chiefly on mice, rats, or other rodents; and
also consume great quantities of grasshoppers and bugs and
that the consumption of these pests Is of far more value, pe-

unaHly considered, than is the occasional turkey, chicken,
duck or goose, which are rarely stolen, unless other food sup-
piles run short."

These persons seldom, if ever, refer to the Fox's
keen sense of smell, and acute hearing, which, with his

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380

bright, sharp eyes, enable him, with wily sti^ateg)' and
soft cautious tread, to destroy nearly all kinds of ter-
restrial birds, ranjrino in size from the old Wild Tur-
key which weighs twenty-five pounds, to an Oven-bird
that weighs about a eoui>le of ounces. Of course sudi
a lack of knowledge is pardonable, for it is a known
fact that few people who hunt in bright red clothes,
find time to look on the trail of death which almost
daily marks the lied Fox's path. They know him sim-
ply as a crafty and pretty creature, which by malici-
ous tricks is so often enabled to baflfte the hounds, as
lie speeds through the valleys, across broad fields, over
hill-tops, crc«^sing streams, running on logs, or along
fence-tops, and when tii'cd defiantly shakes his much
prized "brush^' and tossincr his head, hides in the rocks.

SHEEP-KILLING DOGS AND FOXES. . ; • ..

Some sheep-killing dogs, it is asserted, will not com-
mit their costly and vexatious depredations near home,
and many claim that the Red Fox which has his wife
and little ones near a farmer's hen coop will i-ai-ely
visit it with evil intent, unless reduced to extremity
by hunger's pangs. This, perhaps, is in some in-
stances true, but if Mr. Fleetfoot Fox does not steal
poultry, or young lambs near his burrow, so often
usurped, he certainly dees plenty of this kind of work
away from his home. He is built for speed, and often
travels over a large space of country on foraging ex-
cursions. \Mien he leaves his vigilant wife and play-
ful children and hies away on these food-hunting ex-
peditions it is not uncommon for some neighboring rel-
ative who also left his family in a snug den— about
which bones, feathers, hair, and other animal remains

381

«re scattered-to come and steal the poultry and lambs
7^7^- of the farmer, which the other crafij^:
Fox allol^ to live unmolestcHi. Naturally the re.nlt
of tMs is that Foxes are, very generally, despised b^^
farmers and poultry raisers, and they, not unwisely,
destroy these "pesky brutes."

'.' »

:i) '

SOME OF HIS NUMEROUS VICTIMS.

.Sportsmen wLo have taken the pains to "^ve^t.^te
the habits of Foxes, particularly the Red ^--^f^
them and urge their extermination, because it has been
asrrtaincHj ^hat where these marauders are abundant
ta e of all kinds decreases with astonishmg rapid^ty^
The fact is well e.tablishcKi that Foxes ^-tm^ w^h
indiscrimiBate greed, almost all species of demrable
g,„,e-bird« and mammals-which they can mastei.
L fact that they will kill young fawns - ^y-^/^
pute and shows that the doe has in ^^^J^^f ul Fox as
well as the sneaking Wildcat, foes -^-^ j^^ ^^
«fnnt witchinjr If it was customary for crafty and
Igacious Fox s to hunt in packs, like Wolves do, there
Xestionablv would be a much greater paucity of
W^nia Dee; than at present exists in Pennsy vania^
I have in im museum a Black Bear, about as big as a
large house W, which was obtained from a woodsman
who said he found it at a Red Fox's den.

SOME ANIMALS FOXES KILL.

K"

Xmong the numerous kinds of wild birds and mam-
mal which Foxes destroy, remains -^ ^-/-"--^
have been found in their stomachs or at their dens.

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♦ 5

382

MAMMALS.

Fawn,

Varying Hare,

Gray Rabbit (Cottontail),

Gray Squirrel,

Black Squirrel,

Red Squirrel,

Chipmunk,

Woadchuck,

Opossum,

Skunk,

Muskrat,

Weasel,

Mice,

Rats.

BIRBS.

< « • t-r.

■^i;.«i-jv:^

Wild Turkey,
Ruffed Grouse,
Mongolian Pheasant,

Quail,
Woodcock,
Field Plover,
Sora,

Wood Duck,
Mallard,

Dove,

Meadowlark.
Nighthawk,
Screecli Owl,
Song: Sparrow.

I

This list, so far as the feathered animals are con
cemed, could be materially increased as fhere is
probably hardly a species of the bird family which
nests on the ground that has not suffered from the
raids of Foxes, which devour with alacrity any of them
—old or young— and if these cannot be caught they
eat the eggs. The Fox hunts in daytime as well as at
night. He will (^t carrion if nothing better can be
found, and fish, it is said, are also sometimes agreeable
to his palate. Some wnters say he will eat ripe grapes
and many other kinds of fruit, which is no doubt true,
but I have never known either the Red or Gray Fox
to feed on a vegetable diet.

FOXES LOVE LAMB CHOPS AND PORK.

As several gentlemen have sent communications to
this office defending Foxes and also asserted that these
animals seldom, if ever, disturbed lambs, and that it

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was absurd to say that they would go near a vicious old
«ow when she had a litter of young, I wrote to Dr L.
W. Schnatterly, a well informed ^^^^f ^^^*'.f .^n^
port, Armstrong county, Pa. I knew he resided ma
sect on of the Commonwealth where Foxes were saad
tobe very numerous, and much addicted to stealing
Lbs, poultr,^ and ^oung pigs. The docto. km^y
oTk the trouble to interview on this subject a number
of hi farmer friends and other reliable gentlemen.
The facts thus obtained are told by Dr. , Schnatterly in
the following words:

Mr. John Ehrenfelt. a far„.er an. ^l^^^^^^ :^l,t':^;Z
county, tens me that every ^P"-'"^ .*f ^f///^, ^'tas to take
his lambs, and the only way he <=°""*^ ^^''t^Viprve it where
a dead one. fill It with arsenic or ^^^-f ^"'"^.^^t^Srout many
they would get it. He says he has cleaned the Foxes out m

"r S Rafston. farmer. Armstrong county, has lost many
, L hi -fi-n^es but could never catch the cunning fellows at
tlTifwTrlcbuT has found many lambs' pelts and skeletons at
the r dens Along the Allegheny river hill which adjoins my
fa^m the": is^ dfn of them now and they are around my barn-

'Mr.Terster.cK, formerly a farmer but now one of our
townsmen who used to be a great hunter says that all along
hi rl'er and Buffalo Creek hills, you can see bones of lambs
p'i turKeys. chickens and other game that wouid make a cart
Lad at the many different Fox dens In the -»«»'«;

Mr. Thos. Hill, farmer. Armstrong county. -----^^'\'°^^
a few lambs and he supposes they have been ^^ken by Foxes^
but as he lives several miles back from the North hill they
don't molest him very much.

Mr. Homer Iseman. formerly a farmer but »<"'«;« °" ''^
gas driller, relates what he witnessed only one y«"^«- «^
and Abe Thompson were drilling a well in Westmoreland
county N^r where they were at work was a large flock of
heep and lambs. The latter were out ^'^V'"^ °»^ "f'J^^
and a large Bed Fox came down to the 'ambs The Fox
crouched down as a cat does and lay there ™°"°n'«''- "^^
lambs played closer and closer until they came within a few

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. . , .h. «nlmal The Fox made a leap and caught a lamb
S sta ted offwIthTfor its den on the Cree. hlU; the men
began to yell and they frightened the Fox so it dropped the
inmh but it was crushed so it died.

Mr J E Hodel. of Allegheny county, says that he and Jas^
nfnderson blamed a Fox for stealing their poultry ; they
fought for her den and dug her out. It was an old she Fox
and th4 found several bushels of bones of lambs, pigs, ducks
geese turkeys In an ante-chamher or dining room, by side of

"" Mr Geo. Murphy, farmer, Armstrong county, tells me that
seve^-af years ago a drover with sheep and >-^« --/--";
his Place and the lambs gave out and were left there a da> .
during that time a large Fox paid them a visit, caught and
un ed one and then perched itself on the fence to bask In the
sunshine He went to get a gun to kill it but when he came
back it had taken its prey and left. Not long after a sow had
a litter of pigs In the woods; he heard them making a noise
Le day and went to see what was the matte. A bl^ ft^ht was
on between the old sow and the Fox; the Fox ^v-uW ■"" at
the sow like a dog, and then the sow would run at the Fox o
drive it away from the pigs that were huddled in the nest; this
was repeated several times until the Fox got the sow real mad
and she made at the Fox and run it several yards from the
pigs. The Fox then, quick as speed would let it, bounded
round past the sow into the nest, grabbed a pig In its mouth
and was gone before the sow could get back to the nest. He
had to take the sow and r-igs home to keep the rest from be-

ing stolen. ,

Mr Thos. Stroup. farmer, Armstrong county, had four lambs
taken in one week by Foxes. The lambs were one week old.

Mr. Samuel Reddick, farmer, Armstrong county, had a sow
with a litter of pigs in the woods near house in a rail pen. A
Fox or Foxes, made nightly visits to the pen and took seven
pigs and the sow became so frantic and enraged that she tore
the rail pen down to get at the intruder. The pigs were a

week old.

Mr Thos. Jack, farmer, says there is nearly a cart load ot
bones of all kinds of small animals at some Fox dens along
the river hill near Logansport. None of the above gentlemen
ever heard of Foxes attacking calves or killing them.

Tliese remarks refer to IxHii the Kcd and Gray
Foxes but by far the greater amount of damage

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was done by Red Foxes, as they are much more
common. Dr. Schnatterly writes that farmers
generally tell him they lose many lambs every
spring by Foxes that come about chiefly at
night. The indignant farmers and stock raisers
Unow that Foxes commit these depredations as they
find the remains of lambs at the Foxes' dens among
the rocks.

WHERE PHEASANTS THRIVED.

I call to mind a locality in Centre county, where all
Ihe natural conditions are most favorable for Ruffed
Grouse to live and multiply. Second growth white
pine and hemlock thickets, and extensive patches of
large rhododendrons (buck laurel) abound; wild fruits
and berries, chestnuts, acorns, arbutus, ferns, together
with other kinds of plant-food they live on, are plenti-
ful in and around the old slashings and abandoned log
and tram roads. But the noble Ruffed Grouse has for
the past three years been very scarce there. Four
years ago this splendid game bird abounded in this
locality where I have often known a good marksman
to shoi)t in a day's tramp, of eight or ten miles, from
six to a dozen of them.

FOXES DID IT.

Some may sav hunters killed all the birds; this, how-
ever, is not the case, but it is very clearly shown that
Foxes are largely responsible for the Pheasants' dimi
imtion. When these birds abounded in this particu-
lar localitv, preying birds and mammals, other than
Red and Gray Foxes, hunters and trappers found to be
fully as plentiful as they now are when the Pheasants
nie 80 scarce. The farmers who live in the valleys

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that separate the mountains of this romaiitic region
^y FoL have increased rapidly and their destruc
tion of domesticated fowls, young lambs, and occa-

ionally young pigs, causes ^-t^-^^jf^.TLt^'^^ie
to be from five (f 5) to twenty-five (f 25) per farm These
depredators are so cunning and sly that even the most
experienced trapper rarely is able to catch one in any
of the devices no matter how artfully placed.

TALKED ABOUT FOXES AND GOT SOME VOTES.

Recently I met a man, who formerly lived in the lo-
cality previously referred to, and as we traveled
through the tangled underbrush, over old fields, and
across disused log roads, and saw on the snow num^
erous "signs" of Foxe«, we met three farn^ers who had
just shot a Gray Fox which they were skinmng. My
companion knew the men, with whom politics and
Foxes were discussed for a few minutes, then we sep-
arated. As the dinner gongs were sounding in the
valley below, we sat down to lunoh at a spring where
a bright-eyed Weasel, in dark coat, peeped at us for
an instant, through the matted roots of an upturned
tree.

THE WEASEL/S.

My companion said:

"U you had been ready with the auxiliary barrel vo" <=°";^
have had that animal. It is one of the -^f^'X^'^^'ll
species of Weasels that we have In these parts. This inquis.
live and active little fellow kills rabbits and birds, but he
catches great numlbers of mice, and eats insects, and Probably.
In the course of his life, does more good than harm, ine
other specles-the Common Weasel-so abundant in many lo-
calities and found, no doubt, all over the State. I think is a
nuisance as he not only kills game but, oftentimes, cleans out
all the chickens in your coops."

GOOD FOXES ARE DEAD FOXES.

Seein- that I was interested in his observations, my
companTon ctmtinued and spoke about as follows:

"During the"last forty years a large portion of my time ha^

them are. through a lacK °i. ^ '^ ^ ^e included in

raturdrurclrer o?s:::arn leads me to say, good
Foxes ar" dead Foxes, but their skins, if the animals are de^
* L hv nolson will not bring the highest market price, and
fxpen fur-deS 7eadlly recognize the ones which have been

•^"fa:: to'ld'thaT down In the vicinity of --"ad.phla pe^pl^
but surely they are not farmers-love and ^^^'I'^^'f^ll^^^'^
and say they are good things to have around farms to destroy
vermin I of course, don't know anything ^bout the habits o
Fox^s which live down there, but I doubt If they are a whit
better Than the ones you an hour ago heard those men talk-
Ing about in such harsh terms.

THEY OOUDDN'T UNDElRSTAND.
"YOU remenrt,er, I smiled and winked at you, btit ^ai^ noth-
ing when -Andy' talked about dead Foxes as he pulled the

Ph;arant^ breast meat out of the ^^^'^ ^^'^^'^^^ ^^J Til
him to cut open; and, no doubt, you call o '"'"'^ ^hf all the
men said they couldn't understand why It was that four o
five years ago a man with a pair of good dogs might hunt all
Z and never start a Fox, but now, if all the 'run-ways' we e
covered by good marksmen, a party would get three or four
in a day When I first came here, about fourteen years ago.
Foxes were very numerous, and when I fcund they killed so
many Pheasants, Wild Turkeys and Rabbits. - weU as all
kinds of poultry, and sometimes young lambs, I tried to trap
them but had poor success; they were too smart.

VALUABLE INFORMATION.

"One day as good luck would have It, I hired a man who
had s:ent much of his time. In early life, with t-PP^^^"^ * ^t
far west. He suggested, that if I wanted to kill Foxes, U

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could easily be done by shooting some sparrows, charging them
ith strvcLi^ and placing them where Foxes rambled. Be-
7ore beSning this (to me) new mode of warfare against the
cunning Foxes which had so often defeated me in former years,
sp n? about a week shooting sparrows, and I took some
chickens, heads, and nearly twenty tame pigeons which I shot,
and scattered these about places where Foxes loved to rove
These birds and heads were not poisoned; they were only put
out to let the sly robbers learn how easily they could get a
good meal by coming to my premises. . ... .^^

ANDY, IT WAS STRYCHNINE. NOT DISEASE. ;
'•The second week I followed the man's advice and soon dead
Foxes were found scattered around over the mountains in
fields; generally, however, they were found near water The
farmers and woodsmen were astonished and always believed
some fat^l disease had attacked these animals. I followed this
pl^n! every season, with the result that Foxes, after the first
two years, were hardly ever seen.

BIRDS INCREASED.

-The Pheasants increased rapidly, and many of these little
ground birds which you know by different names, were much
more plentiful then than they are now. Four years ago I left
this place; no more Sparrows were put out for wandermg
Foxes and. you see. as they increase Pheasants decrease, and
the Wild Turkey is rarely, if ever, seen in places where five
years ago it was of common occurrence.

HOW TO FIX THDM.

"If you ever want to destroy Foxes get a lot of Sparrows-
English Sparrows are worthless— and open the belly, pull out
the insides. then put in the cavity as much strychnine as you
can hold on the point of the small blade of an ordinary pocket
knife, then push the entrails back; take about three poisoned
birds and put them in a place together; hang them on a low
bush or twig, lay them on a stump, or anywhere in the Foxes'
feeding grounds, away from human habitation.

WHAT A CHESTER COUNTY FARMER BELIEVES.

"Sometime ago you sent me a circular asking about birds
and animals. I will send you some memoranda which can, if

389

.H thP snace be used in your books, but I do not
rj rnaCr nir::- ... tne.. as r .aue no pretens.ons
to be either a naturalist or a writer. • .

' .'.':!.".!-,.■ HAWKS AND OWLS.

"^'' ^ ' . , <„^= ^f Hawks and Owls about our farm

■•There are several kinds of "^''^^^"^ " „^e chiefly on

and most of them do little ^^''^'^'"'^^^J^Z big Hoot Owls
Mice. Of course, every now ^"^ ^he" a pa r of b g ^^^^

(Great Horned), which nest In ^^^^^^'J ?SLt Mice. Rats.
Lround and steal some chickens. "^^'Jl^'^^^' ^^^ ^ J,,^noe.
and Kabblts. all of ^^l^-J^f^.Z^^'^:!:^., with long
Then there are two varieties or si "^J ^ ^he hens

rrchTt 'Zl SoTs^TUrHrkrwirsLetlmes dash

S'^ouind r; Off a ---rtrdrisrwVo^r^^eTthS

T^LZsZTZ: a^ the little BP-ow Hawk doe. They
do much mischief and I believe should be killed.

WEASELS. SKUNK AND MINK.

"When the Skunk gets In the habit of visiting the hen roost

or Ttealing eggs he had better be dead so far as the farmer

rnd^ultfy raiser are concerned; but Skunks generally. I be-

^e^wCdTir eat -ub.worms..une.b^gs. grasshoppers

crickets, other kinds of Insects and Mice W''^" f ^jj^^^^^^e
found they dont often come about to rob our hens I Uke^he
weasel because he kills so many Mice and Rabbits, but then
he too. frequently comes to rob us of poultry. a"<*J''^ y""^
mVn the death of many fowls. The Mink is a very bad neigh-
Tor A family of Minks did much damage to our flsh In the
pond Lt year, and killed a lot of ducks, and several chickens
?hen STe boys luckily one day. found the Minks in their ne t
under an old •building near the dam. -f/'^^^^^^J^^ f^^f ,
There are not very many Minks about these P^--^^' ^^ •f^^;^'
have not seen or heard of any for nearly twelve '"""''l^ past^
I never knew the Red Sauirre. to disturb ^»'ic'^-« ^"t he kil s
a good many Robins and some other small birds^ ^^^Jf ."'
great poultry thieves; and once 1 saw a Mouse eatmg a chicken.

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two df three days old. which I believe it caught. 'Coons and
'Possums both catch chickens, but neither is half as bad in this
respect as the Red Fox.

THE FOX A TERROR.

"This wily and sagacious animal is not only fond of chickens
but he will catch ducks, turkeys and geese whenever a chance
Is offered. He menaces the lives and happiness of all birds
which brood on the ground; he is a terror and most adroit In
this line of contemptHble plunder. The great scarcity of Part-
ridges (Quail) In this and neighboring counties, where some
years ago they were quite abundant. I think Is mainly due to
the Fox devouring the eggs and young, and the old birds too.
if he can catch them. However It may be, as some say, that
mowing machines have been, In part, the cause of the pleasing
call 'Bob-White' becoming so scarce; but as already stated I
blame the sharp-nosed Fox for the scarcity of the plump,
white-throated whistler.

EVERYBODY KILLED FOXES THEN.

"Sixty years ago, when I was a boy, everybody killed all the
Foxes they could; they were usually shot, as they were very
hard to catch In traps. About ten years ago one of our boys
bought a new shot gun. and early one bright spring morning
when the birds were singing their sweet, joyous songs of praise
to the Giver of all that Is good, I took It and slowly made my
way through the dewy grass, behind a hedge row, to some rocks
where I knew a family of Foxes lived. Reaching the place I
saw an old Fox and five young ones, about half grown, devour-
ing one of my neighbor's ducks. I shot both barrels and killed
two of the young, and the rest scampered Into the den In the
rocks. I felt well satisfied with my success and took the ani-
mals down to the house.

HE PLEAD AND ALMOST CRIED FOR FOXES.

"You can Imagine my surprise when my nephew, a young
man of about twenty, nearly cried when he saw the dead Foxes,
which he said he had paid our hired man to watch so no harm
might come to them. He told me how they destroyed mice,
caught all kinds of harmful bugs, hunted grasshoppers, and
killed Rabbits which consumed the cabbage and barked young
fruit trees when deep snows covered the ground. Finally I
promised not to shoot any more Foxes, and the agreement has

391 .

. ^TT^ A -on.Ti.TAILED HORSE.
HOUNDS AND ABOB-iAii^r.^

...at. on X .oun. ne na. an .nte.es. - .^^ll^;^^^^::^^

i„ winter season he 'f^^^^f^fJ^liTy^^^re some of his
British wore at the Battle ?' Branflj w ^^^^^^ ^^^^

ancestors died; and he had a bob -U^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^,,„.,
could run and jump t^^e fences, w ^^^^^^ ^^^^

have such things, but Umes ^^^^^J^l,^^ ,, j ,earn of
changed most remarkably. ^ ^"""^""^ ^^^^ ,t Is well that
baneful results of many of these changes t ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^

my eyes have grown ^^"^'^^^ ^J ^^^^ ^^^^ j shall depart
cunning, my steps become t°"ery. and th ^^ ^^^

this life and rest In peace, love and ^ontentm ^^^^^^^^

above. Foxes now live ""-"'fJ^.Vi" ^eve "mplain. as the
they often take chickens or ducks ^J^^^' ^^„ ^„n^„ a

„oney value is small, ^^-^^'^J^H "^^^11 poultry-catching

year from all ^"''^^•/'^f,;^'^ "^I'eepj"" the church yard over
pests. When my good w. .ho sleeps 1^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^

Z:Z ::t l.t^^ to . --- -ng peop.e.^Pa^

,ars, unless t^ev ear. them by honest work.^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^
..I hope you wm deal fully w ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^,

write books ''"I'O"* ^J"*;^' "^^^^ „ore ^bout the true relations
children can read th^'" ^"^ ^" ^^^^ fl^ld of nature. The

that these "^-"^^^^^^^ about Insects, birds, animals and
Tnt: isTs^u^cfoT rriots to those who enga.. in agricul-

ture.

HOW HE BEHAVES ACROSS THE OCEAN.

In the Old world Foxes appear to be just as bad a«
tbey are on this side of the Atlantic. Tl^? /^^I'^f"
L Fox, eminent writers say, ha« no specific identity
f iwi our Red Fox. To show how the ^^ «^*« ^^^^^^^^^
lands the following extracts are transcribed from Dr.
Brehm's Life of Animals:

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W^'

"The Fox preys on all animals from a young roe to a beetle,
but principally Mice. * • ♦ He spares neither old or
young, and zealously pursues Hares and Rabbits, and even at-
tacks young roes or Deer. He not only plunders the nests of
all birds brooding on the ground, devouring both eggs and
young, but also tries to overcome the old birds, and not infre-
quently succeeds in doing so. He swims and wades througli
swamps and marshes, in order to reach the birds which brood on
the water, and there are cases on record where he has killed
brooding Swans. He also attacks tame poultry and effects an
entrance into isolated farm-yards at night; and if he is afforded
a good cover, he pursues the poultry even in broad daylight.
In large orchards and vineyards he is a more frequent visitor
than one imagines. There he catches grasshoppers, May-bugs
and their grubs. Rain-worms, etc., or gathers sweet pears,
grapes or berries. At the river bank he tries to surprise a fine
Trout or a stupid Crab; at the sea-shore he empties the nets of
the fishers; in the forest he robs the nooses spread by the hun-
ter. In this way his larder is always well stocked and he be-
comes straitened in circumstances only when the snow is very
deep and impairs his opportunities. Then he is satisfied with
anything edible, not only with carcasses, which he will feed
upon at any season and seems to like, as all Canid^e (dog fam-
ily) do, but even with an old, dried-out bone or a piece of half-
rotten leather. Quite frequently, also, he visits the encamp-
ments of wood-choppers to pick up the remains of their repast.
When his hunger is half satisfied, he plays long and cruelly
with his prey before dispatching it. ♦ • * Only the
pangs of hunger can goad him into reckless actions; but when
he has been long deprived of food he becomes downright im-
pudent. In broad daylight the hungry Fox will put In an ap-
pearance in a yard, seize upon a Chicken or Goose before peo-
ple's very eyes, and hasten away with his prey. He is much
averse to parting with the booty so arduously procured, and if
he is compelled to relinquish it, he repeatedy returns to see
whether he still cannot make away with it. The same bold-
ness is occasionally displayed by him under circumstances
calling for Immediate flight. Once a Fox, which was being
hunted by hounds, and had twice heard the shot buzzing by.
seized a sick Hare in his flight and carried It with him for a
considerable distance. Another was surrounded in a field; he
came out, attacked a wounded Hare, killed it before the eyes
of the huntsmen, rapidly buried it in the snow, and then fled
directly through the line formed by the sportsmen."

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THEY DO FAR MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

Field observation and post mortem examinations
show that Foxes unquestionably do far more harm
than good. The great destruction of wild birds is, I
believe, of more loss to agricultural interests than the
benefit such interests receive from Foxes catching de-
structive mammals, grasshoppers and other forms of
insect life. Foxes not only destroy all kinds of song
and insect-eating birds and eggs they can get, but they
consume game of all kinds— and many of the game
birds, at certain seasons of the year eat harmful in-
sects. Advices from different parts of our State, es-
pecially in some of western counties, show that Foxes
kill a great many young lambs, and sometimes destroy
whole litters of pigs; this means a loss of money which,
in the aggregate, is considerable every year. The de-
struction of all kinds of domesticated fowls by Foxes
is shown on succeeding pages to be a serious hindrance
to poultry raisers. There is little doubt that Foxes—
both species— destroy annually many thousands of dol-
lars worth of poultry in Pennsylvania. Gray Foxes
do less injury to poultry interests because there are
less of them in our State, and, as a rule, they seem to
prefer to stay in woods and thickets away from the
habitations of man. The Gray Fox seems to want to
keep away from man^s improved possessions, and
while he often steals the poultry of farmers about the
outskirts of the dark thickets and tangled underbrush
he lives in, his evil work consists mainly in destroying
beneficial birds and game. The Gray Fox is a good
traveler, but he does not, when searching for food, it
appears, wander over so much territory as his red-
coated relative. In the southern states where Gray
Foxes are much more numerous than they are with

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U9 they catch large numbers of Quails; and in this
site Quail, Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse or Pheas-
!nts and their nests, are destroy^ by the sneaking
;;Slted depredators whenever they -n surpnse
the bii-ds or find their carefully-concealed homes.

W,HAT FARMERS. POUI.TRY ^^^^^^./^^^ J'^'^'"'-
MEN SAY ABOUT RED AND GTRAY FOXES.

HON. N. B. CRITCHFIELD. Jenners Cross Roads. Somerset

County: , ., „,

A neighbor had a flock of eighteen turkeys <^oMng of
mother 1 en and seventeen half-grown ones, destroyed b> a
FOX in one night during last summer. It was believed to be a
IZ Fox because a track was outlined by feathers dropped on
fhe way foraX tance of over a mile Into a piece of woodland
whe^e U could be plainly seen that the turkeys were dragged
into I hole under a ledge of rocks, and around the hole were
feathers and bones of other fowls that had been taken. The
^o L FOX may have had help from the paternal occupant of
Te den but of that we cannot be certain. On the second morn-
ng af^^r this wholesale destruction my attention was attracted
by the vigorous barking of a Fox at a spot near where the tu -
keys were when they were taken and when I gave his foxsh^p
ehlse he went directly to the den of which I have spoken^ W
have both Red and Gray Foxes; they are detrimental, the Red
is much more common and destructive than the Gray.

A. W. OOLEGROVE, Colegrove. McKean County:
Both Red and Gray are found here. Red is verj,- plentiful

They are very destructive to game; they, with the y'^-^s wil
exterminate it in a short time if something is not ff "^J° ^^^
terminate them. A large portion of this county is old slashings
and bark peelings which makes an ideal haunt for them.

E. O. AUSTIN, Austin, Potter County:

Both Red and Gray Foxes are plenty. The Red predominating
and most destructive to poultry. The Gray and Red Samson
Foxes are very shy of clearings and all prefer small, wild game,
and all are persistent mousers; either kind, as well as ttie
Wildcat, will kill and eat the Porcupine, skinning him wltn

395

1 1 o«or^ Qnri iprk They occasionally take poul-
almost a single snap and f ^^;^J^^/^j^^„ ,^, ^^^e beneficial

try or a young f'^"' ^f J^^^J'/'^^ ^^ve had young lambs

*''" f«"r Foxes but have never had or heard of calves
earned off by F<"^J^; ''^t ^^^^, ^en years ago an old

^^rFox' was so'peristent after a weak lamb near my house
:':t she would not be frightened away and I was compelled

VTL!^' FOX and Wildcat will attack and kill turkeys,
aucks geei and chickens. The Weasel also is at t Unes very
ducks, eeese . ^^ ^^ke great trouble to

rrwia'sel to put m 'their barns on purpose to drive away
te ratTand mice' The Great Horned Owl is also -y ^estruc-
«ve to poultry, especially to young turkeys and chickens. The
olvl .00 l" probably the wor.t of any creature on the Phea.ant
or Rui?;d Grouse. It matters little how '"^"^ / ^l" ^ '" °
Winter, the Owls, with the help of the Fox, will d.min.sh their
numbers greatly by spring.
A. JUDSON SMITH, New Mlllport, Clearfield County:

Both species are found here, but the Red is more Vlentltnl
th!n the Gray, and the Red more sly and destructive than the
Gray They are not numerous enough to do much damage to
poultry although I lost a setting turkey hen and her eggs last
LatZ'and I hear of some others: but some ^f^^^^^l^^^^
thev are beneficial in destroying meadow mice. They destroy
RabbHs and while we do not grieve over that, we would prefer
they leave the Pheasants alone, which they do not seem dis-
posed to do.
B. ALEXANDER. Conemaugh, Cambria County:

we have both species and both deemed ^<i^^^^y ^'^''^^'^H
to poultry and game and small birds. Our Grouse Rabbits and
Quail are almost exterr^inated by the depredations of these
animals. Many complaints from farmers about ^^strucHon of
fowls and young lambs. These animals are very ""^"ous
since the removal and refusal of our commissioners to pay the
bounty.
E. P. CAMPBELL, West Plttston. Luzerne County:

Both kinds are here: Red most common. Killed three younB
and two old Foxes: the male was red and full grown the fe-
male gray; these were the dam and sire of three pups; they are

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as strongly marked a cross gray and red as I ever saw: I ex-
am nedfhe stomach Of one of the two-thirds grown pups and
,t contained Field Mice and remains of Pheasants.

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GEO. W. HILL, Media, Delaware County: .-, . .

I have nved on or been interested in some farm In Delaware
county for sixty-five years and have noticed Particularly he
habits of Red Foxes and believe them to be beneficial to the
farmer Many of our best farmers are of our opinion, and
will not suffer them destroyed or disturbed. It is true where
They have pups they will occasionally take chickens, but never
unUI the stock of Groundhogs, Muskrats and M.ce are ex-
hausted I have known them to carry Groundhogs and Musk-
rats one-half mile to their young and have watched them catch
Mice and pile them up eight or ten in a heap after they had
eaten all they wanted, and verily believe by destroying th^
animals they more than pay for all the poultry they eat. We
have no Gray Foxes.
DR. J. E. CLEVELAND, Canton, Bradford County:

We have the Red, Gray and Cross Fox. The first quite com-
mon and all equally destructive in proportion to their num-
bers. Foxes destroy a great many Field Mice and not a few
Woodchucks; but. on the whole, I believe them detrimental

to the farmer.

When a boy on my father's farm I went to a back pasture to
drive home the sheep; as I got in sight of the flock they were
huddled together and looking towards the woods; I soon dis-
covered the cause of their fright. A Fox was making towards
the woods as fast as his burden would let him. The farm dos
gave chase and the Fox dropped his prey and scampered oft. I
found a lamlb still bleeding that the Fox was carrying oflT. The
sheep had dropped the lamb that day but It was large and
had apparently been on its feet and nursed. Several lambs had
disappeared mysteriously. Several days after while hunting for
drummers (no game laws then), I found a hollow log with feath-
ersof Geese and Turkeys, skulls of Woodchucks and bits of lamb
skin with the wool on scattered around. I stopped up the end of
the log with stones, secured help and an axe and took out of
the log the mother Fox and five whelps. I hear complaints
every year from the farmers among whom I practice of their
losing poultry. Grown and half grown fowls are usually taken
in the day time and by Foxes. It a large number of fowls are

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, from a neighborhood a search generally reveals a den

ryounTFo- -"'^ -^-^-' ^^'^^''^f °' 7arnlght ar
urv has gone. Chicks that are destroyed at nlfht are
poultry has gon buildings where a Fox dare

generaUy at roost near the ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^

Skunr Lasi slmmer'one of m'y patrons complained of losing

€ rshafp roryr^nrrdetUirhole- o-e en

'o be looked Lter early In the morning The e.^J'sappeared
and a full grown Skunk was found dead a few rods from
hen house. Rats destroy the eggs of poultry.

RANDALL BISBING. Minsi, Monroe County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes. They occasionally take
a Thicken or turkey for a change, but they fairly earn them
by catching large quantities of bugs and beetles and grasshop-
plrs Yet I believe if the bounty was taken off their heads they
wouid become so plentiful that they would be a great detriment
Topoultry raisers. I have caught Foxes. Minks, Skunks, Opos-
sum. Wildcats and Weasels In the act of killing PO" ^y; J^^^
not remember the number killed. Foxes as a rule kill but one
bird at a time and carry It away If they have young to feed.
They will come for chickens every day or every other day.
A friend had ten young turkeys taken by Foxes this last sum-
mer- he found the family house and dug out two young ones,
Red and one Cross Bar. and this confirms a theory of mine
that the Cross Bar Fox is only a freak of nature. The Mink
and Weasel will kill from one to a dozen fowls at a time and I
think the weasel is the most destructive to poultry and ^ab
bits, yet they prefer Rats to Chickens, and won t kill the latter
as long as Rats are plenty.

P. FRANK RANGLER, Lewisburg, Union County:

I consider the Fox the worst enemy to our game birds. Near
the close of the last season I was hunting Pheasants along the
"White Deer Creek" well up In the mountains, when Just at
evening I shot a fine bird that tell on the opposite side of
the creek, and as I could not cross the creek without walking
at least a mile or get wet, I concluded to let the bird go untl
morning, when I would hunt that side of the creek. The next
morning I started with the assurance of having at least one
dead bird to begin with, but what was my disappointment

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when coming to where I had marked the bird-only to find ^
rot of feathers-a Fox having claimed the other share dunng
the night. There being several inches of snow I saw that th^s
ellow had left his trail at least thirty yards-went straight to
the dead bird and after devouring it returned by the same track
to the old road and went up on the mountain. Now then if a
Pox can scent a dead bird that distance how many Pheasants do
you suppose one Fox will kill in a year? and how about the
young birds that cannot fly or protect themselves at all? Foxes
destroy a great many Turkeys, Chickens and Ducks for our
farmers. Both species of Foxes are found in this and neigh-
boring counties, but the Red Fox is the most numerous. The
Gray Fox don't often come about farm buildings, but he
catches all the poultry he can which wanders near his fav-
orite haunts in the woods and slashings, he devours large
numbers of ground-nesting biras and is probably as bad as
the Red Fox in destroying Pheasants. I certaijily favor a
bounty for the heads of these cunning rascals.

J. H. DAVIS. Water Street, Huntingdon County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes; the former is the most
common. The Fox and Polecat have often taken whole broods
of chickens from us; the Polecats come within three rods of the
house and interview the occupants of the coop.

HON. CHAS. LUHR, St. Mary's, Elk County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes, and the Red predomin-
ate They will visit very often the hen roosts and are very
bad about destroying game, especially Pheasants and Rabbits.
Both detrimental.

J. R. LEHMAN, Warrior's Mark, Huntingdon County:

We have both Gray and Red Foxes. The Red is the most
common and destructive to chickens and turkeys. Consider
both kinds detrimental to the farmer.

HON. P. M. LYTLE, Huntingdon County:

Both Red and Gf-ay occur here. Red species Is the most
common and most destructive to game and poultry,
kinds are detrimental to the farmer.

Both

L. WELLS, Wyalusing, Bradford County:

Both kinds found here. Red Is most destructive to poultry
because it Is more numerous than the Gray. Both kinds de-

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vour a great deal of game and catch some Mice. Consider them

detrimental. . ^

KHBB. U KRAEMEK. WiUiamsport. I.ycomin« County:

A r^r-ov iTnxes In our county, me
we have both the Red and f^lJ^^^^'^,,, neighborhood.
Red is the most common and destructive

P s STOVER, Lavonla, Centre County:

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DR A D. JOHNSTON, Allegheny:

.V, x>.^ Vox thanks to his superior cunning.

we still have the R^d Fox. thanks ^^^„,,i^^3 to the

They are not very ^^undant They do h P ^^ ^^^^

farmer's chickens ^^^^^'^^^^^-.^^^.^e "f them that they do
for them. The sportsman will take care oi

not become too abundant.

BABCOCK. Blossburg, Tioga County:

also.

ABNER FAGUE, Picture Rocks, Lycoming County:

C^^T:. ^kifds. ^h Red ^^^;-^—^-

destroyers of ^-•"^•. ^"^Jf J^^y bad tenants on the farm. The

small song birds. They are very ^^ ^^^

Mice and other enemies we have wh.ch f ^^^^ ^^^^

compensate farmers and poultry raisers

by the Foxes' cunning raids.

W H HERBERTSON. Brownsville. Fayette County:

X o«en see where Foxes have ,ot in their work on ^. do-
„,est,c 'owls and gam^b^ds^Foxes^^^and^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^

rhrarS'hal'bern paying' flny cents per head on all
killed within six miles of our town.

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A. P. YOUNG, Mlllville, Colum.bia County: .. .; . ,^ . - ,-

Have had Turkeys and Chickens on different occasions taken
by Foxes; Skunks will rob nests. There should be a bounty on
Foxes.

.R-i.

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DAVID COPE, Leonard, Chester County: . * :.'t^ r*l^f<_

Red Fox rather common and I consider this animal detrimen-
tal to the farmer.

F. H. FASSETT, Meshoppen, Wyoming County:

Red Fox common. Gray Fox rather scarce. Both are detri-
mental; they destroy poultry, game and song birds which brood
on the ground. ' , •'

OAPT. JOHN M. BUCKALEW, Fishing Creek, Columbia
County:

Foxes, Minks and Weasels all destroy poultry. Have many
times found feathers and bones of domestic fowls at dens of
Foxes; also have seen both Foxes and Minks carrying off

poultry.

Red Foxes and occasionally Gray are found here. Red com-
mon and quite destructive to game and song birds and their
nests. Gray believed to be quite as much so, as he Is inclined
to climb.

H. K. MENSCH, Muncy Station, Lycoming County:

Foxes have destroyed many Turkeys and Chickens for me and
my neighbors.

W. F. WAGNER, Coalport, Clearfield County:

Both kinds are here, the Red Fox most common. Both spe-
cies are detrimental to the farmer. They destroy a large amount
of poultry and are persistent hunters of game. Pheasants and
all birds which build on the ground are destroyed by Foxes.

A. W. WRIGHT, Colfax, Huntingdon County:

Have known Foxes on different occasions to kill lambs, and
know of numerous instances where he caught Chickens and
Turkeys. Weasels often destroy poultry — Turkeys as well as
Chickens. Foxes, both Gray and Red, are certainly very detri-
mental to farmers. They destroy many broods of the Wild
Turkey, and Pheasants are one of their main articles of diet.

401

PROF. H. T. FERNALD, State College, Centre County:

Bdfh species are found about here, but the Red Fox is much
more plentiful than the Gray. They do much damage t« poul-
try and game.

TOWNSEND PRICE, Canadensis, Monroe County:

Foxes and Minks catch a good many Chickens and Ducks.
Skunks and Foxes destroy eggs. Foxes do a great deal of
damage to game interests by devouring so many Pheasants and
Rabbits.

J. E. HALLOBAUGH, Patterson, Pa.:

We have both the Tied and Gray Fox; consider them detri-
mental to farmers.

SAMUEL M. DOWNS, Mauch Chunk, Carbon County:

Have both Red and Gray Foxes. Gray is the most common
and destructive to game and poultry. I consider both kinds
detrimental to the farmer.

I.' D. HOWEILL.

Foxes, Red and Gray, are quite plentiful and increasing; since
the premium for killing is stopped there is no Inducement to
hunters to capture them. The Fox is ever prowling round im-
proving every chance, and is very bold and daring. Several of
my neighbors last year lost their hatching Turkeys and the
whole brood by a Fox; a few days ago a neighboring farmer
had one killed in sight of his house by a Fox. The Fox occa-
sionally carries off a Lamb; would steal all of them but for the
old dam that is usually on guard. Last spring a year ago,
there were some fifty Foxes caught in this section by three hun-
ters. The Red Fox is the worst.

M. C. OSBORN, Henderson, Mercer County:

We have some Red Foxes, but they are no good to the farmer;
I think they hunt Mice and young Rabbits, but the farmer
can get along without them.

THOS. B. DARLINGTON, West Chester, Chester County:

Foxes are more plenty than welcome and farmers who are
not hunters would be glad if there was not a Fox In the county;

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r^r "/..r :/r,.r "jr.o„, .,». .7 •« r ™ *.»

nf Partridges while roosting on the ground at night they also
Ich the Redwing Blackbird and other species which nest on
or near the ground.
DR. A. B. MacCREA, Berwick, Columbia County:

Both kinds here; Red common; they are destructive to poultry
,„ the b^ck districts. They are very detrimental to game.

ALFRED SHAiRPLESS, West Chester, Chester County:

Foxes are rather plenty and no doubt carry away many
Chickens Ducks and Geese that cannot be accounted for trom
S farmer s flocks. His presence here Is a nuisance because
of his bHnging out sportsmen and dogs J'^^l^^^^^^^^^,
country throwing down and destroying fences in their reckless
pursuit o? him. A bounty should be placed on his scalp.

J AS. S. NBASE. Washington, Washington County:

The Red Fox only is found here. Destroys some Rabbits
and occasLally Ru«ed Grouse and Q-il. Foxes destroy bum-
ble bees, yellow jackets and Mice. I consider them to be bene
flcial to the farmer.

GEO. MONTGOMERY, Washington, Washington County:
A farmer who lives in the western extremity of tWs county

told me he had nineteen Turkeys killed '>y ^^'^^Z.XAfoX
not know of any Gray Foxes in this county. The Red Fox is
vey destructive to game and poultry, and has been known to
Itell a whole litter of young Pigs. They kill a great ".any Field
M^ce, but I think they might be classed as detrimental to the
farmer.

JOSIAH PILE, New Lexington, Somerset County:
We have both Red and Gray Foxes; the Red is the most

common and destructive. I consider both species detrimental

to th€ farmer.

E. B. HOSTETLER, Klngswood, Somerset County:
We have Foxes, both Red and Gray. They will kill Lambs.

Chickens, Turkeys, Pheasants. Rabbits, etc.

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W J STULL, Coalport, Clearfleia County:
. we have both Red and Gray Foxes; the Gray are very
rarf the Red more common and destructive to poultry and
game. I consider Foxes detrimental to the farmer.

JOHN KBLLOW, Carley Brook, Wayne County:

The times are so numerous where I have ^^^^^^^^^^^^^T^
from the depredations of the Red Fox that I cannot detail them^

^Zv year we lose from five to twenty Turkeys by them. Three
Every year we I ^^ ^^^^^^ Turkeys, and in

rd?yt ni wtiftr^orkmen in a neighboring -V «el^^--
looking on. The Turkeys were catching grasshoppers in a pas
ture lot aajoining the hayfleld, but at some distance from the
Zl- there was a woods close to the pasture, and when the
Poxes attacked them they flew in every direction. It was near
fvenlng AS «oon as the workmen told us we went for -them and
rIcTvef;d four or five before dark; the next morning we found
fou° or five in the trees; In all we got nine out of twenty
sometimes the Foxes will find a hen Turkey sittting on a ne
of eggs when they take both Turkey and eggs. I could tell
of scores If their depredations. It would take a ream of paper
to detail all of the mischief of the red devils.

JEREMIAH PHILLIPS, Garrett, Somerset County:

Three years ago, right in our --'^^^^'^°f'''^Z"'Zl madl
100 young Foxes caught for premiums, and if they had made
t^elr escape the farmers could not have raised any Lambs or
poultry Ope spring there was a den of a Fox close by my fa h-
er-s and he caught about sixty Turkeys and probably twice
as many Chickens in the neighborhood. One Sunday we heard
a racket among our hens. 'My father walked out to see wha
was wrong, and there was a Fox going tor them. He went
Tck to t"; house, got his rifle and shot him; >>« ^^d 'dlW
eieht chickens. I could name several cases like this. I have
on several occasions found dens which were well filled with the
remains of poultry. Pheasants, small song birds and Lambs.

SAMUEL BOTHBLL, Shelocta, Indiana County:
Both species occur here; about eight Red to one Gray. Tliey

bo^h are very detrimental; they thin out Rabbits as nothing

but a very hard winter will do. , v.

Have personal knowledge of Foxes carrying oft young Lambs,

A few years ago I lost 4lght; they take them any age under

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three weeks. Crows will kill very young Lambs by picking their

eves out

I have personal knowledge of most all domesticated fowls
being killed, ca^rried off and injured by Foxes, Minks and
Hawks. Last summer a Fox reared its young within half a
mile of our poultry yard, and they carried off for us from
twelve to thirty full grown Chickens during the daytime. We
saw them several times. A few years ago we lost seventeen
half-grown Chickens in one night, presumably by a Mink-any-
way by a blood sucking animal. I have often noticed Crows de-
stroying young birds, their eggs and the eggs of fowls.

A. C. SISSON, La Plume, Lackawanna County:

Foxes, both Red and Gray are found here; Red the most
common and destructive to poultry and game; they are no
benefit to the farmer, but detrimental. Foxes occasionally take
young Lambs.

JAMES THOMAS, Cur wens ville, Clearfield County:

Foxes, both Red and Gray are very destructive and very
plentiful, destroying poultry and game; also carry away young
Lambs, and are highly detrimental to the farmer.

HARRY WILSON. Gum Tree, Chester County:

I have never seen any but the Red Fox in Chester county. I
hav« seen this Fox catch grown hens in daytime. I once saw
a Fox catch a hen which owing to her weight he was unable
to carry; the Fox after dragging it a short distance took the
hen by the head, threw it across his body over the shoulders
and ran with its head to one side. It is generally believed that
Foxes live in holes, but I have more than once come upon them
in daytime sleeping curled up dog fashion in fence corners; so
I believe except as a refuge, and during breeding season, and
while the Utter Is yet young. Foxes do not live in holes. I do
not believe that Foxes are more detrimental to farmers than
beneficial. They destroy a vast amount of Field Mice. I have
never had a Fox visit my hen roost or poultry yard except when
they had a litter. I have on two occasions seen a Fox chase
sheep, but in both cases as the sheep ran to buildings, the Fox
gave up the chase. I once dug out a litter of young Foxes for
the Fox bounty; there were five in the hole. I found along the
passage way leading to main burrow two pockets or recesses.
In the side of the hole; both, like the nest, were lined with dried

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405

,rass and contained Chicken feathers, bird feathers. Rabbit
fr bones and a much decomposed Weasel.
DB. t. W. SCHNATTERLT. Freeport. Armstrong County.^
*" ' . v,^,.**. tViP Red most common and destruc-

Hv^e°\Vp'oltrrThey -C^1re":.t many broods of young
Tan an'p^easants' (Both Iclnds destroy young Lambs.

GEORGE W. CHAMBERS, Mlffllnburg. Union County:

we have the Red and Gray Foxes; the f^^^^^Xea^Zl
«on; the Gray stay more on the ^^-l''^^^' ^I'^^'^'l^lt ^ney
come into the valleys and live among '^^J'^f^-^Z^,, „«-
are safe. They do considerable damage, and a^«^h«

structlve to poultry and ^^-^ ^ .^^^^f ^."^ h home^n a
position. A few years ago an old ^^J^^r^ that were

^ece of timber not far from my home. J^^^^^y; ^^^ ^^,

HPheJsants I do not think that the Fox scalp act should be
repealed for ^^ey would become so plentiful as to become a
great nuisance to farmers.
F J WAGENSELLER, M. D.. Sellnsgrove. Snyder County.

we have both the Red and Gray Fox; the Red Is the most
comLn and the most destructive to game and ^^-^^ J ^°^^
s°d"r them detrimental to the farmer, and one of the chief
causes of the decrease of game.

W R. PARK, Athens, Bradford County:

Both Red and Gray Foxes are present, but Red mo8t_ plentl-
fufand destructive to game. Would consider them detrimental
to farmers In many ways.
P M McKBEHAN, Ferguson, Perry County:

Foxes are common, but few Gray ones; ordinarily Foxes do
not do much harm to poultry, but destroy much w>ld game.
W ,en t"ey have their den of young the old she one becomes

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406

very bold. A gentleman told me last spring a Fox made a raid
on his poultry nearly every morning. He was on the lookout for
if when he saw it coming he ran for his rifle, when the lady
of the house cried out "the Fox!" The Fox then turned and
ran for an old hen, never stopping; but as he grabbed the hen,
he shot; the Fox ran on, the hen rose and flew to barn dropping
dead; the Fox had bitten her in the head.

Mr' Isaac Orwan, who has given considerable thought and
attention to our mammals, says, when in Northumberland
county, he found a den of Foxes around which were pelts and
bones of Lambs. A Mr. Park residing near there had lost about
fifteen Lambs. Another time he found a den where a Weasel
had just been caught and brought in. He has frequently found
dens where there were plenty of poultry feathers.

*

JASPER T. JENNINGS, New Milford. Susquehanna County:

The Fox often destroys Partridges and other kinds of game,
and is probably more of an enemy to the hunter and sports-
man than he is to the farmer.

AARON WEIDNER. Arendtsville. Adams County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes; the Gray are the most
common and destructive to game and poultry. I consider both
detrimental to the farmer.

C. P. MOTT, Milford, Pike County:

Foxes are quite numerous, but their natural food of Squirrels,
Rabbits, Birds, Mice, Moles, etc.. so nearly furnish their wants
that their slaughter of poultry near clearings and habitations
are infrequent. They, like the Weasel, Mink, Wildcat and
Groundhog, appear to have no usefulness to compensate for
their depredations and should go.

JOHN F. THOMAS, Carrolltown, Cambria County:

Foxes are known to be destructive to all smaller game, par-
ticularly Rabbits and Ruffed Grouse (when hatching) as well
as to the Quail. We have in this county both Red and Gray
Foxes, but the Red predominates and is the most destructive.
I think the Fox (either kind) highly detrimental as regards the
preservation of our game.

H. C. KNOUSE, Swales, Juniata County:

Gray Foxes are rare; Red Fox is a great enemy of both poul-
try and game; they depredate in day time and make bold to

407

^. iMtf +hP greatest damage they do is

therefore more exposed.

C. W. DICKINSON, Norwich, McKean County:

^ ^ ,1 i-r»v Ti'oxes in this county, but the Red

Ha^e both Red and ^^^l/^^^^^^.^^^,^ damage to poultry,

IB the most common. They d° ^^^^ " Partridges and many

they catch a good --^^.^^^^J^f ^^does ll much good as he

'''"'%^' re%'of ^noThe Strhe'L a good many Saulrrels,
does damage, for l Know hunter. I have

Woodchucks and Field Mlce^ ^'^^f °^ '' her mouth at one time
seen an old she Fox with five ^ ^e 'n ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^h
that She was carryU^g to^- ^,-",^; ^^el mouth at once,
SefrrS-rru r jrU more good than dam-

^ """^ e^an ?h\%"gs T^e S/ys we:, sitting on 101 eggs In
devoured ^" ^^e eggS" ;„ ^^, ^oft ground around

ZZl Zlsl:Z^^o... Where the Fox had carried some
of the Turkeys to Its den for Its young.

GEO. M. DAT. Dy berry, Wayne Ctounty:

« «a-r» incst nearly 100 chickens,
Mr. H. W. Adams, two years »f' °^* ""^^'/^ ^ ^ave paid
», V,,, TTnvPB Red Fox Is most common here, i wave i
mostly by Foxes "^d ' o ^^^^^^. sixty-nine

bounty °" f ^«"*y-^7° j;;;^f Sve the Red Fox credit for
Red and three Gray Foxes, so gi farmer has too

most good or evil as the case T^^.f ^ J^/*^^/^X^ ,s ready

r^\r^\rc^nti scattered around his neias, ivii. * v.^
many ^Wckens scattei^a ^^ ^^ ^asshoppers and

and ^^^"^^''l^f;^'^ Zly to reduce the crop. I watched
Mice abound he is e^^^J^f."; October morning playing, hop.

a pair of ^"-^/^.^^^J"; rshowed they were busy catching
skip, etc., but a nearer vl ^^^^ ^^ ^^_.^. ^^ ^^^^^

ref l^Hre^™ -- - St^"ot ^ A^Td ^e
"" tretThL^rsCgr^oufelr; i: th: mor'mg <say in No-
:ember)':Ld clTl th^m^up ^y imitating the saueak of a Mouse.

H. T. FRANKENFIEIJD, Frtitcheys. Monroe County.

r> ., ^ r^rflv Foxes we have here and plenty of them. 1
cordertlemTetrentaTto the farmer and sportsman. I have

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found whole coveys of Quail destroyed in a single night; they
eat what they can and bury the rest, the same as a Dog does.
I found not long ago where a tree had blown down; the tree
lay high on the stump, the top on the ground; snow falling on
the trunk formed a hole or cavity under the tree; the Quail
went under for shelter or roost; the Fox sprang in the hole, and
I think destroyed them all. By going to their dens where they
have their young you can find feathers of poultry and game.

SAMUEL D. IRWIN, Tionesta, Forest County: .

Reynard is well represented in the western part of Forest
county, on the hills and among the rocks in the neighborhood
of farms; both Red and Gray, the Red being the most plenti-
ful, constituting, I should judge, seventy-five per cent. I do not
consider the Fox beneficial to the farmer, especially if he wishes
to engage in poultry raising. Mr. Hinton, of Tionesta township,
m one week lost forty chickens out ot two hundred, through
the agency of Foxes. They got so bold that they carried off
Chickens in daylight. They are extensively trapped and hunted
for their pelts and scalps, on which there is a bounty in this
section.

WM. D. ROMBACH, Saltst)urg, Pa.:

Both Red and Gray Foxes; think Red are most numerous,
and they are the most destructive. Both detrimental.

E. GARD EDWARDS, Ramey, Clearfield County:

Foxes are common and they are more destructive to game
than poultry.

D. KISTLER, Kistler, Perry County:

The Fox destroys Wild Turkeys, Grouse and any other bird
he can get. Foxes carry off Lambs, and all of them ought to die.
Foxes are plentiful in this locality, and they destroy a great
deal of poultry.

J. K. BIRD, Mlllview, Sullivan County:

We have the Red Fox. They destroy poultry of all kinds;
also Pheasants and young Lambs.

M. B. TRESCOTT, Harveysvllle, Luzerne County:

I have seen Foxes catch Turkeys by daylight out in the open
fields, and Chickens the same way, and carry them to their

409

burrows. I have followed and caught the whole nest of Foxes,
both old and young. Several years ago my father found some-
thing had killed our Chickens, twenty-two in number ; were a 1
gone but one. He followed the trail and found the whole
fwenty-one dragged off to hiding places. The last one still
warm; was dragged into a hollow black ash. We pulled the
chicken out and found a Mink (a very large one) had gone in
firlt and was still trying to drag the "old rooster" in after
him but the hole was too small. I came home one night and
found an Owl of very large size had lit down in the back yard
and was feeding on a Goose. I had a whole flock of Pigeons de-
stroyed in one night by Owls. Their roost and boxes were in
a long shed; we found one Owl glutted so he could not fly; the
others had flown to a piece of woods about twepty rods off,
and after a little search we found three of the Owls there una-
ble to fly I had a brood of half-grown Guineas destroyed the
same way. I have seen Crows dart down Into a chicken yard,
pick up a young Chicken and fly off, and have seen Hawks do
the same, and sometimes take a full grown hen. I ^If^^J'''^
much more In the same line of my own experience with Minks,
Foxes, Weasels, Crows, Hawks and Owls.

JOHN E. STOCKER. Ashley, Luzerene county:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes; th.. Red Is the most com-
mon on our mountains; tliey are of no value to farmers, as
they destroy poultry If not secured In sheds; they are very de-
structive to Pheasants and Rabblts-to the young Pheasants
especially; oftentimes along the rocks one will find their drop-
ping composed mostly of Rabbit hair and toenails. English
Sparrows were fastened to bushes with their entrails taken
out and stuffed with poison; some Foxes were taken In that
manner, also some Dogs. Oftentimes some railroaders coming
down the mountains would see Foxes feeding on some recently
killed Cow, or be running alon^ the track In quest of Wood-
ohucks or the Cottontail, feeding on corn or grtiin dropped from
grain cars.

GEO, FRANC, Ariel, Wayne County:

Foxes are quite abundant and very destructive to domestic
fowls and small wild birds.

PETER COVET, Newfoundland, Pa.:

Poxes are numerous; we have both Red and Gray, and they
are about equal in their destructiveness to game and poultry;

fflff ";

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410

th.v are auite troublesome to farmers here. 1 ha^e personal

they are «"'« v thirty-two half-grown Turkeys in one

S Am onM nt thalVxes did it by the feathers scat-

tS' in all directions. Have frequently seen Foxes carry o«

poultry.

ENOS BLOOM, New Millport, Clearfield County:

Have both Red and Gray Foxes; the Red Is the most plentiful
Have Dotn nea d. / tj,ey kill and destroy poul-

and is detrimental to the farmers, mey ». „. „^f.^- .„ „ncl

try and kill young Lambs, and are also very destructive to wild
birds such L Pheasants and various other species wh.ch the
Se should protect; particularly is this true of t.e young
Pheasants. It is the habit of the young Pheasant on being first
Tlarm^d to poke its head under a leaf or ^-s. le^ngjhe
body exposed, and the Fox scents them and makes many

»

feasts on them.

N F. UNDERWOOD, Lake Como. Wayne County:

Concerning the breeding habits of Red Foxes would say that
John F. Jaycox. a hunter and trapper of ^h'S Place JuUed a
female Fox here only a day or two ago, which «o"t^ "^^^'^
young ones; the usual litter is, I think, three or four Bed
Foxe"s very common; have paid bounty on thirty or forty his
winter. Gray Fox rare. Foxes destroy considerable poultry
as well as much game. Pheasants, Rabbits and small birds.

GEO. W. WOOD, Equinunk, ^^ayne County:

Foxes are numerous, and very destructive to poultry Wayne
county paid in 18^3 over $700 as bounty on Foxes, Wildcats, etc.

EMIL ULRICH, Stroudsburg, Monroe County:

Gray Foxes are most common and they steal many Chickens.
Consider them detrimental to a farmer, and favor bounty on
them.
DR. H. D. MOORE, New Lexington, Somerset County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes. The Red Fox is m^st
destructive to poultry; he seems to be more cunning and boia
than the Gray Fox. Both are equally destructive to game.
Beneficial to farmers by destroying Field Mice.

DR. C. E. GOL.D9BOROUGH, Hunterstown, Adams County:

We have Red Foxes common in our lowlands, and Red and
Gray Foxes equally common on the mountains. Red Foxes

411

ate more destructive because larger, swifter and bolder. Both
kinds are detrimental to the farmer. tnrkevs while

Foxes, I am satisfied, do much ^^^f^^^^l^^^^^^
hatching, and with their young; am led ^o^^^^J^^^^f^^^^ p,^,^,

ing suffered on one occasion until I killed ^^^^^

when the trouble ceased. Weasels come next in

stroying Chickens.

L T WIL.T, Franklin. Venango County:
Boih Red and Gray; the Hedmo^e«nt^ hence more

destructive to poultry and ^am ^ They prey on ^

= Srre r Jnt: ren ^^^}^ ^ Z

7l.^:^Jr^^ -^^ - writer never
saw a case where It would score a miss. Detrimental to the
farmer, and likewise to the game interests.

GEO. K. BOAK, Pine Glen, Centre County:

We introduced Wild Turkeys in our game preserves and the
wndcl"s and Foxes destroyed them, both old and young, re-
Tardless of efforts made to exterminate them by poison and
trap? we have both Red and Gray Foxes; they are very de-
structive to game and poultry in fhis region.

OTTO BEHR, Lopez, Sullivan County:

Have only seen Red Foxes in this county. Think they are
beneficia° to the farmer. They catch -""itudes of grassbop-
pers, beetles and insects of all kinds, and lots of Wood and
Meadow Mice. My brother found a nest °fj-"/^/°- „",°
more than a week old, that had forty-two Mice and Squirrels
in it, mostly all Mice. There is occasionally a Gray Fox shot
here, but not often.
B. F. HERRINGTON, Waynesburg, Greene County:

No Gray Foxes; the Red Fox Is quite numerous and is detri-
mental to some extent from the fact that he preys on the
poultry, and has been known to, carry oft young pigs and
lambs.
J. L. BRAUNER. Exchange. Montour County:

Red and Gray Foxes are found In our county, and both are
destructive to the farmer's poultry and game.

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M. E. KDMERER, Weissport, Cai-bon County: ^^^ ^ ^

Foxes kill great numbers of our Chickens. Turkeys and Ducks,
and they also destroy considerable game of different kinds.

HON. A. L. MARTIN, Enon Valley, Lawrence County:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes. They are detrimental.
They annually destroy a large amount of poultry.

J. S. GAY, Terrytown, Bradford County:

Both Red and Gray Foxes are found with us, but the Red
ones are more common; both species are destructive to the
farmer as they catch poultry.

A. P. BREWER, Norwich, McKean County:

Foxes I consider a great benefit to farmers, as they catch a
great many Mice.

GEO. S. APPLEBY, Decorum, Huntingdon County:

We have plenty of both, and they do much damage to poultry
raisers. They also devour a great deal of game of various var-
ieties.

PAUL SWINGLE, S. Canaan, Wayne County:

Foxes, both Red and Gray, do a large amount of damage to
farmers In this region by destroying poultry.

MR. PIERSON, Dysart, Cambria County:

Have Red and Gray Foxes In quantities about equal. The-
Foxes of Cambria county destroy more game than all the hun-
ters. Hav€ trailed a Fox and have known him to kill and eat
four Pheasants In one night, and kill one Rabbit and eat the
head of It. Like the Wildcat, Foxes are hard on young Pheas-
ants, Rabbits and Turkeys.

B. F. BENNET, Pike County:

Have both Red and Gray Foxes; both detrimental to farmers.
They destroy a gool deal of game, particularly Grouse.

THOS. SEABORNE, Newlln, Pa.:

Foxes are perhaps the worst animals we have, destroying
Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks and Geese. ; »

413

C. R. NOYES. Westport, Perry County:

Foxes are destructive to poultry and game.
ARTHUR MARTIN, Sandy Lake. Mercer County:

We have some Foxes, mostly Red; they destroy poultry and
wild game to a considerable extent.

CHAS. HICKOX. Ollverburg. Pa.:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes; the Red most plentiful
and very detrimental to the farmer.

T. B. HOOVER, Wellsvllle. Pa.:
we have Red Foxes. They are considered detrimental to the

poultry Interests.

FRED SAXE, Taxidermist and Naturalist, West Plttston. Pa.:
We have both the Red and Gray Foxes In our county. The
Red is most common, and Is the most destructive to poul ry
and game. I consider that both kinds are detrimental to the
farmer There was a man In town that owned a Fox a couple
ofTears ago. and It got loose one night and killed four Chick-
ens m a neighbor's hen roost. Foxes will also eat eggs of
chickens.
A. D. Mccracken, New Lebanon. Mercer County:

We have both the Red and Gray Foxes; the Red most num-
erous and destructive to game and poultry. I consider them a
detriment to the farmer.

JAS. LINDSAY, Utlca, Pa.:

We have both Red and Gray Foxes here and they do con-
siderable damage to poultry. They also destroy many kinds
of small wild birds.

T H HARTER, Belief onte, Centre County:
Foxes are very destructive to Pheasants.

A. W. RHOADS. Wllkes-Barre, Pa.:

Red Foxes are common and numerous; Gray Foxes rare. The
Red Fox Is a great destroyer of game birds and poultry. They
are highly detrimental to the farmer.

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HON G. C. BROWN. Yorkana. York County:

Have Known Foxes to kill and eat Larnbs o£ forty to fl«y
pounds weight. I have poisoned six w.th ^^^^^^'^I'-^'l^^
and all were lying dead at one time along with a Hawk and

three Crows.

NOAH H. PARKER, McKean County:

Foxes are the most destructive of any animal we have here.
T^ey pr^y upon domestic fowls and birds of any kind when-
ever an opportunity presents itself.

R W WEHRLE, Blairsville. Indiana County:

Farmers in this section have told me that Foxes have killed
large numibers of Lambs.
J jj. VAN ETTEN, Miltord, Pike County:

Tittle differen-fi as to species. Both kinds destructive to
ga«e anTjoulfry. One hundred and eighty of both kinds
killed in year 18^3 in Pike county.
JACOB B. MEIXEL, Boiling Springs, Cumberland County:

We have both kinds of Foxes In our county. The Red Fox
does the most damage to game. I consider Foxes enemies to
farmers.
W. G. SARGEANT, Meadville, Crawford County:

Red Foxes are not very abundant and occasionally a Gray
one is seen. I consider that they should be exterminated be-
cause they destroy <5ur game birds, especially young Grouse.

GEO. R. BROWNELL. A. P. POPE and W. R. PAGE. Smeth-
port, Pa.:
Farmers lose many Lambs by Foxes each spring.

L. C. OBERLIN, Smicksburg, Indiana County:

Foxes are common and destructive to poultry and game.
The Red are the worst. I never knew a Gray to kill poultry,
but still they may be detrimental.

JOS. W. KYLE. Milroy. Mifflin County:

Foxes are quite common and the Red Fox is the most num-
erous. They are very destructive to poultry and game. I re-
gard them to be detrimental to the farmer.

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GRAY FOX.

Urocvon cinereoargenteus. 1

if

DESCRIPTION. • • ^

Nearly as large as the Red Fox, but perhaps a little more
chunky and has shorter legs. It is not subject to the marked
vaHatfonTof pelage already described in the Red ^ox. The pre-
vailing color is a frosted grayish-black; each of the long ha rs
projecting above the thick coat of yellowish and grayish fur
and so conspicuous on upper parts generally are starting at the
roots, whitish, then dusky, then white, about V4 of an inch) and
Wack (Ibout U an inch) to ends. Cheeks and throat are whit-
ish The ear^ behind and about base, side of neck, streak
across the chest, edges of aibdomen, and more or less of legs
reddish or cinnamon brown. Lower Parts are whitish and pale
yellowish brown or reddish. Tail is blackish above, has dark
tip. and is rusty below. More or less blackish about muzzle. A
wHtish patch on each side of nose. m „„ or,^

BahitaU—A southern species. "Occurs in Oregon, Texas and
California, and with the Red extends from the At antic to the
Pacific. It is not common in New England and only accidental
In Maine and Canada. It is more southern than the Red Fox.
being the prevailing species from Virginia southward. —Bray-
ton. Mammals of Ohio.

The Gray Fox, when pursued by dogs does not, like
the Red, lead the barking hounds long distances, but
will play hide and seek with them, oftentimes in a very
small area ot territory.

EE CIRCLED. AND TURNED IN AND OUT.

Some years ago I wa« hunting Phea^nts in an old
bark peeling along the Susquehanna river, above Lock
Haven, and flushed eight or ten birds which scattered
and hid along the mountain side, and in a deep ravine.
On one side of this ravine there was a dense patch of
laurel, with lots of decaying logs, fallen tree-tops, and
lichen covered bowlders. This place was nearly half a
mile long and about half as wide. Two hounds were
in there making livelv music, and their exertions

COLOR PLATE

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GRAY FOX.

Urocvon cinereoargenteus.

DESCRIPTION.

Nearly as large as the Red Fox. but perhaps a little more
chunky and has shorter legs. It is not subject to the marked
variatfons of pelage already described in the Red ^o- The pre-
vailing color is a frosted grayish-black; each of the long ha rs
projecting above the thick coat of yellowish and grayish fur
and so conspicuous on upper parts generally are starting at the
roots, whitish, then dusky, then white, about 1/4 of an inch) and
black (about 1/2 an inch) to ends. Cheeks and throat are whit-
ish The ears behind and about base, side of neck, streaK
across the chest, edges of abdomen, and more or less of legs,
reddish or cinnamon brown. Lower parts are whitish and pale
yellowish brown or reddish. Tail is blackish above, has dark
tip, and is rusty below. More or less blackish about muzzle. A
whitish patch on each side of nose.

BahitaU^A southern species. "Occurs in Oregon, Texas and
California, and with the Red extends from the Atlantic to the
Pacific It is not common in New England and only accidental
in Maine and Canada. It is more southern than the Red Fox,
being the prevailing species from Virginia southward."— Bray-
ton, Mammals of Ohio.

The Gray Fox, when pursued by dogs does not, like
the Red, lead the barkinj? hounds long distances, but
will play hide and seek with them, oftentimes in a very
small area ot territory.

EE CIRCLED, AND TURNED IN AND OUT.

Some years ago I was hunting Pheasants in an old
bark peeling along the Susquehanna river, above Lock
Haven, and flushed eight o'- ten birds which scattered
and hid along the mountain side, and in a deep ravine.
On one side of this ravine there was a dense patch of
laurel, with lots of decaying logs, fallen tree-tops, and
lichen covered bowlders. This place was nearly half a
mile long and about half as wide. Two hounds were
in there making livelv music, and their cx^'rtious

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COLOR PLATE
TMTPKrTTONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

416

caused me to lose several good shots as they flushed
and drove away several Pheasants and a Wild Turkey.
The noisy dogs kept running to and fro in this thick
covert for at least two hours and I thought they were
after Rabbits, but finallv a Grav Fox came out into a
j)ath and a man shot it. When the Fox was killed the
liounds left and we were not bothered any more. My
companion said it was a very common habit of this
species, when pursued by dogs in thick underbrush, to
act as this one did.

RARE, IF FOUND AT ALL, IN SOME COUNTIES.

Gray Foxes are frequently met with in different, in
fact almost all, sections of the State, but there are
probably fifteen times as many, if not more, of the Red
Foxes in Pennsylvania. I have never seen a Gray Fox
in Chester county where I have spent several years in
field work, and the Messrs. Weil, who make a special
business of purchasing raw furs in Chester, Lancaster,
Montgomery and Delaware counties, say they never
have had but one Gray Fox, and that was killed in
Maryland. Fox hunters in Chester, Delaware and
Montgomery counties report that they never find any
Gray Foxes.

THEY TAKE TO TREES.

The Gray Fox to escape its enemies will sometimes
ascend the inclined trunk or large pendent and low
limbs of trees. Up in the wilds of Clinton county,
where this species is of frequent occurrence and a
menace to the existence of its ground dwelling feath-
ered neighbors, it seems some of them possess monkey-
like ability as tree climbers; at least, such inference
can be drawn from the following paragraph published

417

by Mr. S. N. Rhoads* in his list of Mammals of Cen
tral Pennsylvania:

••Regarding the dexterity of this species climbing trees the
junior Nelson (Seth I.) told me he had seen one ascand after
a Squirrel to the height of sixty feet on an erect dead pine
stripped of its bark. It did this voluntaHly, literally 'shinning'
twenty-five feet up the branchless trunk and backing down
again as a boy would do it. He has known his dog to run
them up an erect tree eighteen inches in diameter, the first limb
of which was twenty feet from the ground."

I have often heard of the climbing powers of the
Gray Fox but never knew they possessed such remark-
able dexterity as that which is reported to have
been seen by young Mr. Nelson. However, Clinton
county has plenty of gcK)d water, an invigorating cli-
mate, numerous Pheasants, plenty of other wild birds,
lots of Cottontails, a good many Varying Hares, an
abundance of small rodents, and a share of domesti-
cated fowls about the places w^here Gray Foxes sneak,
murder and hide, and it may be such advantages all
tend to give certain of these animals powers, inclina-
tions and elevations which Gray Foxes do not com
monly assume.

HE LOVES THE WOOD AND UNDERBRUSH.

Messrs. Cones and Yarrow, in alluding to this spe-
cies, say:

"It is not a burrowing animal, at least to any great extent;
and when it digs, the burrow is simple with a single entrance,
rt lies concealed in rank herbage, beneath or inside fallen logs,
under partiaUy excavated stumps and similar retreats. This
habit is in evident correlation with its woodland range, for
having no such protection as the Red Fox, which takes to the
^^arth any where it is forced to abide where there are the nat-

♦A contribution to the Mammalogy of Central Pa. Proc. Acad.
Nat.. Scl.. Phila.. ApHl. 1897.

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416

caused me to lose several good shots as they flushed
and drove away several Pheasants and a Wild Turkey.
The noisy dogs kept running to and fro in this thick
covert for at least two hours and I thought they were
after Rabbits, but finally a Gray Fox came out into a
path and a man shot it. When the Fox was killed the
hounds left and we were not bothered any more. My
companion said it was a very commo-n habit of this
species, when pursued by dogs in thick underbrush, to
act as this one did.

RARE, IF FOUND AT ALL. IN SOME COUNTIES.

Gray Foxes are frequently met with in different, in
fact almost all, sections of the State, but there are
probably fifteen times as many, if not more, of the Red
Foxes in Pennsylvania. I have never seen a Gray Fox
in Chester county where I have spent several years in
field work, and the Messrs. Weil, who make a special
business of purchasing raw furs in Chester, Lancaster,
Montgomery and Delaware counties, say they never
have had but one Gray Fox, and that was killed in
Maryland. Fox hunters in Chester, Delaware and
Montgomery counties report that they never find any
Gray Foxes.

THEY TAKE TO TREES.

The Gray Fox to escape its enemies will sometimes
ascend the inclined trunk or large pendent and low
limbs of trees. Up in the wilds of Clinton county,
where this species is of frequent occurrence and a
menace to the existence of its ground-dwelling feath-
ered neighbors, it seems some of them possess monkey-
like ability as tree climbers; at least, such inference
can be drawn from the following paragraph published

417

by Mr. S. N. Rhoads* in his list of Mammals of Cen-
tral Pennsylvania : "

-Regarding the dexterity of this species climbing trees the
junior Nelson (Seth I.) told me he had seen one ascend after
a Squirrel to the height of sixty feet on an erect dead pme
stripped of its bark. It did this voluntaHly, literally 'shinning'
twenty-five feet up the branchless trunk and backing down
again as a boy would do it. He has known his dog to run
them up an erect tree eighteen inches in diameter, the first limb
of which was twenty feet from the ground." .

1 have often heard of the climbing powers of the
Gray Fox but never knew they possessed such remark-
able dexterity as that which is reported to have
been seen by young Mr. Nelson. However, Clinton
county has plenty of good water, an invigorating cli-
mate, numerous Pheasants, plentn' of other wild birds,
lots of Cottontails, a good many Varying Hares, an
abundance of small rodents, and a share of domesti-
cated fowls about the places where Gray Foxes sneak,
murder and hide, and it may be such advantages all
tend to give certain of these animals powers, inclina-
tions and elevations which Gray Foxes do not com
monly assume. '

HE LOVES THE WOOD AND UNDERBRUSH.

Messrs. Cones and Yarrow, in alluding to this spe-
cies, say: -.

"It Is not a burrowing animal, at least to any great extent;
and when it digs, the burrow is simple w^ith a single entrance,
rt lies concealed in rank herbage, beneath or inside fallen logs,
under partially excavated stumps and similar retreats. This
habit is in evident correlation with its woodland range, for
having no such protection as the Red Fox, which takes to the
earth any where it is forced to abide where there are the nat-

•A contribution to the Mammalogy of Central Pa. Proc, Acad..
Nat., Sci., PhUa., AprU, IWJ.

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

.418

ural means of concealment just mentioned. This same habit,
moreover, causes a certain modification of the animal's range
with the settling of a country; in clearing off forests the Gray
Fox is forced to seek elsewhere, although in effect the cir-
cumstances that cause removal of one species are precisely
those that invite the other, the Red Fox being able to exist in
settled regions where the other could find no suitable resorts.
It is this that makes the Red a greater nuisance to the farmer;
it sticks close to the farm yard, being forced, in a measure, to
thus supply itself, owing simply to its being in more cultivated
districts. The Gray Fox subsists more extensively upon the
wild game of his habitat. Another distinctive feature is the
climbing powers of the Gray Fox, much greater than would be
expected from an animal with non-retractile claws, and no
great 'hugging' powers. When hard pressed the Gray Fox is
treed as regularly as the Red is earthed. The climbing seems
to be simply an agile leaping along on inclined trunk, or from
bough to bough, through it has been noted that the animal can
climb a small trunk by clasping or even with its claws like
a cat or Raccoon" (Brayton's Mams, of Ohio).

WHAT GRAY FOXBS LIVE UPON.

Gray Foxes feed upon all kinds of wild birds they
can catch; the Cottontails and Varying Hare, numer-
ous Mice, other small mammals, siome insects, occa-
sionally frogs and sometimes, it is said, non-poisonous
snakes, are all eaten by them. They destroy poultry,
and, as can be seen on previous pages, they devour
Lambs. Farmers and sportsmen, very generally, speak
of Gray Foxes as being little, if any, better in habits,
than the red-coated robbers. Woodsmen who have
learned much of their sneaking ways say they should
all be killed. Some good observer, Audubon I think
it was, said the Red Fox is a sly, bold robber, but the
Gray Fox is a cowardly, skulking sneak-thief.

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COMMON WEASEL.

' Putorins noveboracensis

. DESCRIPTION.

This species varies greatly in size as weU ^^ .\" ,^^°^f ^^'^fx
Length It head and body nine '^^^^.^f^^^^^^^

i{,v,if r.f AvUtPnoe of terrestrial mammals. In America souin
to very nearly the southern border of the United States, but
no I^clmens seen from the Gulf States. New Mexico, Arizona or
Southern California."— Coues.

ITS MANY NAMES.

The refisons whereby this little animal pets its name
are worthy of note and so this paper is begun with an
explanation of Ihem.

The technical name Putorins is taken from "putor
ii "bad smell." It is an appropriate tille for both sexes
have the powers of emitting a "peculiar fluid" which
is most offensive an.l only a little less pungent and
piercing than that of the Skunk. Skinner tells us that
"Stoat" comee from the Belgic "stout" (bold), and in
England he is called Stout to the present time. Cer-
tainlv he deserves this name, for game larger than
liimself deters him not; long runs through bush and
biiar— he seldom takes to the open— cai-iy no fear to

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COMMON WEASEL.

Putoriiis noveboracensis

DKBCRIPTION.

«nmp Shade than white. The male weighs, it i& said tiorn n^ e

limit Of existence of terrestrial mammals. In America souin
to verv nearly the southern border of the United States, but
no specimens seen from the Gulf State.. New Mexico, Arizona or
Southern California."— Coues.

ITS MANY NAMES.

I'he reuscns wlicreby this little animal jjets its name
are worthy of i.otc and so this paper is begun with an

explanation of them.

The technical name Putoiius is taken from "putor
a "bad smell." Ii is an api)ropriate title for both sexes
have the powers of emitting a "peculiar fluid" which
is most offensive an.l only a little less pungent and
[.iercing than that of the Skunk. Skinner tells us that
"Stoat" come« from the T^elgic "stout" (bold), and in
England he is called S(out to the present time. Cer-
tainly he deserves this name, for game larger than
liimwMf deters him not; long runs through bush and
briar— he seldom takes to the open— cany no fear to

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

420

his little heart, as he bounds along in great leaps or
runs with remarkable celeritj^ in search of prey. Not
to the land alone does he confine himself in this search,
however, but in underground passages made by the
Rabbit or Mouse and also in the water, his long slender
body aiding his advance. The unwary bird who has
paused on some low bush to carol forth his song or
wet his parched throat in the running brook or rest
quietly on the lK)ugh in the hush of the night, have
frequently met their death by the teeth of this little
creature. Mr. Wm. Macgillivray says of him "in pro
portion to his size he is at least as courageous as a
lion." So much for the cognomen Stout and now let
us turn our attention to that of "P^rmine." Dr. Elliott
Coues in his admirably written work on "Fur Bearing
Animals" says of this one: "Gwillim," in his "Display
of Heraldrie," gives the following etymology of Er-
mine: . . V ..

"This is a little beast lesse than a Squirrel, that hath his
being" in the woods of the land of Armenia whereof he taketh
his name."

The latter word is sometimes written in English
"ermin'' or "ermelin," and the same term occurs in sev-
eral other languages.

THE IMAGE OF A SERPENT.

The same writer (Coues) also says:

"A glance at the physiognomy of the Weasels would suffice
to betray their character; the teeth are almost of the highest
known raptorial character; the jaws are worked by enormous
masses of muscles covering all the sides of the skull; the fore-
head is low and the nose is sharp; the eyes are small, penetra-
ting, cunning and glitter with an angry green light. There i?
something peculiar, moreover, in the way that this fierce face
surmounts a body extraordinary, wiry, lithe and muscular. It
onds a remarkably long and slender neck in such a way thai
It may be held at rii^ht angle with the axis of the latter. When

421 '

the animal is glancing around with the neck stretched up and
the flat triangular head bent forward and swaying from one
side to the other we catch the likeness in a moment— It is. the
image of a serpent."

So we have this sanguinary animal compared by
two eminent authorities in this line, as like a lion for
courage and a serpent in manner and appearance.

..« -

TWO SPECIES.

While every farmer's boy or otber person who is at
all acquainted with the common furred and feathered
denizens of the wwds and fields will speak of different
kinds of Weasels, it does not appear to be generally
known, except, of course, to naturalists or others who
have taken the trouble to investigate the matter, that
there are, it is believed, only two distinct species of
Weasels in Penn«^ylvania. Many farmers and numer-
ous sportsmen are heard to speak of "white," ''brown,'-
"black" and ^'yellow'' Weasels, and consider them to
bo different species. The terms big and little are
often applied to the.se animals, but those employing
them commonly consider the Weasels designated by
the particular adjective used as belonging to the same
species, but of different age and size. The Least Wea-
sel is in some instances undoubtedly mistaken for the
young of the Ermine whether in winter or summer
attire.

THE LEAST WEASEL.*

The Least Weasel, according to the best information
obtained from local naturalists throughout the State,

*The Least Weasel (Putorius cicognani) is "very small, length
of head and body six or eight inches, of taU-vertebrae two
Inches or less, tail-vertebrae about one-fourth or less of the
head and body, tail slender, cylindrical, pointed at tip, which
is concolor or not obviously black; under parts white, rarely,
if ever, tinged with sulphury; coloration otherwise as in com-
mon Weasel."— Coues.

422

does not appear to be of very frequent occurrence. In
fact, quite a number of zoological students who are be-
lieved to be entirely competent to distinguish both
species report the T^ast Weasel to be rare or unknown
in their localities.

Mr. Geoige V. Friant, taxidermist, of Scranton,
Penna., during the past ten years has had over one
hundred Weasels taken within a radius of twenty-five
milefj of his home, and of the«e not more than three or
four were the smaller species. The experience of Mr.
Ohas. H. Eldon, taxideimist, of Williamsport, Penna.,
is very similar to that of Afr. Fiiant. During the past
eight years the writer has collected zoological speci-
mens in almost every county in the State, and in a col-
lection of seventy odd specimens at least six were of

the small kind.

In 1885 and 1886 thirty-seven Weasels, on which
bounty had bei^n paid in Chester county, were ex
amined and all were found to be the Ermine or Com-
mon Weasel. From evidence at hand it seems that the
Least Weasel is to be found in the no-rthem and moun-
tainous regions of Pennsylvania, and I am inclined to
think it is moii^ plentiful than some observers and
writers believe. Unfortunately a series of about sev
enty-five skins of Pennsylvania Weasels which I had
were destroyed a couple of months ago when the con
tents of my office was burned with the State Capitol.
This loss and the destruction of my note books make it
impossible for me to specify the localities from which
the Least Weasels I had came.

^'*

THEY CHANGE THEIR COATS.

In one way at least these sprightly animals are not
unlike some modem day politicians who have made

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COLOR PLATE

422

does not appear to be of very frequeut oceurrence. In
fact, quite a number of zoological students who are be-
lieved to be entii-ely ec-mpetent tO' distinguish both
species report the Least Weasel to be rare or unknown
in their localities.

Mr. Geoige 1*. Friaut, taxidermist, of Scranton,
Tenna., during the past ten years has had over or\o
hundred Weasels taken vvitliin a radius of twenty-fivo
miles of his home, and of these not more than three or
four were the smaller species. The experience of Mr.
(Mias. II. Eldon, taxidermist, of Williamsport, Penna.,
is very similar to that of ]Mr. Fiiant. During the past
eiii'ht vears the writer has collected zoological speci-
mens in almost every county in the State, and in a col-
lection of seventv odd specimens at least six were of

the small kind.

In 1885 and 188G thirty-seven Weasels, on which
bounty had been paid in Chester connty, were ex
amined and all were found to be the Ermine or Com
nion Weasel. From evidence at hand it seems that the
Least W\^asel is to be found in the northern and moun
tainous regions of Pennsylvania, and I am inclined to
think it is more plentiful than some observers and
writers believe. Unfortunately a series of about sev
entv-five skins of Pennsvlvania Weasels which I had
were destroyed a couple of months ago when the con
tents of my ollfice was burned with the State Capitol.
This loss and the destruction of my note books make it
Impossible for me to specify the loealities from which
the I^ast Weasels I had came.

THEY CHANGE THEIR COATS.

In one way at least these sprightly animals are not
unlike some modem day politicians who have made

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tVhe

TNTF.NTTON AT . SFCOND RXPOSl JRR

423

very hurried and wondrous changes in their political
loats but with Bome of whom such change was on^
Tthe surface, as their hearts were always lo^f J«^^
true aud txied triends from whom they separated from
necessity, to Join the ''^-ad and butter bngad.
Some Weasels change their coats, and, in winter, when
ITw covers the ground, they are white, but m sunune^^
brown. Probably suc^h changes also enable these
animals to obtain more easily the necessary hvehh<^^
However in any dress, Weasels always carry death and
iTuc^on to'animal life about them. Their homes
ai-e frequently to be found in a decayed log, tree
stump, ur.der rocks, about old buildings, etc.

HUNTS HIS PREY BY SCENT.

Concerning his power of hunting his prey by scent,
eminent authorities are positive that he does track

quarry in this manner.

Mr Hogg, in London Magazine, desaibes how, in De-
cember, 1831, he observed a Stout hunting in this style.

"I was an eye witness to the fact of a Stout being able to
pursue Its prey on scent."

Coues wi'ites of it as follows:

"SwUt and sure footed he makes open chase and runs down
his prey; keen of scent he tracks them."

DESTROYS POULTRY.
The poultry yard Is frequently visited and his apparently In-
satiable desire for rapine Is most clearly shown ''ha«;n these
visits. One chicken will satisfy his appetite, but after that Is
gratified he does not leave; he kills and slays without mercy
f 11 the remainder of the poor frightened chickens until there
are none left, and not until then does he leave the scene of

carnage. . ^ *v.^ „«

He sucks the eggs also, leaving. In some Instances, the un-
lucky farmer, who has unwillingly and unwittingly been hi.

424

host, completely routed as regards his efforts in the poultry
line. , 4s ^ ■ '

The Ermine is oonunon and present in all sections
of the Commonwealth. ;

HIS FOOT).

From the testimony of various writers and other
well-infonned and competent observers, it would ap-
pear as if the Weasels, althoug'h undoubtedly great de-
stroyers of Mice and also of Rats, are extremely det-
rimental to poultry, especially Chickens, as well as
game, particularly Ruffed Grouse and Rabbits, to
gether with many kinds of small wild birds.

Robert Kennieott, in his report of the quadrupeds of
Illinois, as quoted by Dr. C. Hart Merriam in the Mam-
uials of the Adirondack region of Northeastern New
York, says, in w riting of the Common Weasel : ..

"A more fierce and cruel mammal does not exist in America
than this Weasel. The courage and sanguinary disposition of
the panther are insignificant in comparison, having regard to
the strength of the two. Without hesitation, the Weasel at-
tacks animals five or ten times its own size, and, not content
with killing enough for food, wantonly destroys whatever life
it can. When a Weasel has gained access to a poultry yard
It will frequently kill every fowl within its reach in a single
night. Fortunately, however, this animal, even when abun-
dant, does not enter the farm yard so frequently as might be
expected, appearing to prefer a free life in the woods to easy
but more dangerous feasts on domestic fowls. Meadow Mice
are certainly the greatest pests among mammals in Northern
Illinois, and of these the Weasel destroys great numbers.

FEEDS ON RATS ANJ? MICE.

"Stacks and barnfuls of grain are often overrun with Rats
and Mice: but let a Weasel take up his residence there and
soon the pests will disappear. A Weasel will, occasionally, re-
main for some time In a barn feeding on these vermin without
disturbing the fowls. But it Is never safe to trust one near the

425

pouitty yard, for when once an attack is made, there is no
limit to the destruction. When the animal has entered stacks
or bams, it has a curious habit of collecting in a particular
place the bodies of the Rats and Mice it has slain; thus, some-
times, a pile of a hundred or more of their victims may be
seen which have been killed In the course of two or three
nights."

T&e activity and stren^h of the Weasel are such
that he is able to climb trees with great ease, either
to escape enemies or to search for food.

This ability as a tree climbe'r enables him to destroy
both the eggs and young of different species of birds
which erect their homes in the forest, shade and fruit

trees.

The nests of Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkeys and Bob-
white or Quail, besides those of other species of the
feathered kinds which nest on or near the ground, are
often, it is asserted, pillaged by the inquisitive and
bright-eyed Weasels.

Although Weasels hunt both by day and night, the
popular idea seems to be that theyi are more nocturnal
than diurnal. While it is doubtless true that they sub-
sist, to some extent, on various kinds of insects, parti-
cularly beetles and occasionally grasshoppers, the
amount of insect life which they consume is not, so far
as the obsei-vations of the writer have gone, very
considerable.

A RABBIT HUNTER.

Weasels, like the fox hound or trained and well-
bred pointer or setter, follow the tracks of their prey
by the scent. In this way large animals such as Gray
Rabbits and even the Varying Hare are pursued and
overpowered in their securest retreats.

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426

In reo^rd to its power of hunting bj scent, Ttiomas
Bell, says:

"In pursuing a Rat or Mouse, it not only follows it as long as
it remains in sight but continues the chase after it has disap-
peared, with its head raised a little above the ground, follow-
ing the exact tract recently taken by its destined prey. Should
It lose the scent, it returns to the point where it was lost, and
quarters the ground with great diligence until it has recovered
it; and thus, by dint of perservance, will ultimately hunt down
a swifter and even stronger animal than itself. But this is
not all. In the pertinacity of its pursuit, it will readily take
the water and swim with great ease after its prey." ^ ^

T have heard hunters and woodsmen say that
"white" Weasels can easily detect the Ruffed Grouse,
which frequently in winter has the habit of plunging
into the loose snow, and that they destroy many of
these birds in such hiding places.

Audubon, ;the famous naturalist, records an in-
stance that came under his personal observation, of
where an Ermine captured a Rabbit and after behead-
ing it, the fierce little depredator dragged the body
some twenty yards over the fresh fallen snow, beneath
which it was concealed and the snow slightly pressed
down over it. * .

HE IS WELL ACQUAINTED WITH WEASELS.

I am indebted to Mr. Hugh Malloy, of Freeland,
Luzerne county, Pa., for the following very interesting
and instructive account of his observations of th<*
Weasel. T know of no person who has devoted as
much attention to these agile creatures as he has. Mr.
Malloy informs me he has captured during the past
twenty years about fifteen hundred Weasels. What
he says about them in the following paragraphs shows

427

very conclusively that he is thoroughly acquainted
with their hauLts and sanguinary ways:

The Weasel is ^he only animal to my knowledge that never
rests- It Is always on the move and the more game he kills
the more he wants to kill. I have followed the track of this
animal every winter, for twenty years, and I was never able
to run one down by following the track. He never walks; his
jumps are from eighteen to twenty-two inches, and any person
following his tracks on the snow, when there has been a light
snow squall at intervals of two or three hours, during forty-
eight hours as I have done, to learn if he had any home, will
find that he rests only while killing his victim. The snow is
never too deep or the weather too cold for him. I have foUowed
his track when it was seven degrees below zero, and snow
eight inches deep.

HE KILLS BUT DON'T DISFIGURE.

•

I have followed the back track to see where he came from
and found eleven dead Rabbits killed by him. and all of them
hidden either in the hole that he started them from or puUed
under the snow; sometimes twenty feet to some brush pile. The
Weasel, to my mind, has a great instinct. If you foUow the
track on very deep snow, you will find frequently a small hole
in the snow where he went down and came up, perhaps fifty
feet away; vou will discover also, every time, a Rabbit hole at
the very spot that he went into the snow, arid if a Rabbit is in
the hole, it will have gone only about twenty yards, when you
find the snow tramped for about six feet square and you may
see a little fur; then look sharp and you will discover where
the Rabbit was pulled back into the same hole, and by putting
a briar or rod into the hole you can twist it fast to a dead
Rabbit, with a smaU hole between the ear and eye. After it
has killed four or five in a few hours, you will not find any mark
on them, as it sucks the blood without making any visible
marks until you pull the skin off the head and neck.

While the Weasel will stand any cold, when at liberty, if
you confine it in a box or cage, it will be dead in a few hours,
by having to remain still, even when it is not zero weather.

The Weasel has great digestive powers. I find, when it Is
getting all the blood it wants, that in about every twenty yards,
in the snow, you will find its excreta about three-fourths of an
inch long, thick as a common slate pencil and like frozen blood.

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428

A VERY RESTLESS ANIMAL, r." '

The Weasel is a restless animal. If you happen to come up
to it in rocks where there is no snow you will have to stand
only a few seconds, and you will imagine that you have found
a whole family of them, as his head will be sticking out of sev-
eral holes almost at the same time; but if the snow is on the
ground to the depth of three inches, you will only see him
once, but if you make a large circle around the place where you
saw him last you will find a small hole in the snow and a
Weasel track going away from it, that will lead you more than
twenty miles in every direction, and still you will not see him.
In the fall of 18»4 I was in a barber shop in Freeland, and
about half shaved when several boys came running to the
door, telling me that a whole family of Weasels were under
the plank side-walk. Of course 1 pushed the barber away and
jumped out of the chair. There was a very large crowd sur-
rounding the walk, all having clubs and shovels, and a Weasel
head was peeping out of every hole at almost the same time,
and a knot-hole in the sidewalk showed a head about every
thirty seconds and that one was supposed to be the leader. I
joined the crowd of watchers and sent my boy for my flobert
rifle. I shot the first Weasel that showed its head, and told
the boys that I would give them a dollar for every other Wea-
sel that they would see. I did not have to pay a dollar.

WHERE HE PREFERS TO LIVE.

•

The Weasel frequents the wildest portions of our mountains
and seldoms ventures into any open ground, except when it
has all the game killed in the thickets. It will climb a treo
after a bird's nest or when chased, but it cannot run down a
tree head foremost like a Squirrel. It will jump from branch
to branch until it gets to the lower branches and then comes
down backwards or jumps. I never saw the Weasel on a very
large tree or up very high on a tree.

WILL SUCK ITS OWN BLOOD.

A Weasel will suck its own blood. In the summer of 18% T
caught a very fierce looking, coarse haired, dark brown Weasel
In one of my wire traps, and I stabbed him through the wires
with the long blade of my knife in the shoulder; as soon as he
saw the blood he turned his neck, took hold of the wounded
part and sucked all the blood until he swayed bark and forth
and fell dead.

42»

WILL. HELP EACH OTHEft OUT OF TRAPS.

one weasel win let Its mate out of a trap. I had a wire trap
J 4 a weasel and every time I went to see It the live baU
Jas eaten and fresh droppings of the Weasel were m the trap.
Lt no weasel. I took another trap and set the two close to-
gether Tnd The next time I came I. had a very dark brown
weasel In each trap. One Weasel would go in first and km
^nrit the other would go half way. put his fore-foot on the
drop 6pen and put his head out In the hole and come out.

ATTACKED THIS BUNNY IN THE REAR.

J •^ ft

I was after a Weasel once when the snow was on the ground
to find where he had killed some game, so that I could set my

rap for him. I found he crossed the track of a Rabbit
that had just come out of a stone wall, and went right
back alaln I was surprised to see the track of the Weasel
going fway without killing the Rabbit. I pulled away some
stones and found the Rabbit squeezed tight In a very small
opening, between two stones, and only his hind legs sticking
out bui he was dead, and the blood had been sucked by the
Weksel from his hind legs and had made only a very small
opening in the leg.

THE YOUNG. * '

Weasels have their young between the 15th of April an<l' IStK,
of June. I have never found their nest while the youiD^g were
in but I have caught them during that time, with young in.
them, and also after having their young, with milk in their teats.
The highest number I found in any one of them was six, one
only had three. The young will follow the old one until Sep-
tember, when they seem to scatter and go on their own hook.
It is very easy to catch them after they scatter, and these are
the ones that generally get after the chickens before they

learn how to catch game. " ^ x^,^

A Weasel will always come back to the place where he hid
the game to feed off it when he cannot find any game to kill.
I put a trap by a hidden Rabbit once and I did not catch the
Weasel for six weeks, but in most cases you will be able to
catch them the second or third night.

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430

THEY HAVE MANY CHANGES OF DRESS.

I do not believe there are any White Weasels in summer, but I
do know that they are dark brown, light brown, dark red and
light red in winter and that I have caught them every week
from December 1 until April 1. I caught a dark brown, a dark
red and a pure white all in one night, but at different places.
I never caught a "maltee" Weasel in winter, but have caught
many of them in summer.

The "Maltee" Weasel is very fine furred, no long, coarse hair,
and have a blue shade in t^e fur. Now this Weasel changes its
coat in November.

I burned two hundred Weasel skins last winter as the moths
had gotten in them. I could have sent them to you had I
thought you cared for them. I had a card on each one saying
when and where I caught it.

DESTROYS GREAT NUMBERS OF YOUNG GROUSE.

The Weasel is very hard on Grouse until the birds are six
weeks old and able to fly. He will follow them and some-
times kill the whole brood. I found thirteen out of fourteen
killed by a Weasel the very day they came out of the shell
and the fourteenth would hav.e been killed, but I heard the
old Pheasant making a great noise and I killed the Weasel.
The birds were too young to hide under the leaves, the four-
teenth bird was sitting beside the nest. I never saw where the
Weasel killed any old Pheasants, but saw where a Pheasant
carried a Weasel away out of a hole in the snow where
the Pheasant was sitting, when the Weasel came in and at-
tacked it.

»
KILL ALL THE QUAIL.

The Weasel will kill all the Quail in February and March if
the snow is deep. The birds will go under windfalls and
brush heaps covered with snow. The Weasel will track and
go in after them at night, killing every one; then the farmers
will find them in the spring and think they were frozen. I
found west of White Haven one day (I was after a Catamount),
where a Weasel had killed over one hundred birds. I pulled
out with a stick fourteen of the dead birds; no marks on them,
but track of teeth on neck near the head.

A Weasel will follow a Rabbit on bare grounr^ the same as
a well-trained dog. I put one off the trail several times in

11

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COLOR PLATE

480

THEY HAVE MANY CHANGES OF DRESS.

1 do not believe there are any White Weasels in summer, but 1
do know that they are dark brown, light brown, dark red and
light red in winter and that I have caught them every week
from December 1 until April 1. I caught a dark brown, a dark
led and a pure white all in one night, but at different places.
1 never caught a "maltee" Weasel in winter, but have caught
many of them in summer.

The "Maltee" Weasel is very fine furred, no long, coarse hair,
and have a blue shade in t^e fur. Now this Weasel changes its
coat in November.

I burned two hundred Weasel skins last winter as the niolhs
had gotten in them. I could have sent them to you had I
thought you cared for them. I had a card on each one saying
when and where I caught it.

DESTROYS GREAT NUMBERS OF YOUNG GROUSE.

The Weasel is very hard on Grouse until the birds are six
weeks old and able to fly. He will follow them and some-
times kill the whole brood. I found thirteen out of fourteen
killed by a Weasel the very day they came out of the shell
and the fourteenth would have been killed, but I heard the
old Pheasant making a great noise and I killed the Weasel.
The birds were too young to hide under the leaves, the four-
teenth bird was sitting beside the nest. I nev-er saw where the
Weasel killed any old Pheasants, but saw where a Pheasant
carried a Weasel away out of a hole in the snow where
the Pheasant was sitting, when the Weasel came in and at-
tacked it.

*

KILL ALL THE QUAIL.

The Weasel will kill all the Quail in February and March if
the snow is deep. The birds will go under windfalls and
brush heaps covered with snow. The Weasel will track and
go in after them at night, killing every one; then the farmers
will find them in the spring and think they were frozen. 1
found west of White Haven one day (I was after a Catamount),
where a Weasel had killed over one hundred birds. I pulled
out with a stick fourteen of the dead birds; no marks on them,
but track of teeth on neck near the head.

A Weasel will follow a Rabbit on bare groun^"" the same as
a well-trained dog. 1 put one off the trail several times in

Lif

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INTRNTTONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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431

>,»« I was going flsUlng. and every time he
one morning when 1 ''»/ f"'"*^^^^ ^^^ Rabbit squeal where
would find It again, and I soon heara
the Weasel was killing It.

THE WEASBL PUI^D AND I PULLED.

, was going fishing one -nl- ^^^^^^
1 saw something going ^l^'^ ^^^^"^Vere I saw It and there a ^
,,ed yards ahead 0^--,^;^,",;*;:"^" through under an old
weasel was pulling a very large n ^^^^^

log; I caught the hind legs o^^^^Jf^^;^, ,, ^^, ^e Wea-
pulled at the other end I got a club ^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^

sel. but I could not h t him. Every ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^

Babbit go. the weasel would ^ake hold ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^

U under the log; I laid ^^e RabbU c ^^^^ ^^^ ^„^

my foot on side of log: when the Weasel p ^^ ^^^ ^^

was pulling the «-'»'" ^^^'"'"Is yet warm. I opened it
him and killed him. The «*^f J^^'^/f^ge enough to make
and found nine young Ra*>f "«^^ "^°'' '^/^e all dead,
their appearance In the world, but they were

WHAT FARMERS AND POULTRY RAISERS SAY.

The following e.tvam coucerumg the ^bite ^

from farmers, poultry raiseis, 8iwii.«»"
ists.

JOHN F THOMAS. CarroUtown. Cambria County:

X have'known the Weasel - f--;- -^ rkSsTtl
night on my father's farm. It Is ^^PP°« ^ ^^ that

victims for their blood ^f^T ^^^^^--^r, case, the blood
I have seen, substantiate ^hls. since m ^^^ ^^^^^^

vessels of the neck were severed close to^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^,,„
was apparently no flesh 'n'^^'_°«: J; '^^j^^bly bold at times. I wa«
a boy. that proves them '°^/^"Xha Mouse; la an attempt to
pursuing one that had '- "^^^"^J'/J.^e ^ith such force as
strike It with a stone. I f "^°^/^^ ^ f,om the fence, when
to throw It a distance of ^'^^^^ ^^.^^iL. and regained the
to my surprise, he Immediately left the f ^^ ^^^^

Mouse and ^'-^--^X^nrLts than poultry, as I have
LT^rtLrtrbel^r^ather-s barn for several weeks and

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432

yet we never missed any poultry, but there was a noticable
decrease of Rats. ...

1

A. W. RHOADS. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.:

M- ,.

The Weasel, I am sure after years of personal experience and
observation and careful study, is the worst enemy the Pheas-
ant and Quail have. I have repeatedly tracked a Weasel that
had followed the track of a Quail and Pheasant in the snow,
and at last came upon the dead birds. I, on one occasion, saw
a nest of thirteen Pheasant eg^s. about to be hatched, and in
returning in an hour found that eleven of them had been de-
stroyed by a Weasel which I saw and killed.

C. P. MOTT, Milford, Pa.: ' • * >

Weasels are the greatest destroyers of game and poultry,
and they deserve total extinction. I know of no redeeming
feature or any possible usefulness alive in their wild' state.
They are scarce when small game is. and numerous when such
game is easy prey. They seem to be travelers and to such
parts as are prolific of game. There is no escape for the Rab-
bit when once they get its track, and a nest of Grouse eggs
furnishes him a meal, if the hen bird escapes his quick, stealthy
approach. I consider that the Weasel has no equal as an
enemy of game.

ARTHUR MARTIN, Sandy Lake. Pa.: •

We have the Weasel; they destroy poultry to a great extent,
sometimes will or have for us, killed whole broods, but at the
q&me time are great hunters for Mice, Rabbits and small game. .

HON. N. F. UNDERWOOD. Lake Oomo. Wayne County:

Some Weasels; don't do much damage; they will occasionally
destroy chickens.

D. KISTLER, Kistler, Pa.:

The Weasel abounds and will kill grown chickens.
ENOS BLOOM, New Millport, aearfield County:

The Weasels are plentiful and also destructive to poultry.
JOHN P. WEAKLY, Slippery Rock, Pa.: •

Weasels will kill a whole flock of Turkeys or Chickens at a
time; have known them to kill as high as twenty at a time.

43:^

C. R. NOYES, Westport, Pa.:

Weasels kill Chickens, but I think not when they can get Rats
or Mice.

The following table contains the condensed reports
of one hundred observers residing? in Pennsylvania,
and of tihese gentlemen, probably not less than eighty-
five are practical farmers and poultry raisers.

The X indicates the animals specified in the column-
heading under which it occurs which the Weasels have
been observed to usually prey upon by the gentlemen
opposite to w*hose names said mark (X) is placed.

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WILD OAT.

Ljnx rufus.

•■/-

DESCRIPTION.

3}V

Pur moderately full and soft. Head moderate size and
rounded; body rather slender; legs long and quite stout; soles
of feet naked. Ears large, erect and nearly triangular in
shape, and tipped (in winter specimens) with coarse black
hairs fully half an inch long; inner surface of the ears fur-
nished with a loose coat of long, pale, yellowish-white hairs,
and the outer surface is covered with short fur, which Is black,
except a conspicuous patch of dull white in the centre.

Forehead grayish-brown, irregularly streaked with dark
brown; whitish streaks above and below the eyes; whisk-
ers for the most part are white; chin and upper part
of throat white, lower part of throat and neck very sim-
ilar to sides, but paler. The upper parts and sides of the body
and legs (outer portions of the latter) are pale rufous or brown-
ish-red overlaid with grayish, which latter color is produced by
the whitish ends of the hairs; the rufous coloration is most
noticeable on sides of the body, sides of the head below and
back of the ears, and about the occipital (base of head) re-
gion. The sides are Indistinctly spotted with dark brown, and
down the middle of the back a more or less distinct line of
blackish-brown extends from near the shoulders to the base
of the tail. Under surface of body and legs white and pale-
yellowish spotted with black; inside of front and hind legs
banded and spotted with black. The irides (eyes) of the adults
are greenish-yellow in color, but in the young they are brown.
Individuals of this species vary greatly in coloration. In fact
it is an exceedingly difficult matter to find two specimens
exactly alike. Ten specimens, now before me, captured in
Pennsylvania during the winter season, show a marked diver-
sity in color, as well as In size; and two or three Individuals,
taken in the late spring or early autumn, which I have ex-
amined, are decidedly more brownish-red in color, particularly
on the sides, than those killed in the winter. The male is con-
siderably larger than the female. In the month of January,
1890, I secured five females in Cameron and Potter counties
Pennsylvania, which weighed respectively ten and one-half'
twelve, twelve and three-fourths, nine and one-fourth, and
thirteen pounds, or an average of about eleven and one-half
pounds each. Three adult males which I captured in Pennsyl-
vania during the months of January, February and April
weighed respectively fifteen and one-fourth, seventeen and
eighteen and three-fourths pounds, or an average of seven-
teen pounds each. In the winter of 1892 Senator Harry A.
^^ w« Vn^.^'^^ presented me with a very fine male which
wtli^To .^ 1^ near his home In Elk county. This animal,
which Is the largest I ever saw weighed, tipped the scales at

1

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COLOR PLATE

440

WILD CAT.
Lynx rufus.

DESCRIPTION.

Fur moderately full and soft. Head moderate size and
rounded; body rather slender; legs long and quite stout; soles
of feet naked. Ears largo, erect and nearly triangular in
shape, and tipped (in winter specimens) with coarse black
hairs fully half an inch long; inner surface of the ears fur-
nished with a loose coat of long, pale, yellowish-white hairs,
and the outer surface is covered with short fur, which is black,
except a conspicuous patch of dull white in the centre.

Forehead grayish-brown, irregularly streaked with dark
brown; whitish streaks above and below the eyes; whisk-
ers for the most part are white; chin and upper part
of throat white, lower part of throat and neck very sim-
ilar to sides, but paler. The upper parts and sides of the body
and legs (outer portions of the latter) are pale rufous or brown-
ish-red overlaid with grayish, which latter color is produced by
the whitish ends of the hairs; the rufous coloration is most
noticeable on sides of the body, sides of the head below and
back of the ears, and about the occipital (base of head) re-
gion. The sides are indistinctly spotted with dark brown, and
down the middle of the back a more or less distinct line of
blackish-brown extends from near the shoulders to the base
of the tail. Under surface of body and legs white and pale-
yellowish spotted with black; inside of front and hind legs
banded and spotted with black. The irides (eyes) of the adults
are greenish-yellow in color, but in the young they are brown.
Individuals of this species vary greatly in coloration. In fact
it is an exceedingly difficult matter to find two specimens
exactly alike. Ten specimens, now before me, captured in
Pennsylvania during the winter season, show a marked diver-
sity in color, as well as in size; and two or three individuals,
taken in the late spring or early autumn, which I have ex-
amined, are decidedly more brov.mish-red in color, particularly
on the sides, than those killed in the winter. The male is con-
siderably larger than the female. In the month of January.
1890, I secured five females in Cameron and Potter counties.
Pennsylvania, which weighed respectivelv ten and one-half
twelve, twelve and three-fourths, nine and one-fmirth. and
thirteen pounds, or an average of about eleven and one-half
pounds each. Three adult males which T captured in Pennsyl-
vania during the months of Januarv, February and April
weighed respectively fifteen and one-fourth, seventeen and
eighteen and three-fourths pounds, or an average of seven-
teen pounds each. In the winter of 1802 Senator Harry A.
Hall, of St. Mary's presented me with a very fine male which

l"! vT^.u^l"^"^ "^^'' ^'^ ^"""^^ ^" E^^ county. This animal
which is the largest T pver saw w^ighod. tipped the scales at

r

0
0

>

1

H i«!i

*5^>

' I i

COLOR PLATE
TXTTPMTTONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

u

441

twenty-Six and one-halfpou^^^^^

USs\^a.'e^n^w^r^^^^ and fifty pounds

'Ka6iea<.-This species or its yari^^^!^ fj^^,^^^^^
throughout the United States from the Atlantic to ^^f /^^cinc.
Tolerfw^ canimon in the mountains and sparsely settled dis-
tricts of Pennsylvania.

A VARIETY OF COMMON NAMES.

The majority of hunters and woodsmen who reside
in sections of Pennsylvania where the Wildcat or Bay
Lynx occurs, have various local name® for this wary
and prowling animal. The appellations Bob-cat, Oata^
mount. Mountain cat and Tiger cat are perhaps the
ones which are most frequently employed. These
names, or any others which ma^^ be heard, it is safe
to say, have referenc-e to Lynx^ rufus, which is doubt-
less the only species of its genus found in the State.

During the past five years I have made very careful
inquu-ies in all sections of the Commonwealth where
the Canada Lynx was reported to occasionally be pre-
sjent, and I have also examined a number of specimens
of what were called by the owners "Lynx canadenais;'
but, as y^t, I have not been able to discover a true ex-
ample of the Canada Lynx, which may be distingui^ed
from its congener, the common Wildcat, by its larger
size, longer hair, fuller fur, grayish, hoary color, thick,
heavy and clumsy legs and the large-sized feet, which
are so densely furred (in winter) as to cover the soles
or pads. The ears are also very conspicuously tufted
with long black hairs.

There are, however, it is said, two or three well-au-
thenticated instances where specimens of the Canada
Lynx have been taken in Pennsylvania within the last
twenty-five yeara. Possibly future investigations will

■'P

m

J, 1.1
ii

-4 I

.0

i

I

442

enable us to record this decidedly northern animal as
a rare inhabitant of our forested areas.

From repeated interviews with hunters and woods-
men it is learned that the Catamount is very generally
believed to be a wholly different species from the Wild-
cat. However, on questioning these persoais closely, I
fiad that size is about the only distinctive point they
can call to mind to support their claim, and all large-
sized cats are denominated "Catamounts," and, on the
other hand, the smaller ones are termed wild or "bob*'
cats. , . , .

ACQUIRE MORE KNOWLEDGE.

The indiscriminate employment of local names to
distinguish many of our birds and mammals, often-
times leads to much confusion; but, until the great
mass of our citizens become better acquainted with the
furred and feathered inhabitants, such errors are bound
to occur. In this connection it may be stated that,
through the wise eliorts of our progressive and intelli-
gent State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr.
N. C. Schaeifer, and his able assistants, much good
work has been done to create a popular interest in zoo-
logical study throughout the common schools of the
State. If Dr. Schaeffer's ideas are carried out, as they
should and doubtless will be, the time will soon come
when our school children will be readily able to rec-
ognize and speak intelligently of at least the common
birds and mammals which they see about the parks
and gardens, and in the fields and forests.

•THE WILDCATS FAVORITE HAUNTS.

The Wildcat inhabits forests, rooky ledges and
briary thickets, but its favorite place is in old slashing*

443

and bark peelings, where, in the impenetrable and
tangled recesses, it is comparatively safe from pursuu :
= and it is also able to prey upon many varieties of ani-
mals which have a permanent or temporary residence
in such unfrequented wilds.

. There are large tracts of land in the moun ainous
districts of Pennsylvania from which the marketable
forest trees have Icng since been cut. These places,
called slashings and bark peelings, in many mstan^^s
Tve thicklv strewn with decaying logs, fallen trees that
were cut ^ down for the bark, brush piles, tree tops.
Such situations so overgrown with bushes,young trees
briars, and frequently large patches of buck laure^
(rhodcUendron) as to be almost impassable unless one
selects the old log roadways which traverse extensive
Treas In these places Rabbits and other quadrupeds
Phelnts and many different kinds of small birds find
an excellent cover.

■ WIDD CATS INCREASING IN SOME PLACES.

Tbi-ough my own personal observations in the field
and al J from the statements -^ t^^or-f^^ ^^^^^
worthy hunters, trappers and lumbermen I am of the
opinion that this species has been increasing dunng the
iL four or five vears in several of our counties
rie^y E^k, Clearfield, Forest, Cameron, Centreand
McKeii, where large districts have been denuded ot
their forest trees. 1.4.1.^

: . At the last session (1897) of the legislature when the
bounty bill was under discussion both in committee
Td before the House of Representatives, it was clearly
shown that Wildcats were not only a cause of con^d^
■ erable loss annually to poultry raisers, but that they
^ IlL killed many deer (both adults and fawns), great

hi
r

1

I

1 1

M

t

il

444

numbers of RnflPed Grouse, Rabbits, besides a large
number of the smaller species of insectivorous and song
birds. It was also clearly deraonstrated to the law-
makers that Wildcats were increasing quite rapidly in
the several counties previously particularized by name.
The Wildcat subsists entirely on a flesh diet, and the
damage this species does in destroying poultry, lambs
and young pigs of farmers who reside in the sparsely-
settled mountainous regions is not in any degree com-
pensated by the destruction of other small wild ani-
mals which molest the farmer's crops or his poultry.

THEY PURSUE AND KILL DEER.

Wildcats, as will be seen by consulting the testimony
of numerous contributors on the latter pages of this
article, are very detrimental to game. They unques-
tionably kill many young Deer and they also not infre-
quently, it is said, attack and kill the adult Deer.
United States District Attojney Hon. H. A. Hall, of
Pittsburgh, informs me that at St. Mary-^s, Elk county,
where Messrs. Andrew Kaul and J. K. P. Hall own a
game preserve of probably 650 acres, in which are con-
fined a large number of deer, there is much trouble ex-
perienced from the Wildcats disturbing the Deer. Mr.
Hall further states that small bands (probably families)
of these carnivorous animals, in the winter when snow
is on the ground, sometimes pursue, like dogs, full-
grown Deer, which they run down and kill.

MANY KINDS OF BIRDS SLAIN. .

One of the few, in fact, about the only species of game
bird that is at all numerous, which the sportsman can
go in quest of in this Commonwealth without almost
continually coming in contact with trespass notices

445

warning him to "keep off the grass'' is the Ruffed
Grouse or Pheasant, and, unfortunately, the favorite
haunts of this noble game bird are in localities where
the Wildcat loves to sneak, hide and depredate. The
cautious and ravenous "cat" is passionately fond of
Grouse. He destroys them, both old and young, and
also their eggs whenever an opportunity presents itself.
He kills Wild Turkeys and sucks their eggs, it is
affirmed, whenever a nest can be found. The number
of small insectivorous and wild song birds, that nest on
the ground or in low bushes, which he destroys during
the summer season, about the slashings and abandoned

lumber camps, is considerable.

. ■' . ' ■■•.•• ■ " ■ • ■ ■ "'

,-.- MAMMALS. EOGS, ETC.. ARE DEVOURED.

Rabbits, Squirrels, Mice and Bkunks are also eaten
by Wildcats, and in the southein States Audubon says
they visit sometimes

' "The dry beds of streams or brooks to pick up the catfish,
etc., or crayfish and frogs that remain in the deep holes of the
creeks during the drought of summer." The same authority
states that "the wildcat is a great destroyer of eggs, and
never finds a nest of Grouse or Partridge, Wild Turkey or
other bird without sucking every egg in it."

HUNTS THE QUILL.FUL PORCUPINE.

About ten years ago I spent ten days or two weeks in
the wifiter in company with two hunters and trappers
in Cameron and Elk counties. We secured nine Wild
cats; two with guns, the remainder with steel traps,
and on examining these animals I found that three of
them were well filled with quills of the Porcupine.
This led me to infer that the Wildoat does not hesitate
to attack an animal capable of making a pretty vigor
0U8 defense.

446

METHODS OF CATCHING GAME. -^, CO C-3 »i--

Wildcats hunt both by day and night; but, like the >
great majority of thieves and murderers, they appear
to select the darkness as the most auspicious time to
commit their deeds of violence. When a Wildcat dis-
covei-s a flock of Wild Turkeys, Pheasants or a Rabbit
running on the ground, he will follow th.em for some
distance, and when he ascertains the direction in which
they are going, will make a quick detour and, conceal-
ing himself behind a log, in the brush, or on a low
branch of a tree, will hide, and, like an assassin, wait
patiently until his prey comes within reach. I once,
when hunting "white rabbits" in Cameron county, saw
a Wildcat run into a clump of laurel and lie in ambusli
until a Rabbit, which he had been chasing, approached
within springing distance. The Rabbit ran up a nar-
row roadway and when within a few feet of the laurel
bed suddenly stopped. Instantly the cat sprang upon
it and seizing it in his mouth ran directly up the moun-
tain side, where my companions shot him.

COWARDLY ANIMALS.

Romancing newspaper correspondents and hunters
with fertile imaginations have been instrumental in
creating an impression, which seems to be generally
accepted by the common mass of people who are not
acquainted with the true nature of Wildcats, that these
animals are daring, ferocious and always on the out-
look to spill human gore, and tliat they will not hesitate
an instant to attack human beings, no matter how big
or ugly the lattei- may be. This, however, is not the
case. Wildcats are cowardly and will flee from their
pursuers, but if wounded and unable to escape, or if
surprised in a place where they cannot get away and

447

forced to give battle, they will flght viciously and do
great execution with their strong retractile claws and

Kharp teeth. .. - • ' : .

fvi< 5^

'.A.

TREED HER LOVER.

One of our correspondents in southwestern Pennsyl-
vania writing on this topic says: "The Catamount is a
destructive and ferocions animal, for one attacked me
one night when I was going home from courting a giri
and treed me on a fence and I had to stay there till day-
light." This surely is a unique case, and it possibly
may be that Wlidcats are inclined to attack young men
who are in love.

..'■• i.

WHERE THE YOUNG ARE FOUND.

The Wildcat usually makes its domicile or nest in a
hollow tree or log. The ne«t is well lined witii leaves,
moss and lichens (Usnea barbcUa and its varieties),
called commonly "hair moss." The nest is also some-
times found in rocky ledges and caves. From two to
four constitute a litter. It is stated that the young are
brought forth about the middle of Ma^v Wildcats may
be caught in traps, baited with Rabbits, chickens,
Grouse or fresh meat. Their fur has very little com-
mercial value. ..-..•

WHAT FARMERS AND HUNTERS TELL OF THEM.

The agitation of game laws and bounty or scalp acts
at the session of our legislature, 1893, was largely in-
strumental in arousing a widespread interest in these
subjects on the part of farmers, fruit growers, sports-
men and naturalists in almost every county of the
State. Since the Legislature (1893), adjourned thei-e
have been received at our office about five hundred com-

¥

vl

-i .

448

.r

v

munications bearing on the economic relations of dif-
ferent wild animals, chief among whicih, so far as mam
mals are concerned, may be mentioned Foxe®, Minks,
Weasels, Wildcats, Rabbits, Skunks, Woodchucks,
Muskrats and Raccoons. v

In view of the unusual interest manifested by our
citizens on the bounty question and also of the habits
in general of our common mammals, the writer pre-
pared a circular soliciting information concerning the
life histories of mammals attributed to the State. This
circular, early in January, 1894, was distributed to
farmers, fruit growers, naturalists, sportsmen, hunters
and trappers in nearly every county of the Oommon

wealth.

The following questions in regard to the Wildcat ap-
pear in said circular: vr-r . , V

• . * - •

1. Please state whether the Wildcat is found in your county,
and whether it is rare, common or only tolerably common.

2. If Wildcats occur in your neighborhood or county, state
whether or not their depredations to game, poultry and small
wild birds are of a serious character? Have you ever known
Wildcats to attack persons? If so, give full particulars.

3. Have you personal knowledge of one i/r more cases in
which cattle, sheep or pigs have been killed or injured by
Wildcats? If so, give full particulars. . "

4. Have you personal knowledge of one or more cases in
which Wildcats have killed or injured doer, old or young,
Wildcats? If so, give full particulars.

5. Have you personal knowledge of the los^ of turkeys, geese,
ducks, chickens or pigeons from the attacks of predatory
mammals? If so, how many, and what kinds were killed on
each occasion? In each case mention the animal by which
you suppose the mischief was done, and your reasons for this
belief. Also mention the kinds of mammals which destroy the
eggs of poultry, and give full particulars of cases which have
come under your personal observation.

6. Do you favor the paying of bounties? If so, on what ani-
mals, in your opinion, should bounties be paid? Are you in
favor of the bounty being paid by the counties in which the

449

.„..a. are s.a.n. o. t.at sa. .ounUes s.ou.a ^ pa.a .V t.e

'^'*^^' \r^ ti,..«4. inter rocatories a considerable

'° Trin^truc^" auTlnteresting information is
"™""11he steading pages from letters of the gen-
Srwi!rarr.litel witl^ their obser^^^^^^^^^

GEO. M. DAY, Wayne County. ^ ^^^^ ^^^^

WUacats are -^ /^^f ^^/'^^^era- vlfy destructive to rab-
KiUed that I have heard of. ^hey are ^^„y

Ls. squirrels, -«*f J^^^^largt one wa. tracKed hy a hun-
eaught by them In ^'^^^'."t^l^l^^^ eaten three rabbits and
ter same years ago, and fo"""* ^"/'^^ ^^^^ day. The skins of

a ru«ed grouse, all f-/'^,; -"^^^^ out on the snow, and the cat
the rabbits were turned flesh side o ^^ ^^^^^^^ ^i,^^

seemed to h-~ave -•>" f ^' J^r^ 'n\ 'e -ught several of them
the hunter gave up the ^hase i ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ yo„„g

,n stee, traps and ---^T^t^ooJ ^-^r.^ - PHc^-forK behind
^en we drove it out of he wo° ' ^^^3,3. as gentle per-

and a flsh-pole attached to » V^^P^*'^^^,^ hang back behind
suaders to keep the peace, et^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ,,„d it

every bush at "rst then a P°^^ ^^ ^^^ ^h^,„. when out of

full spring, at "^ J^'^^/^^^'""'' ^ snow, and wa^ dragged to
the woods It sulked and lay °" J^^f ^^^ ^„ the box, com-
a small crate, lifted in, and a hoard P^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^

pletlng the capture. I h^;'^ "« forearms make them

one. but their sharp <=l^'^^»^f The us"^! -'^'^^^ "' ^"*'''''
look like dangerous customers Maloney near

,. twelve to --;-«-^Srd Jytw" Poun'as. I caught one

nrseaLon wh Jh weighed about twenty-five pounds.

^. A OTTO BEHR, Lopez, Sullivan county:
MESSRS. HERMAN and OTTO BBH. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ _ ^

Wildcats are common '« tnis^ • ^^^^ ^^^,^^,y „„

quite an amount of damage to game ^^^^^^^^ ^^^,^^

flesh. Have seen ''*'«:^„„f ^^^'^"^e deer mentioned was an
rabbits, porcupines and one dee . ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^,^

old doe caught '"/''^^"^^"^^ViT was captured by the Wlld-
.aten and covered ''"h leaves^ It ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^,^„^

::; rtCaTd^ghrtrcr wVh proved to be a large male.

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Have seen where one chased a fawn a distance of about one
hundred rods, but gave up the pursuit when the deer ran up
a steep hill. They occasionally enter a chicken coop and do
some damage. Such visits, however, are rather rare. Do not
think that they would attack a person unless, cornered. We
caught an old male Wildcat in a bear pen m spring of 1889,
which, during the six months that we kept it, became rather
tame and listened to its name, "Jim." He would eat out of
one's hand, if you trusted yourself, and would purr like a
spinning wheel when we came around its cage.

We sent him to the "Zoo" in Philadelphia, and on calling
there a year later we found him asleep in a cage with another
smaller Wildcat. On calling him by his name he got up and
purred, apparently recognizing us after an absence of one year.
There is very general opinion among hunters and other peo-
ple that there are two different kinds of Wildcats, a small and
a large variety. We looked this up carefully and found only
one kind, and came to the conclusion that whenever a half-
grown lynx was caught it was called a Wildcat, while a very
large sipeclmen was called a Catamount.

Their fur is subject to change in color during the year. In
Summer it assumes a reddish tinge, while in the fall it be-
comes gray. We think one of the causes that Wildcats are not
more abundant is their habit of catching Porcupines. Nearly
all fhe Wildcats we caught had quills in their bodies. One old
male cat in particular was covered with sores caused by
quills, and he had some all through his body, which would
doubtless have been the cause of his death If left to himself.
We do not favor the paying of bounties.

DR. J. E. CLEVELAND, Bradford County:*' "

Wildcats occasionally gel into barn-yards and hen-roosts and
destroy poultry in winters of deep snow, but they prey mostly
on young Grouse, Quail. Rabbits and small birds. A Mr Krise
while returning from Blossburg to his home in Liberty town-
ship, sometime last November (1893), had to pass over Briar
Hill, where there was a dense thicket of briars and brush on
both sides of the higTuvay. about dusk. A large catamount
sprang upon the back of one of his horses and fastened its
teeth into the horse's flesh. The man having no weapons with
him. jumped from the wagon, seized the cat by its neck, tore
it from the horse and by sheer strength choked It to death
The man's clothes were torn to shreds and his body and limbs
were frightfully torn and lacerated '

451

, • th. sixties I was called to see a patient who

Sometime in the sixties ^ ^^ ^ ^^ ward township.

Uved on the head waters of the Jioga rlv ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^

Tioga county, Penna ™ I^a^H^^^^^^^ ,^^ ^.^ds with

the boys of the family had ^^^t/^^^^^^^ •♦painter" had killed a
a load of Are wood and reported that a J- ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^

,arge deer '^ ^"^f^Zf^^^^^^^ the tracks of the

"^ '^!, ^'rn. the Tody of a hemlock tree, which had been,
marauder along the boay oi a ^ ^^ ^^^ roots,

turned up by the roots. It "^^^^^'^^^^^^ ^, hs body had
and had remained there until the war-t^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^

melted away the snow. The ^^^^^'Z, '''^^; ^^^^ too late to
been feeding and had not suspected danger ,ntl^^^^ ^^ ^^^
escape. The struggle was long and severe
upturned leaves and trodden J^^;;/-^^^^^ of the

taken of a hearty meal from he neck ana ^^^^

deer. I procured a steel fox trap and set it by ^^^ ^^^^

on visitin. the carcass^ h^^ next day IJ ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^_

only to Us own citizens.

JAMES THOMAS. Clearfield County:
Wildcats are very destructive to ^^ame POuUry and sm U
n^ hirds I know of two cases where they have neen v y

: d. Tml af my acaualntance was -rryln. a jan- ^

beef through a small strip of -'°-^\-''\l,^''^ZiTerZ^
him tore his clothes and scratched him badly. Another m

r; got a --trfrrtUcre a^rt?; ^"tir.

U wi: ZZ. TTJ:t Z: U and seem^ the tracKs of a
WlTdcat eading to an<i from the ham. I set a t-P -d -uf
the animal on the following night. It was about four feet
even and one-half inches long and weighed twenty-eight and
one-halt rounds. Am favorable to a bounty paid by the State.

A. W. COLEGROVE, McKean County:

._ .v.i= ^fviititv and are very detrimen-

Wildcau -- ---:\^„";'p;\:::n 3 a- their principal sub-

'r't'^ce'TheywrntacK a Rabbit HKe a hound and have as
sistence. They will tr ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^

good a nose for birds as a po ^

than the sportsmen or pot hunter, iney win

person unless cornered. I have Hilled many and but in on«

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452

instance have I ever seen one show fight. I once had one
cornered in the rocks, and after vainly trying: to escape he
turned upon me, when a shot between the eyes settled the bat-
tle. Wildcats will attack deer; I have killed deer that showed
evidences of a fight with them. Red Foxes are very numerous
here and exceedingly destructive to game. They, with the
Wildcats, will exterminate game in a short time unless some-
thing is done to eradicate them. A large portion of this county
consists of old slashings and bark peelings which make an
ideal home for the cats and foxes. Since the county comimis-
sioners have refused to pay bounty on these predatory ani-
mals they have increased to a frightful extent. Their pelts
alone are not a sufficient incentive for hunters to trap
them. I am in favor of a bounty on Foxes, Wild-
cats, and also on certain kinds of hawks and owls;
to be paid either by county or State. When the bounty
law was in force, game, such as Rabbits and Pheasants,
increased in proportion to the depletion of their four-footed
and feathered enemies. Since then it has changed and un-
less there is an incentive for trappers the sportsmen must soon
hang up his gun and use his pointer for sausage.

A. KOCH, Williamsport, Lycoming County:

Wildcats have been too rare in our neighborhood for more
than forty years to hear of any depredations. Know of an in-
stance where a boy, in winter, killed a large Wildcat with a
stone. Favor a bounty and think it should be paid by the
county.

ZIBA SCOTT, Lackawanna County:

The Wildcat is one of the most destructive animals we have,
both to the farmers and to game. Wildcats as a general thing
do not trouble the farmer much in the winter time, when they
retire to the forests and subsist principally on rabbits and
Pheasants. At this season of the year, when snow is deep, the
pheasants live mainly on buds of the trees. When the pheas-
ant has gotten its crop full of buds it often dives under the
snow leaving a hole where it goes in. Here is where the Wild-
cat gets in his deadly work on the unsuspecting Grouse. He
sneaks along until he gets within a bound of the place where
the bird rests and with one leap he lands right over the hole
where the bird sits, and nine times out of ten he gets the
Pheasant. I have seen hundreds of places in my time whe-e
pheasants have been caught in the manner just described. In
the summer time when the leaves are out the Wildcat is the

453

" ' *' ' - xT^ tvipn lurks about the

.ource - -"- rasVamnrrcnfcLrt^^^^^^ or other
grass and grain-flelds J^U "g amongst the sheep,

kinds of poultry, and --rnetUa^s ^^ | ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ran.

rotrtortrn^Hlp^l Z^. hl.-grown .amhs KUVed hv
a cat. '.• ''■' ' ' ; .

TOWNSEND PRICE, Monroe county: ,, \„

v.^r» and their depredations to

Wildcats are quite numerous here^ ^^"fj^J^^'.^aracter. Nev«r

game and lambs certainly are of a serio"« « „„.

L^ them to attacK P--- -^ ^ave per ol knowledge of
less they could not get away. I haA^e pers

WaC bears Killing cattle. ^^^^ J^'^^/^ty and Cty sheep
had the misfortune to have between thirty ^^^^

Killed by bears. In the "^/f ^^'^^//^^"^Ml of land which is
the line of Pike county, there is a great ^^^

useless except for grazing, as the ^'n^ber has been
.ar. and it -- -er nearl. --J^ ^ Je^r destruc-
,here the ^-"^^^/^^^^^'^^'^ars- " there is not sufficient
ZnTX^ oTth^ an^ma^ ^'^^^--IZlXZT^^^^
rSe rain: l^rr :tn LTth^em la. .avor

bounty being paid by State. . ,..

J C HEIYLER, Nauvoo, Tioga County:
The greatest enemies the sportsman has l^Jf^^^^'Zl

wTldcats. They certainly destroy -<>- ^^"f„t,,^ X^,,'e as

anything in the wo ds. ^j^zrz::':nZrziifac.n..

:T^ZTZr^r. capture arouse o ne- Th^^ ea^ch
and devour numerous other k nds of birds ^"^ ^J^^^ ,„ ^

''-'■ ^'Them 1 Wircat sortirarvlTlird" the home of
TeTf ry nrighbo'^rsTr.n one night Killed twenty-six chick-

ens.

C k SOBER, Lewlsburg, Union County:
Wildcats destroy game -d -\try. At Glen ^n.n^a^--

i„ Of these animals ^^J^'l^%::^\ZT^^^^ and remains of
mountains. In this plac^ I ^^,^^ ^^^^ ^ad

fawns, poultry an** /'h^^ "regard Wildcats as the greatest
re^lisr Lrr .aTe-sJch^s Pheasants, .awns and Kab-

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bits. Am in favor of a liberal bounty being placed on their
worthless heads. ...

JOHN E. STOCKER, Luzerne County:

We have Wildcats and Catamounts and they are very de-
trimental to game. They occur most plentifully on the Wilkes-
Barre mountains in the neighborhood of Triangle and Crystal
lakes, and also on the North mountains; the latter are better
suited for them, as there more game, large and small, abounds.
Favor bounty being paid by the county. - •• -

GEORGE R. BOAK, Pine Green, Centre County:

Wildcats are plentiful and very destructive to our game; are
particularly bad about killing pheasants and they also destroy
young deer in our gam-e preserve. We introduced Wild Tur-
keys into our preserve and the Wildcats and Foxes destroyed
both old and young notwithstanding the fact that we tried
faithfully to exterminate them through the aid of traps, poison
and guns. Favor a bounty being paid by the county.

WM. B. BIGLER, M. D. York County:

They are so rare in this county that little is known of their
depredations. One killed a few years ago, near Brogueville,
was said to have killed and eaten a number of chickens.

DR. A. B. MacCRBA, Berwick, Columbia County:

Wildcats are comparatively common in some parts of the
county, and no doufbt destroy game to a considerable extent,
but they do not, it seems, disturb poultry very often.

W. B. K. JOHNSON, Allentown, Lehigh County:

No Wildcats in this county so far as I know. Possibly some
may be present in the extreme northern part of Lehigh. I
have travelled where the lynx was numerous; never knew of
grown persons being attacked, but have been told chickens
were. They live on game, birds, small lambs and young pigs.
I have helped to hunt them in Florida when lambs and pigs
were thus killed.

N. W. MILLER, Fayette County:

I think it would be right to put a bounty of, say, two dollars,
on the Wildcat, as this animal is very destructive to game.
One Wildcat will kill more game than six hunters in a sea-

455

-^.^1 f th«« snt^cies hunt both night and day. 1 liav^

re ZZ KlVntwUr -to'irranione. I nave cU..ea
f;js ZJZ: them Oft to the do.s at different time.

« T FRANKENFIELD, Monroe County:

. rphpv kill Grouse, Babbits,
catamounts are quite ""•"^■-°""- Jf ^,"^'"^0 be killed and
and the young Deer; I '^^^^^"^^^.J.TjHh leaves. They
partly eaten by Wildcats and ^h^" ^°°™ J„, i nave never
rank with Foxes In destroying poultry and game.
Known them to attack persons unless wounded.

L M KARSTETTER, Clinton County.

keys. Grouse and. n fact ^'^^^^^ ^,^^ ^, p,ey they

by hunger they vis. ^^e ^^-^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^,,,,,,, .ecas'.ons to
can capture. I ha\e known v> ^^„„tv of not less than

catch and kill full grown Deer. A bounty of noi
five dollars should be allowed.

R S STOVER, Centre County: . •

A few years ago they killed two ae bounty

the State.

H K MENSCH, Lycoming County:

their scalps.

CAPT JOHN M. BUCKALRW, Columbia County:

When woods approach near a farm ^<>-^l^J^<'^ll^Z;''''Z
mounts sometimes catch our ch.ckens^ They ^^^Jj"^
Pheasant Quail, and almost anything that comes wun
reach as Rabbits. Skunks, etc. Not dangerous to man but
win fight when wounded or cornered. They are becoming
Tather rare her* Yes. am in favor of a bounty.

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J. WARREN JACOBS, Wayensburg, Green County:

Wildcats are very rare; two have been recorded Jiere during
the past ten years. '

JACOB B. MEIXEiLf, Cumberland County:

Wildcats do serious damage to Pheasants, and I have known
them to kill fox hounds in a chase. I favor a bounty to be
paid by the county.

N. H. PARKER, McKean County:

The Wildcat is too wild and wary to visit residences much,
but occasionally takes a goose, chicken, or a turkey. Subsists
mainly on game in the woods; Rabbits and occasionally a young
Deer.

A. P. BREWER, McKean County:

Wildcats are quite plentiful in some localities. They do a
great deal of damage to Pheasants and sometimes to chickens
and turkeys. I never knew them lo kill lambs.

M'ERION E. KEMERER, Carbon County:

Wildcats are numerous in some parts of our county, espec-
ially in the Pine Swamp. They destroy all kinds of poultry
and much game. I favor a liberal bounty for their destruc-
tion.

C. W. DICKINSON, McKean County:

Wildcats are common here. They live chiefly on small game
such as birds. Partridges (Grouse), Rabbits and sometimes
they attack larger game. I never knew one to attack a per-
son and I have killed lots of them. I have seen where Wild-
cats have killed a full grown deer. Three times In my life
I have known of Wildcats killing Deer. I have known Wild-
cats to kill sheep and poultry. I am in favor of placing a
bounty of three dollars on the Wildcat or Catamount.

TUNIS SMITH, Wayne County:

Wildcats are plentiful. They destroy poultry but are most
destructive to game and small wild birds. From personal ob-
servation have never known them to kill Deer, but have no
doubt that they do destroy many, for while hunting Deer I
have seen where they have followed them for miles. Have
never known them to kill sheep or lambs, but I do know of

4 i

457

one instance where they took young pigs. I think a high
bounty should be paid for their destruction because they are
so detrimental to game that if something is not done o ex-
terminate them they will destroy nearly all the game in the
woods, such as Pheasants and Rabbits.

J. B. OVIATT, McKean County.

Wildcats are tolerably common and very destructive to game.
There can be no doubt but that they kill a good many Deer,
especially when the snow is deep and crusty. Have known
them to kill lambs, fowls, etc. They would not attack a per-
son unless in a place where they could not easily escape I
favor a bounty of not less than three or more than five dol-
lars,
DR. C. E. GOL.DSBOROUGH. Adams County:

Wildcats are tolerably common in the mountains of this
county. They kill all kinds of feathered game and Rabbits,
and are believed to destroy young Deer. Am not in favor of
a bounty being paid for any animal.

JASPER T. JENNINGS, Susquehanna County:

Wildcats afTVery rare; however, one is now and then met
with in the northern part of the county. Years ago when the
species was numerous in this vicinity poultry and lambs were
often destroyed. I once cut down a large birch stub that was
hollow at the top, where it had been broken off some forty
feet from the ground, and within the hollow I found nearly
half a bushel of bones and the skulls of Rabbits, Chipmunks,
Squirrels, etc., intermingled with a mass of sticks and rotten
wood where a Wildcat had lately had its den or nest.

LINCOLN WELLS, Bradford County:

Wildcats are present in some portions of our county. They
do considerable damage to game of different kinds, especially
Grouse, and small wild birds. Favor a bounty to be paid by
State.

ABRAHAM NEVBLING, Coalport, Clearfield County:

The depredations of Wildcats are of serious character. They
destroy Turkeys and Geese, as well as game. I have known a
pair of Wildcats to kill a fawn. Am In favor of a bounty be-
ing paid by the State.

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459

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.f »-£•,

J. P. 9CHALL, Northampton County:

The Wildcat is not numerous but occasionally one is shot;
one of my neighbors killed one a few years ago that weighed
forty-two pounds. They generally live on game and will also
carry off poultry. , -

J. ALBAUGH, Forest County: ' "• '

Wildcats are present In this county and they are very de-
structive to poultry, lambs and young pigs.

PICTH NELSON, Jr., Clinton County:

*

Wildcats are great destroyers of poultry and game. I have
«een one of them kill a deer. Am in favor of a bounty of
five dollars.

S. H. HASLET, Forest County:

Wildcats kill Pheasants, Rabbits, Geese, Chickens, Lambs,
Fawns, etc.

THEODORE DAY, Wayne County:

Wildcats are destructive to poultry of largest size, small
game and small lambs. The bounty of two dollars each should
remain. A few years ago three (different ones) were seen iH
one day near the town of Dyberry.

DR. E. F. BONHAM, Luzerne County:

Wildcats are very destructive to game. There should be a
bounty of two dollars for each one killed.

JOHN R. LEHMAN, Huntingdon County:

Wildcats destroy game and small birds; am in favor of a
bounty being paid by the State.

W. C. BABCOCK, Tioga County:

Wildcats destroy large quantities of game such as Grouse
and Rabbits. They rarely Aienture in farming localities.
Favor bounty being paid by the State.

A. P. YOUNG, Columbia County:

Wildcats are seldom seen or head of In our agricultural dla-
trlcts.

JOSEPH P. McKELVEY, Huntingdon County:

Wildcats are rather rare and they seldom are seen In the
farming districts. ......

ROBT. H. COLEMAN, Lebanon County: - ' .
Wildcats are about exterminated in our hills.

*r'''^f

DANIEL H. PERSHING. Westmoreland County: *>
Wildcats are too scarce in this locality to do much injury.

HON. CHAS. LUHR, Elk County:

Wildcats are present in considerable numbers in our woods;
they destroy more fawns and young deer up to one year than
any other wild animal. Favor bounty being paid by the State.

P. FRANK R ANGLER, Union County:

Wildcats destroy game. I have killed several in this county
but they are rather rare.

HON. N. B. CRITCHFIELD, Somerset County:

Wildcats are found in the mountainous regions of our county,
but their haunts are as far from human habitations as they
can get. •

ABNER FAGUE, Lycoming County:

Wildcats are found only in the mountains, where, in some
sections, they are rather plentiful. Have known them to kill
young deer.

A. W. WRIGHT, Huntingdon County:

Wildcats destroy poultry, game and small wild birds. Favor
a bounty to be paid by the State.

G. C. BELL, Wayne County :
Wildcats kill poultry, game and small birds of different kinds.

B. ALEXANDER, Cambria County:

Wildcats cannot be said to be numerous in our county; know
of one to have killed a deer. Am In favor of a bounty.

RANDALL BISBING, Monroe County:
Wildcats arc rather plentlftll In some parts of our county,

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and some years they do much damage to poultry. Know of
one instance where Wildcats killed a lamb. Am in favor of
a bounty.

CHAS. LOTT, Warren County:

Wildcats are not sufficiently numerous in my locality to do

much damage to either poultry or game.

>'■ -

M. B. TRBSCOTT, Luzerne County: -^-^

W^ildcats are of frequent occurrence In some sections of our
county.

GEORGE MILLER, York County:

I do not think there are any Wildcats in our county except
perhaps in the South mountain.

E. E. BRILHART, Indiana County:
Wildcats are rather numerous in some parts of the county.

JEREMIAH PHILLIPPI, Somerset County:

Wildcats or catamounts are frequently met with in some
sections of our county. They destroy a great many Wild Tur-
keys and Pheasants when hatching, and during hard winters
they kill a good many Deer. I think the State should pay a
premium of five dollars on every Wildcat.

J. H. VAN ETTEN, Pike County:

In 1893 nineteen Wildcats were killed in this county. Wild-
cats kill game and s-mall wild birds; never heard of them
killing poultry. I have, however, heard from a reliable source
that Wildcats kill fawns, but I never heard of them killing
lambs or calves.

BEN J. A. FILBERT, Schuylkill County:

The Wildcat is a rather rare inhabitant of our mountainous
districts.

C. W. PENNELL, Wayne County:

Wildcats are quite numerous and they destroy much poul-
try and game.

461

JOHN PERRY, McKean County:

Wildcats are quite plentftul here. They live mostly on Rab-
bit and Partridges (Ruffed Grouse). I often hear of them
catching lambs In the spring.

DR. F. J. WAjGGBNSBLDER, Snyder County:

Wildcats are found to some extent, and where they are will
do very serious damage to poultry, game, and small wild birds.
Favor of bounty to be paid by the State.

-'jirm^

P. D. REXFORD, Tioga County:

Wildcats are tolerably common In some parts *;£ °";;°""2^
They are very destructive to poultry and small wild birds. Am
not m favor of paying bounties on any animals.

W. G. SARGENT, Crawford County:

Wildcats are very scarce in our county, hence do little dam-
ase.

W. K. PARK, Bradford County:

Wildcats are rather scan.e in the section of th^-unty where
1 reside- have only known two to have been killed in the last
Ihree or' four years. Am in favor of bounty being given by
the State.
M. B. LYMAN, Susquehanna County:

Wildcats are very rare in this county:

W F WAGNER, Clearfield County:

Wildcats are tolerably common. They destroy game and
birds. I favor a bounty to be paid by the State.

FRED. L. KRAEMER, Lycoming County:

Wildcats are rare in many sections of this county. They de-
stroy poultry and game.

A. K. PIERCE, Clinton County:

Wildcats only on rare occasions attack and kill the young
of Deer. I do not favor a bounty on any animal.

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JAMES BEIHL. Union County:

Wildcats kill game and poultry. Am in favor of a bounty
and think it should be paid by the State.

J. B. OVIATT, Norwich, McKean County:

The Wildcat is the worst animal of the whole lot. 1 have
had several full-grown sheep killed during the last two sea-
sons by the Wildcat, and they are destroying lots of game,
such as Pheasants, Rabbits, etc. Have seen where Rabbits
and Pheasants were killed this winter by Hawks, Owls and
Foxes.

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MINK.

Putorius vi»i>u.

DESORIPTION.
Larger and stouter than the Ermine or Common Weasel; tl^^^^
coatTs Shaggy and tail l^-^y^^ -^ sho^^^ s^e'^-paimttr (hall'
^hW) ^Gene'rarco^ordarrbrownish chestnut Sometimes
rTthef sma^lS individuals of this genus are taken which
Ire of a very dark-brownish black color, and such are known
trhunt^erland farmers as "black rninks.'' The back is usuaUy

bra^d bX^aVSen^Uy ^!^.:^i.^^.^ PaS
of white Average weight about two pounds; average height
about five inches; length fifteen to twenty inches.

SabitaL--N0Tth America. Rather common, in suitable locali-
ties, throughout Pennsylvania.

The Mink is found generally throughout the State
and is fairly plentiful. It is expert at swimming and
diving, and able to remain long under water, where it
pursues and catches fish, which it frequently destroys
in large numbers. Dr. C. Hart Merriam says: "Often-
times its destructiveness in this resepet renders it a
serious obstacle to the industry of fish culture."

FOND OF BROOK TROUT.

Along some of our mountain streams, where Minks
are plentiful, hunters and woodsmen claim that many
Brook Trout, generally the large-sized ones, are killed
by the«e amphibious depredators.

CHICKENS AND DUCKS ARE FAVORITE FOOD.

The Mink does much damage to poultry, especially
chickens and ducks. Various kinds of wild birds, par-
ticularly ground-nesting species, crayfish, frogs and

■1:,i

COLOR PLATE

403

MINK.

i»utoi*ius visou.

DESCRIPTION.

toVunttrrand farmers as "black ^r^iui^s" TU.b^c^ ..J^uaUy
marked with a blackish area, running lengthwise ol tne Doa>.
Thfend ofthe chin Is while, and the edges «£ the upper Iv,,
^r.^^timps thoueh rarely, are also white, and the thioat.
tr^ast^nd belly are frequently marked with irregular patches
of white Average weight about two pounds; average height
about nve inches; length tifteen to twenty inches.

H^^MtoiT-North America. Kather common, in suitable locali-
ties, throughout Pennsylvania.

The Mink is found Kenmally throughout the State
and is fairly plentiful. It is expert at swimming and
diving, and able to remain long under water, where it
pursues and catches tish, which it frequently destroys
in large numbers. Dr. C. Hart Merriam says: "Often-
times its destructiveness in this resepet renders it a
serious obstacle to the industry of fish culture."

FOND OF liROOK TROUT.

Along some of our mountain streams, where Minks
are plentiful, hunteis and woodsmen claim that many
llrook Trout, generally the large-sized ones, are killed
by these amphibious depredators.

CHICKKNS A.NU DVCKS AKIO FAVOKITK Ft)Ol).

The Mink does much damage to poultry, especially
chickens and ducks. Various kinds of wild birds, par-
ticularly ground-nesting siK-cies, cray-fish, frogs and

m

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

I

*

• t

4G4

reptiles are included in the dietary of the Mink; and it
is alsio learned from the testimony of different writers
andobservers that the eggs of domestic fowls are often
taken by these noc-turnal plunderers.

KILL PHEASANTS, QUAIL AND RABBITS.

Sportsmen despise and condemn Minks because of
the taste these brown-coated marauders have acquired
for Pheasants, Quail, Rabbits and Squirrels. Rails
and other miirsh-inhabiting birds frequenting a locality
where Minks resort, are often preyed upon by thesi*
blood-thirsty and keen-scented quadrupeds.

Injurious rodents, such as Mice, Rats and Muskrats,
so troublesome on tlie farm, which Minks eat, do not,
we are assured by eminent naturalists who have given
much attention to the economic status of Minks, com-
pensate the loss occasioned by their attack on barn-
yard fowls, fish and game.

The aquatic nature of the Mink is such that it is
usually found inhabiting the borders of streams, mill
ponds or dams. W^en Minks take up a residence in
or near the farmer's ponltry house, as is frequently th(^
case, they have been known to desti-oy every fowl in the
place in a short time.

It is claimed by some that the Mink feeds ui>on in-
sects; tliirf may be true, but as I have only examined
the stomach contents of four r>f these animals captured
at a period of the year when insect life was abundant,
and neither of them sliowtnl^on dissection, any evidence
of such food, I am not, of course, prepared to confirm
or deny the statement.

A MUSCULAR ANIMAL.

The average weight of an adult Mink is about two
pounds, and for an animal so small it is asto-nishing to

465

observe the great strength it possesses. Dr. Merriam
cites an instance where a Mink "was known to drag a
mallard duck more than a mile, to get it to its hole,
where it was joined by its mate."

The Mink can be easily taken in steel traps or dead-
falls; it is remarkably tenacious of life and will live
for many hours struggling under the pressure of a
pole or log which squeezes its body almost flat. Au-
dubon and l^achman relate a case where they found a
live Mink under a dead-fall with a pole across its body,
held down by a weight of one hundred and fifty
pounds, beneath which it had struggled for nearly a
whole day. The steel trap which is commonly em-
ployed for catching Minks should be concealed with
ordinary care, and baited with fish, a small bird or the
head of either a Pheasant, duck or chicken.

FISH OIL ALLUREiS THE MINK.

"Professional trappers," Dr. C. Hart Merriam writes, "find
the Mink attracted by the smell of an oil made from fish that
have been allowed to decay, in a loosely corked bottle placed

in the sun.

"The odor from this oil is said to be effective at a considerable
distance, and a few drops of it will often entice a Mink into
the trap when no bait is visible."

The following: extracts, taken from letters on file in
our office, and which have been kindly sent us by farm-
ers, naturalists and sportsmen, show very clearly the
character of depredations done by this animal.

THE MINK AS A DESTROYER OF POULTRY AND GAME.

MR. PIERSON, Dypart, Pa.:

Have known of hundreds of geese, ducks and turkeys and
also chickens to be killed by Weasels, Minks, Skunks and
Foxes. A Weasel killed thirty-four chickens in one night; a
Mink, thre^ ducks in one night; a Fox. two geese in one night:

GO-n

if

rt

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4G6

a Skunk, two chickens in one night; a Mink, two chickens in
one night, at different times at my place. Could cite a hundred
similar cases. This county loses over J6,000 a year from Foxes,
Minks and Weasels.

C. P. MOTT, Milford. Pa.:

Minks too few to cut any great figure, but more than needed.
They love the farmer's poultry and are loath to be satisfied with
less than the whole coop.

F. H. FASSETT, Meshoppen, Pa.:

About one year ago one of my neighbors lost throe or four
grown chickens by a Mink; was finally caught.

THOS. SEABORNE, Newlin, Pa.:

Minks are very destructive to poultry. When they attack
poultry, they kill the whole flock before they stop; only eating,
perhaps, part of one or two at most.

GEO. PERMAR, New Castle, Pa.:

Minks are very plentiful in some localities, and they are es-
pecially destructive to our hen roosts.

C. K. SOBER, Lewisburg, Union County:

Minks are great destroyers of poultry. Some years ago on
the farm a family of Minks took up their abode under a pig
pen, and before we were aware of their presence they had
killed not less than one-hundred and fifty chickens, large and
small. Finally, when the marauders were located, we were
obliged to tear down the pen and killed two old and five young
ones, the latter about one-third grown.

JOHN L. KLINE, Liverpool, Perry County:

Minks are very destructive to game and poultry. I have
known the Mink to kill as high as thirty to forty ducks in ono
night. I have known them to enter a chicken coop and kill
as high as twenty chickens.

J. M. DU'MiM, Mackeyville, Clinton County:

Two years ago my next neighbor had fifty young chickens
killed in one night; I went to his home with my dog, but we could
not catph the supposed Mink. The following morning my other

467

neighbor across the way had about sixty young chickens de-
stroyed. The dog barked at a stone pile in the yard, and, with
some help, we killed six three-fourths grown Minks, the old one
escaping.

H. K. MENSCH, Muncy Station, Lycoming County:
Minks are plentiful and do much damage to poultry.

R. S. STOVER, Livonia, Centre County:
Minks are bad on chickens in summer.

HON. A. L. MARTIN, Enon Valley, Lawrence County:

A Mink broke in my chicken house and one night cut the
throats of thirty-seven chickens eight weeks old; different
nights did other injuries until captured.

HON. N. F. UNDERWOOD, Lake Como, Wayne County:

Minks still common here; sometimes destructive to poultry;
will kill more than they can eat or carry away. Know of one
case as follows: A brother-in-law of mine found that something
was killing off his chickens; after losing a number he took those
that were left alive and put them on the barn floor, turning a
large dry goods box over them; the next morning he found
them all killed and a Mink in the box. The Mink had squeezed
himself through a small aperture between one edge of the
box and the floor, and gorged himself on chicken until he was
too large to squeeze out. Fishermen here say that Minks are
very destructive to the trout In our streams.

JOHN F. THOMAS, Carrolltown, Cambria County:

The Mink does much damage in poultry yards, particularly
those situated near creeks or near the head of a minor tribu-
tary. In this locality they are often taken with the common
steel trap when on their predatory expeditions. The Mink
travels generally in the night, but they have been caught in
daylight.

A. W. RHOADS, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County:

I had a large flock of ducks which were destroyed by a Mink
and Weasel which I saw along the brook frequented by the

ducks.
The Weasel, Mink and Red Fox destroy fo^yls.
It has been, for years, a custom among a few enthusiastic

rHi

1/ * I

i!

; I

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468

sportsmen, like myself, to poison with strychnine Skunks,
Foxes and Wildcats, by the use of fresh meat or sparrows im-
paled on a stick and placed on old roads and paths in the
snow. The Weasel and Mink are trapped with the ordinary
spring- trap.

C. W. PENNELL, Hemlock Hollow, Wayne County:

A Mink visited my mother's hen roost and killed nine grown
chickens the first night, and the second night finished the
flock; the third night they caught him in a steel trap. Think
the State should pay a bounty on Minks.

W. B. K. JOHNSON, Allen town, Lehigh County:
I saw a Mink take a chicken in broad daylight.

J. B. OVIATT, Norwich, McKean County:

Minks are very destructive to birds, fowls and game, such
as Partridges, Rabbits, etc.

N. G. BUNNELL. Vosburg, Wyoming County:

Minks are scarce, but sometimes a few follow streams from
the river, and are bad on poultry.

GEORGE M. DAY, Dyberry, Wayne County:

We lost sixty out of eighty-five chickens the past summer
by Minks.

J. S. GAY, Terry town, Bradford County:

I have known a Mink to catch twenty-seven hens in two
nights.

W. M. BENNINGER, Walnutport. Northampton County:

Minks and Weasels have done great damage to our poultry;
they have killed hundreds of young ehickens for me and my
neighbors, and we find them very difllcult to eradicate.

EMIL ULRICH, Stroudsburg. Monroe County:

My wife shot a mink when he was in the act of carrying
away a young brahma chicken almost as big as himself, and I
have missed many eggs taken by Minks; they do not destroy
or suck the eggs in the nest, but take them away; but when
It came to the nest egg made of porcelain, they found out the

469

mistake and shortly dropped it. Young ducks were always
lost when big enough to go to water; one after another would
disappear, and I lay this to the Mink.

L. M. CASTETTER, Green Burr, Clinton County:

People living at a distance from streams do not know what
a pest Minks are, but those who live close to the streams
know all about them, for they have to shut their poultry houses
very close; if they neglect it once, they can be sure they will
lose the whole stock, as the Mink will not stop at one or half
a dozen, but as long as they can find a living chicken they will
kill Not over a week ago a farmer lost forty-eight chickens
in one night. They really destroy more poultry on an average
than the Fox. There should be a good bounty on them, not
less than $1.00 for each Mink.

GEORGE G. HUTCHINSON, Warriors' Mark, Huntingdon

County :

Minks are numerous along the streams In this region. Have
known one Mink to kill thirty chickens In a night.

JOHN KELLOW, Carley Brook, Wayne County:

Minks are partial to poultry, and act similarly to the Wea-
sel; that is, bite them In the neck and suck the ^^^^^f ^^^;;^
the carcass; have known fifteen hens. In one coop killed In one
night by Mink.

F. M. McKEEHAN, Ferguson, Perry County:

Tolerably common along our streams. Are destructive to
poultry and fish, especially If they breed near your residence^
I live on the Little Buffalo creek, and have lost many dollars
worth of poultry since here (1876.)

TOWNSEND PRICE, Canadensis, Monroe County:

Minks are destructive to poultry, game and fish, and they
catch a great many chickens and ducks.

ENOS BLOOM, New Millport, Clearfield County:

I think the Mink to be the most destructive to Poultry of
any and all enemies. I could. If required, enumerate by the
hundreds chickens that were killed by the Minks in our valley.

470

C. R. NOYES. Westport, Pa.:

The Minks destroy poultry, both chickens and turkeys, but
they also destroy rats and mice in large quantities; on the
whole, perhaps, one will balance the other.

J. K. BIRD, Millville, Sullivan County:

The Mink is scarce; he destroys poultry and is very destruc-
tive.

D. KISTLER, Kistler, Pa.:

The Minks are plenty and destroy a great deal of poultry.

T. H. HARTER, Bellefonte, Centre County:

The Mink is very destructive to Pheasant or common
Grouse.

ZIBA SCOTT, Spring Brook, Lackawanna County:

The Mink is a very mischievous little scamp; he is full of
tricks; he likes to kill chickens for their blood; if he gets In a
chicken coop he seldom leaves one alive. One got in my
mother's coop one night, killing thirty-five chickens, but we
put a dog on his trail in the morning, run him into a hole and
killed him. He also catches Rabbits and Pheasants.

JOHN NELSON, Talley Cavey, Allegheny County:

The Mink is notorious: he killed many of our ducks and
chickens; if he can get in the coop at night he leaves none to
tell the tale; will carry off chickens nearly half grown. Minks
are very fond of eggs.

JOSIAH PILE, New Lexington, Somerset County:

Sometime ago there were eighteen full grown chickens killed
in my chicken house in one night, all bit about the head and
neck; I found the place where the thief entered, set !l trap and
caught a Mink. Another time there were ten killed, and still
another time twelve killed, all in the same way. Caught a
Mink everj' time. .

471

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ADDITIONAL NOTES ON FOOD OF MINKS.

Name and Address of Ob-
server.

L. c. Oberlln, Schmlck«burg,
Pa.

J. L. Brannen, Exchange.

Pa
Noah H. Parker. Gardeau.

Pa

W. J. Stull, Coalport. Pa....

J. W. Van Kirk, Milton, Pa.,

Jasper T Jennings. New Mil-
fcrd. Pa.

S. S. Thomas. Lynn, Pa

G. C. Bell, Maplewood, Pa.,..

Melanthan Mench. Mlfflln-
burg. Pa.

Poultry.

Remarks.

rveptroy chickens
and turkeys.

Destroy chickens

Destroy chickens.

Destroy chickens,

Destroy ducks. ..

Destroy poultry, .

Destroy chickens,

Destroy chickens.

Destroy chickens
and ducks.

Destroy chickens
and ducks.

C. W. Dickinson, Norwich.

Pa I ,.

Thoa. B. Darlington, West Destroy poultry, ,

Chester, Pa.

Have known a mink to
kill 30 or 40 In one
night.

They also destroy flsh
and mice.

20 were killed In one
night by a mink.

On one occasion I lost
eight ducks; each was
bitten in the neck.

They usually disturb
poultry In the neigh-
borhood of streams
they frequent.

A mink will frequently
kill all the chickens In
a roost.

They also destroy many

flsh.
A mink destroyed three
old ducks and 16 mar-
ketable ohlcken*.

Minks and weasels are
both poultrj' loving
pests.

THE MINK AS A FISHERMAN.

MR. PIERSON, Dysart, Pa.:

Minks destroy an immense amount of trout here. They
catch them after they run them under stones or logs when
they have them cornered. I. on one occasion, trailed a Mink
that caught from fifteen to twenty trout in one night and eat
part of each.

A. W. RHOADS. Wilkcs-Barre, Pa.:

I have personal knowledge of the catching of flsh by Minks
and Raccoons; they dive for them in shallow waters.

MR. ARTHUR MARTIN. Sandy Lake. Pa.:
Minks have killed many fish in our ponds.

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i I

HON. GERARD C. BROWN, Yarkana, Pa.:
Minks are still around brooks and are good fishers.

A Mink

won

t take long to clean out a small trout pond.

472

JOHN M. BUCKALrE-W, Fishing Creek, Columbia County, Pa.:

Minks dostroy fish; sink down in the water to catch and
come to the surface to consume. Minks are numerous and
a damage to the communities where found.

SAMUEL M. DOWNS, Mauch Chunk, Pa.:

I have no personal knowledge, but reports of Mink depre-
dations to fish are common; having a semi-palmated foot and
being expert swimmers and divers they experience little diffi-
culty in capturing such prey.

FRED. W. WELD, Sugar Grove, Warren County, Pa.:

I have occasionally seen dead fish along Stillwater creek
killed and partially eaten by Minks, but have never observed
their method of capture.

E. W. CAMPBELL, West Pittston, Luzerne County, Pa.:

Trout have been killed by Minks, as they have been caught
at it.

H. C. KIRKPATRICK, Meadville. Crawford County. Pa.:

I have only seen the Mink fishing. Once when duck shoot-
ing in Conneaut Marsh I noticed a great commotion in the
water just beneath an oak tree which overhung the water;
thinking it might be a Wood Duck I made a large circle and
came out under the tree; crawling up to where I could look
over the bank I saw a large Mink about ten feet from me; it
seemed to be hunting in the weeds for something; in a moment
it disappeared under the water, in about fifteen or twenty sec-
onds it reappeared with something in its mouth and swimming
to shore jumped out on the bank where it shook it as a dog
shakes a rat; after it was apparently dead the Mink dropped
it and sniffed around it a few times and disappeared in the
underbrush. Then I went to where the object was lying and
found it to be a large species of Salamander about one foot
long. Although they are not a fish, it illustrates, to a certain
extent, the Mink's manner of fishing for that kind of game.

OTTO BEHR, Lopez, Sullivan County, Pa.:

Minks are very good fishers. Saw one come out of the open
riffle in winter with a large trout in its mouth, which it had
caught across its back; on another occasion I caught one
dragging a good-sized eel along in the snow. They sometimes

473

get into chicken coops and kill a dozen or more fowls in a

single night.

W. J. STULL, Coalport, Clearfield County, Pa.:

Mr Thomas Millen informs me that a Mink has taken quite
a number of fish from his fish pond by diving or plunging after
them.
PAUL SWINGLE, South Canaan, Wayne County, Pa.:

Minks are very destructive to fish; they swim through the
water and catch them.

S. S. THOMAS, Lynn, Susquehanna County, Pa.:

A few years ago I had a large number of cat-fish and one
eel in a box in my spring drain. Their continued disappear-
ance (the eel among the rest) surprised me, but I one day dis-
covered as many as twenty of the bull-heads (cat-fish) piled
up under a log near by. A steel trap stopped the theft and
added half a dollar to the youngsters' pocket money in the
way of Mink bounty.

ZIBA SCOTT, Spring Brook, Lackawanna County, Pa.:

The Mink likes fish; brook trout suits him best if he can get
them. He is an expert swimmer; goes under the water and
catches them easily. I have shot two within the past year
with trout in their mouths. The last one had a trout eight
inches long.

C. P. MOTT, Milford, Pike County. Pa.:
Minks undoubtedly kill many fish.

GEARY C. BELL, Maplewood, Wayne County, Pa.:

A Mink got into a carp pond last winter and destroyed a
great many carp, some of which were nearly two feet long.

J. B. OVIATT, Norwich, McKean County, Pa.:

Have often seen where Minks have caught fish in winter
time and have brought them on shore and eat or hid them.
Minks have no trouble in catching fish when the water is low.

J. C. HEYLER, Nauvoo, Tioga County, Pa.:

Minks destroy poultry and birds, but the greatest damage
done by them is to brook trout, which Is their principal living;
they also catch other fish, but trout is their favorite fish diet.

! \

474

H. C. DORWORTH. Oil City, Venango County. Pa.:

Have seen a Mink catch a trout in one of our neighboring
streams, in the winter, by diving under the overhanging banks
(where the trout usually stay in winter) and catch the trout
as they attempted to swim past him. Minks, two years ago.
killed all the carp, forty in number, in a pond on Sage run.
As these fish work down in the mud in winter, the Minks had
no difficulty in catching them.

GEORGE FRANCE. Ariel, Wayne County, Pa.:

The Mink destroys fish, particularly brook trout, and he is
also very destructive to domestic fowls, especially chickens.

BMIL ULRICH, Stroudsburg. Monroe County, Pa.:

Minks destroy fish, particularly brook trout, and they usually
catch the largest ones they find in the deep holes.

JOHN KELLOW, Carley Brook, Wayne County, Pa.:

Minks are at home under the water, where they readily cap-
ture fish. They annually destroy great numbers of trout.

W. R. PARK, VAthens, Bradford County, Pa.:

Minks are expert fishermen. They kill large numbers of
trout. I once shot a Mink with a large trout in its mouth.

SILAS FRAMTON, Coalport, Clearfield County:

During the trout season of 1896, Mr. H. A. Wagner, of this
place, and myself, were fishing on Bell Run-a tributary of the
Junlata-when I saw a Mink dart into the water and come
up with a good-sized trout; we watched him make four trips
and each time he came up with a trout. I shot at it then with
an ordinary revolver, but, owing to the distance, missed it. On
another trip in 1896 I saw an ordinary Garter Snake come up
out of the water with a trout in its mouth. I tried to kill it
but it got under some drift and I could not catch it.

J. F. REYNOLDS, Carbondale, Lackawanna County:

Have seen positive evidence of the fact that Brook Trout
have been destroyed by Minks.

E. J. STURDEVANT, Forksville. Sullivan County:
Minks kill many trout. They also destroy poultry and game.

475

A. W. COLEOROVE, Smethport, McKean County:
Otter and Mink destroy fish.

J. S. TILLOSTON, Tilloston. Crawford County:

I know of an instance where a Mink in one evening killed
from ten to fifteen carp.
H. H. RANATT, Plpersvllle, Bucks County:

Have seen Mink fishing.
B. F. FRITZ, Divide, Columbia County:

Fish In Little Fishing Creek suffer from Foxes, Minks and
Hawks.
G. S. TURNER, West Hickory, Forest County:

I have seen Minks catching fish in small streams; have seen
Cranes, Great Blue, Night and Green Herons catching fish.
It is common report that one Crane on a trout stream will
catch almost all the trout in it in one season.

PAUL A. OLIVER, Oliver's Mills, Luzerne County:

Have seen Mink catching Brook Trout.
F. C. FIELD, Balsam, Tioga County:

Have seen fish destroyed by Minks; they also destroy much
poultry.
D. F. LEWIS, Glllett, Bradford County:

I have caught the Mink catching large fish.

GEORGE C. CONNELL, Columbia X Roads, Bradford County:
Have seen fish destroyed by Minks an* Muskrats.

From these quotations it will be seen that Minks un-
questionably are great destioyers of fish, while it is
well knowcthat they will catdi and feed upon almost

any species of the finny tribe which they can secure.
These amphibious animals have, there is little doubt, a

preference for the toothsome and beautiful brook trout.

The number of trout which Minks annually kill aboiil

Dur mountain streams is no doubt considerable.

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476

EAIXIOON.

Procyon lotor.

DEiSCRIPTION.

An animal of an inquisitive turn of mind, as its long nose
and moveable naked snout would indicate. Its nails are not
covered by hair and they are also long, sharp and hooked
like claws, and "are used in an almost human manner" Its
head is round rather than long, with low erect ears that are
covered with hair on both sides and rounded above; its tail
is about one-third its length and is very bushy, has some
four or five nngs of black alternating with rusty white inter-
spaces, all being of equal width. Its feet on the soles are
naked otherwise it is clothed with two kinds of hair, the inner
one like wool, soft and finer than the outer, which is long and
coarse. Length thirty to thirty-six inches.

^a6i<a«.-Generally distributed in United States east of the
Rocky Mountains. ^^^

A POULTRY THIEF.

He is a thief and annoyance to poulterer ajid farmer;
he will feast to satiety on a nest of eggs; nor are his
depredations in tlie poultry yard confined to eggB alone,
for letters are constantly received at this Depai-tment
from various counties, telling of losses among the
chickens thi^mselves. The most serious one comes to us
from Ml-. A. Judson Kmitli, New Millpoi-t, Clearfield
fxwinty, who says that in one month he lc«t between
twelve and fifteen dollars worth of hens fix>m the vis-
its of a Raccw.n. AV. G. Bunnell. Vosburg, Wyomino
county, writes that a Raccoon, which he was so fortu"
nate as to c^itch in a trap, killed some twenty-five chick-
ens in two nights. Mr. M. E. Kemerer, Weissport, Car-
bon county, siiys: *a^accoons kill chickens or any kind
of i>oultryr' and NoaJi H. Parker, of McKean countv,
asserts that this animal "will kill fowls whenever he
gets a good chance, and do considerable damage."

I

COLOR PLATE

476

RAOOOON.

ProcYon lotor.

DESCRIPTION.

An animal of an inquisitive turn of mind, as its long nose
and moveable naked snout would indicate. Its nails are not
covered by hair and they are also long, sharp and hooked
like claws, and "are used in an almost human manner " Its
head is round rather than long, with low erect ears, that are
covered with hair on both sides and rounded above- its tail
is about one-third its length and is very bushy, has some
four or five rings of black alternating with rusty white inter-
spaces, all being of equal width. Its feet on "the soles are
naked otherwise it is clothed with two kinds of hair, the inner
one like wool, soft and finer than the outer, which is long and
coarse. Length thirty to thirty-six inches

Habitat -G^nevRUy distributed in United States east of the
Rocky Mountains. ^^^

A POULTRY THIEF.

He is ii thief and annoyance to poulterer and farmer;
he will feast to satiety on a nest of e^^gs; nor are hiJ
depredations in the poultry yard confined to eggs alone,
for letters are constantly received at this Department
from various counties, telling of losses among the
chickens themselves. Tlie most serious one comes to us
fmm .Mr. A. Judson SinitlL New .Millport, Clearfield
(•(Minty, who says tliat In one month ]w lost between
twelve and fifteen dollars worth of hens from the vis
its of a Kaccoon. A\'. (>. P>iiniieli. Vosburg, W'yomin-
county, writes that a J^iccoon, which he was so fo-rtu"
nat(* as to catch in a trap, killed s<nne twenty-five chick
ens in two nights. Mi-. M. E. Kemerer, Weissport, Car-
bon county, says: ^^Uccoons kill chickens or anv kind
of poultry:'^ and Noah H. Parker, of McKean countv,
asserts that this animal ^Svill kill fowls whenever he
gets a good chance, and do considerable damage."

COLOR PLATE

IB '<i

il

.•t?-.

477

FEASTS ON CORN.

Audubon says:

"No negro on a plantation knows with more accuracy when
the corn (maize) is juicy and ready for the connoisseur In
roasting ears; and he does not need the aid of a Are to im-
prove but attacks it more vora<.iously than the Squirrel or
Blackbird and is the last to quit the cornfleld."

Further on this same writer says:

"When the Indian corn is ripening the Raccoon invades the
fields to feast on the rich milky grain, as we have Just stated
and as the stalks are too weak to bear the weight of these
marauders they generally break them down with the fore-
paws, tear oft the husks from the ears, and then munch them
at their leisure."

On this line adnces reach us from numerous corre-
spondents throughout the State, showing the love these
animals have acquired for green corn, and the damage
done.

AS A FISHERMAN.

Its long hooked claws serve it in fishing, and frogs,
«hell fish and soft-shelled turtle eggs are dainty bits
for him. A number of complaints have reached this
office from flshemen in ditferent sections of our moun-
tainous regions, where Br,>ok Ti-out and Raccoons both
are plentiful, that thes(; latter animals destroy many
of the speckled beauties. Our informants claim tliat
the greatest amount of damage is done to Brook Trout
when the waters of the streams are low. Tlxe Raccoon
also desti-oys other species of fish which he is able to
catch in streams and along the margins of ponds and
pools.

FEEDS ON BIRDS' EGGS.

According to different writers and observers the Rac-

r

^j

478

coon frequently feeds on the eggs of different species of
birds. He is an expert climber and by reason of this
fact, it is asserted, he frequently despoils the homes of
the feathered tribes which are built in trees. - . .
Audubon says: - * : '

"The Raccoon ascends trees with facility and frequently in-
vades the nest of the Woodpecker, although it may be secure
against ordinary thieves, by means of fore-feet, getting hold
of the eggs or young birds." -

Ground-nesting species, such as Ruffed Gronse and
the Wild Turkey, hunters claim, are occasionally de-
stroyed by the inquisitive Raccoon.

AN ENJOYABLE RECREATION.

A 'coon hunt means both pleasure and profit for its
participants. The excitement attendant on the chase
itself— the cool night air— the excited yelping of the
dogs — the false starts and then the true find; the lan-
terns throwing their brightest light at the base of the
trees around which the dogs are wildly leaping, cast-
ing deep shadows up and beyond; but they are neither
too deep nor too black to prevent our discovering, high
up and on the extremity of a limb, that for which we
left the warm house and cozy fireside. Now the excite-
ment is at its height; the dogs are bounding madly
against the tree trunk, their duty fulfilled in having
successfully piloted us thus far, and urging us to our
part of the program with sharp, shrill bark. If the
tree is a slight one a few shakes will bring our quarrv
heavily to the ground, but if it is one of the "Monarchs"
then the steady stroke of the axe is heard; and we
watch with breathless anxietv as the tree with its ani-
mal food begins to bend slowly earthward, then more
rajndly, until it comes crasihing down and the dogs end
— as they had begun — the doings of that 'coon hunt.

479

:.4 <^

HUNTED FOR BOTH FLESH AND FUR.

• His pelt means money to the successful 'coon hunter,
for his fur is used in the manufactare of robes, coats,
capes, etc. In the line of this animal being a good arti-
cle for food, C. L. Herrick, in Bulletin No. 7, the Mam-
mals of Minn., says:

"The omnivorous and especially the insectivorous habits of
this animal render it especially subject to internal parasites,
in spite of the most remarkable precautions, which either ex-
perience or natural taste has developed in its eating habits.
An instance was seen where the body of a Raccoon which had
been exposed in the market with other meats, was literally filled
with worms of the genus Filaria, several inches long, and
these filled with living embryos in all stages of development."

Audubon says relating to this:

"In the dreary months of winter should you be encamped
in any of the great western forests, obliged by the pitiless
storm to remain for some days, as we have been, you will not
be unthankful if you have a fat Raccoon suspended on a tree
above your camp, for when kept a while the flesh of this
species is both tender and weU flavored."

'<i»i

WHAT FARMERS AND SPORTSMEN SAY ABOUT RAC-
COONS.

J. B. OVIATT, Norwich. McKean County:

Raccoons catch fish in the open spring runs in the winter
time; Brook Trout are frequently numerous in warm spring
brooks during the winter time. They do but little damage to
farmers.
.JEREMIAH PHILIPS, Garrett. Somerset County:

The way Raccoon. Mink and Otter catch fish is in small
streams and ponds when the water gets low, and the fish have
no chance to hide from them.

W. C. BABCOCI^. Blossburg, Tioga County:

Raccoons will visit corn fields when they are located near
the woods. The sport they furnish the farmer and neigh-
bors make uo for the Pm^U )oPS in corn.

M

tt>t*

478

coon frequently feeds on the eggs of different species of
birds. He is an expert climber .and by reason of this
fact, it is asserted, he frequently despoils the homes of
the feathered ti-ibes which are built in trees. — . .
Audubon says: - •

"The Raccoon ascends trees with facility and frequently in-
vades the nest of the Woodpecker, although it may be secure
against ordinary thieves, by means of fore-feet, getting hold
of the eggs or young birds."

Ground-nesting species, such as Ruffed Grouse and
the Wild Turl^ey, hunters claim, are occasionally de-
stroyed by the inquisitive Raccoon.

AN ENJOYABLE RECREATION.

A 'coon hunt means both pleasure and profit for its
participants. The excitement attendant on the chase
itself — the cool night air — the excited yelping of the
dogs — the false starts and then the true find; the lan-
terns throwing their brightest light at the base of the
trees around which the dogs are wildly leaping, cast-
ing deep shadows up and beyond; but they are neither
too deep nor too black to prevent our discovering, high
up and on the extremity of a limb, that for which we
left the warm house and cozy fireside. Now the excite-
ment is at its height; the dogs are bounding madly
against the tree trunk, their duty fulfilled in having
successfully piloted us thus far, and urging us to our
part of the program with sharp, shrill bark. If the
tree is a slight one a few shakes will bring our quarry
heavily to the ground, but if it is one of the "Monarchs"
then the steady stroke of the axe is heard; and we
watch with breathless anxietv as the tree with its ani-
mal food begins to bend slowly earthward, then more
rnjndly, until it comes crasihing down and the dogs end
— as they had begun — the doings of that 'coon hunt. ,

479

HUNTED FOR BOTH FLESH AND FUR.

His pelt means money to the successful 'coon hunter,
for his fur is used in the mannfactilre of robes, coats,
capes, etc. In the line of this animal being a good arti-
cle for food, C. L. Herrick, in Bulletin No. 7, the Mam-
mals of Minn., says:

"The omnivorous and especially the insectivorous habits of
this animal render it especially subject to internal parasites,
in spite of the most remarkable precautions, which either ex-
perience or natural taste has developed in its eating habits
An instance was seen where the body of a Raccoon which had
been exposed in the market with other meats, was literally filled
with worms of the genus Filaria, several inches long, and
these filled with living embryos in all stages of development."

Audubon says relating to this:

-In the dreary months of winter should you be encamped
in any of the great western forests, obliged by the pitiless
storm to remain for some days, as we have been, you will not
be unthankful if you have a fat Raccoon suspended on a tree
above your camp, for when kept a while the flesh of this
species is both tender and weU flavored."

WHAT FARMERS AND SPORTSMEN SAY ABOUT RAC-
COONS.

J. B. OVIATT, Norwich. McKean County:

Raccoons catch fish in the open spring runs in the winter
time- Brook Trout are frequently numerous in warm spring
brooks during the winter time. They do but little damage to
farmers.
JEREMIAH PHILIPS. Garrett. Somerset County:

The way Raccoon. Mink and Otter catch fish is in small
streams and ponds when the water gets low. and the fish have
no chance to hide from them.

W. C. BABCOCK. Blossburg. Tioga County:

Raccoons will visit corn fields when they are located near
the woods. The sport they furnish the farmer and neigh-
bors make up for the Pm^n lopp In corn.

480

JAS. S. NBASE, Washington, Washington County:

Raccoons. I hav€ not seen any'damage done by them. They
are said to eat corn sometimes, when growing along the woods.
They are not destructive.

F. M. McKEEHAN, Ferguson, Perry County: -. -

Raccoons, tolerably rare; do not do much damage; sometimes
destroy a little corn when near timber land.

E. D. DAVIS and JOHN M. BUCKALEW, Fishing Creek, Col-
umbia County:
Raccoon, not plentiful. They destroy corn in the field in

the fall. .V

JOHN PERRY, Kasson, McKean County:

Raccoons are very common here; they destroy oats and corn
and are very fond of chickens if they can get them.

C. W. DICKINSON, Norwich, McKean County:

• The Raccoon will eat sweet apples, cherries and corn, but
the damage by the Raccoon is not heavy. I have known of
'coon killing chickens two different times in my life, one at
each time.

H. C. DOR WORTH, Oil City, Venango County:

Raccoons have destroyed considerable corn for the farmers
in this vicinity. In the northwestern part of this county the
Cottentails have not only destroyed whole gardens but have
attacked the growing grain. Young orchards (especially ap-
ples) are frequently seriously injured by these animals. Squir-
rels show a great fondness for corn, carrying away as mucli
as possible at a time and repeating this operation with sur-
prising frequency.

J. C. HEYLER. Nauvoo, Tioga County:

Raccoons are of no good; as we all know they are good fish-
ers and very seldom fish for any other kind of fish than trout.
They also destroy crops such as corn and buckwheat. They
are common; no bounty should be paid on them.

A. P. BREWER, Norwich, McKean County:

Raccoons are plenty, but do no particular harm; they pay
for catchlnir.

481

N G BUNNELL, Vosburg. Wyonning County:
\ f.w vears ago had some chickens killed and supposed it
^ufnk set trap by coop; next morning trap was gone;
Han Sn.Tor It and'soon'saw the dog was interested in
't'we followed some twenty rods and found Mr Coon had
Tht the trap in the fence. Think he must have k lied
UeS-five Chickens in two nights. Think them worse than
Foxes.
ABRAHAM NBVELING, Coalport. Clearfield County:

Have knowledge of their destroying tish. but cannot give
„"r methods of capturing, with the exception "« ^f J^^°;
loon which captures the fish with its paws, same as a person
would use his hands.

W B. K. JOHNSON, AUentown, Lehigh County:

^nuirreis and Raccoons did so much damage to ^ ^f ^er's
crn mat we had to watch the Squirrels by day and the Rac-
coons by night.

GEO. FRANC, Ariel, Wayne County:
•coons are plenty and destructive to corn and fowls.

DR. L. W. SCHNATTERLY, Freeport, Armstrong County:

I have witnessed both Raccoon and Muskrats catching fish^
but t^y Iln only do so in v- shallow water where th„,
are penned up. The Raccoon catches them in hu> claw, w
the Muskrat dives and catches them In his teeth.

F WAGGKNSELLER, M. D., Selinsgrove, Snyder County:

1= thnt destroy corn to any extent are Musk-
..jrBtLrsTabbUs'anr Squirrels. Squir-els destroy eggs

and young birds.

S S THOMAS. Lynn. Susquehanna County:

Raccoons in former years have done as much damage in
corn fields as pigs would.
THOMAS B. DARLINGTON. West Chester. Chester County:

The Raccoon Is not very plentiful in this -ction of the
.ounty; he likes chickens and sometime, makes a raid.

31 n

n

482

is not very common. All the damage they do to corn amounts
to but little.

EMIL ULfRlCH, Stroudsburgr, Monroe County: •

Raccoons will go for the corn ears occasionally, but the
damage is trifling. . .

GEO. S. APPLEBY, Decorum, Huntingdon County:

Raccoons devour corn and they are sometimes very de-
structive to it.

J. S. GAY, Terry town, Bradford County:

I have known 'coons to wallow the corn down equal to
turning the hogs in. Muskrats I have known to destroy corn
to a certain extent.

HON. G. C. BROWN, Yorkana, York County:

Raccoons are very fond of fresh water clams, which they
dig out of the sand or gravel on the banks of streams with
great dexterity.

L. T. WILT, Franklin, Venango County:

Submitted to Al. Simons (a colored gentleman sportsman).
He says: "Raccoons are great water w^aders, fishing with fheir
paws under small stones, and when bitten in the claw by a
crab or crawler, the Raccoon raises his paw to his mouth and
removes the object that had taken hold. The Raccoon, when
working on corn, scratches the husk with his paw on account
of the hu.Hk getting between his teeth, then cuts the grain clean
to the cob."

JAMES THOMAS, Curwensville, Clearfield County:

Raccoons fish from early in the spring until late in tlio fnll;
they will follow a fish, wallowing like a hog, and chase them
under a stone, then catch them.

W. C. SLOAN. Sloan. Westmoreland County:

Raccoons destroy corn In the roasting season; Squirrels, wheat
In head; Muskrats and Groundhogs (Woodchucks) cut and de-
stroy corn, oats, wheat and grass when in the green stag*.
Done yearly on my farm.

483

OTTO BEHR, L^Pez. Sullivan County: .

nn^ fish by feeling with their paws under the stones
Raccoons fish oy leeuus prawflsh but the amount

only fish in shallow water.

PEO R BOAK, Pine Glen, Centre County:

I have seen fields of corn one-third destroyed by Squirrels
and Raccoons.

W A ALBA, Bradford County, Pa.:
Kaccoons destroy some corn In the fall when fit to roast.

PiUL SWINGLK, South Canaan, Wayne County:

Raccoons are quite destructive to corn while It Is In the milk
by pulldown the ear and eating the same and carrying It

away.

R. w. WEHRLE, Blairsville, Indiana County:

Raccoon very destructive to crops.
CHARLES RUSSELL, Russell Hill, Wyoming County:

•coons and Mink destroy many trout in our small streams
when they are low in summer.
GEO S PURDY, Honesdale. Wayne County:
Have seen Raccoons fishing in shallow pools on trout streams. .

E. O. AUSTIN, Austin, Potter County:

Raccoons catch trout; have seen them.
G. C. MARSHALL, Uniontown. Fayette County:

The ^^ atcr Hiakes and 'Coons, during low water, are the
greatest enem.ies of trout.

FRANK G. KEATLEY, Clarion, Clarion County:
Have seen Minks and Raccoons catch trout.

A. S. HECK. Coudersport, Potter County:

!„«.« In trout stroamF whore Raccoons have
Have often seen places In troui svm am

caught trout.

1 !'

i

485

\'^

484

JAMES VANDERGRLFT, Stony Fork, Tioga County:
Raccoons kill fish.

A. B. DOAN, Little Marsh, Tioga County:
*Coons destroy fish.

JOHN B. TRUMAN, Wellsboro', Tioga County:

When the streams are low the Minks and 'coons kill a great
many fish.

I. D. REITTER, Karthaus, Clearfield County:

Raccoons are the most destructive to trout though they are
getting very scarce.

CHESTER M. LINGLE, Phillipsburg, Centre County:
'Coons in this section catch trout.

vrr»i.*oO iiiit>- "!■ • *

^ CHAPTEK VI.

r OC.LITIEB WHERE 1>0ULTUY^)ESTU0YIN0
L0«-^^^^ ANIMALS ARE FOUND.

" MilcELLANEOUS INTRODUCTORY NOTES.

rz t:

By DR. B

H. WAttttBN. State Zoologist.

-^'i;-;.

This great commercial ^^f^^fZuT^^^^^'
.ranches P«- ^in^ ^^1^^ an^^^^^^^^^^ ■

«ylvania, New Jers<.y, ^'^^ZTe^ery section of this
Pennsylvax.m ^-^^^-^J^,^: ;;:2nt gunning and
territory wiiere the best o\^^^ V ^ ^^ the

fishing ma.v be found, ^-^ ^f^^^^'f ^1„, fishing
matchless ^er-y -- ^^^^l, ^he Chesapeake
grounds, and the islands an mountain

nay with tb-ir acres of -^ .^^ ^\,^ ,,a Cameron
wildex^esses of (^nton Cl^^^^^^^^ their deer

counties with their lacai i predatory

ranges, and their «h«gg>-^*^^^^,^,t^'' ^ersiCcd terri-
Wild Cats. Covering such a vast and f^fovt, of
tory, and a«ordin. --nie^^^^^ ---,,,

travel unsurpassed by any otner ra „^nneT. the

U holds out peculiar i^^-^f;*:, ^.^o, Inowledge,
angler, and to the naturalist in searcn
specimens or sport, and recreation.

n\

486

A CONVENIENT CI.ASS1FICATION.

For tlie conveiiieDce of sportsmen or zoological siu
dents who would hunt the poultry and game-devouriiio
animals, (he data in the following pages has becu
classilied under the dift'erent kinds of game and lish;
and,still further, il has been divided into three sections
ill respect to lerrilory; ihe lir^L section covering the
territory east of the Susquehanna and its tributaries,
Aew Jersey, and tlie enlire Oelaware and Virginia
IV^ninsula; tlu' se(H)nd section covering the territory
drained by the Susquehanna, and that lying imme-
diately north and south which is reached by the lines
of the railroad; the third section covering all the ter-
ritory in the State of Pennsylvania west of the sum-
mit of tlie Alleghenies which is reached by the Penn-
sylvania Railroad. "^

The wide scope of territory traversed by the Penn-
sylvania Railroad system, hereinafter referred to, ex
tends from the broad Atlantic southward to the fine
ducking grounds of the renowned Chesapeake with its
several large tributaries, which at certain seasons teem
with Rail (Sora) and Reed birds, besides numerous
other varieties of acquatic birds so eagerly sought fo.
by sportsmen and epicures: and westward to the pic-
turesque Allegheny Valley.

A GRAND FIELD FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

This exi^ansive and diversified area is, it seeing
almost needless to remark, a grand field for the studcait
of natural history; forsooth, it matters not what special
branch of the systematic natural sciences he pursues.
Entomologists claim that probably fully 25,000 kinds
of insects find suitable dwelling places here; numerous
species of fishes— many of which fnmish fine sport to

^;^

^
^j'^'^

Slf'S

:^l^ '

.<^..

■^.%

j.*iJ^^ ^

If

^^H^-h

B^-

i i

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\-

i

^\]

:■(■ v A-

?. ■ ''-t

i>

ii'A ;

4^

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il

1 ij

TIGHT BINDING

!l

48G

A CONVENIKNT CJ^ASSIFIOATION.

For llie coiiveuitDce of jsportsnieii or zooJo^ieal sni
dents who would hunt the poultry and gaine-devourinn
animals, Ihe data in the following pages has bem
c-lassilied under the ditlerent kinds of game and lish;
and, still fuilher,il has been divided into three sections
ill jcsixMl l(. h'Tiiiory; (lu- iii-^i section covering iliu
territory east of the Susquehanna and its tributaries,
-\('w Jersey, and liic culire Delaware and X'irginia
INninsula; (hr second section covering the territory
<lrained by liie Susquehanna, and that lying immJ-
diah'ly noith and south which is reached by the lines
of the railroad; the third section covering all the ter-
ritory in the State of Pennsylvania west of the sum
mit of the Alleghenies which is reached by the Penn-
sylvania Kailroad.

The wide scope of territory traversed by the reiiii
sylvania Railroad system, hereinafter referred to, ex
tends from the broad Atlantic southward to theVmr
ducking grounds of the renowned Chesapeake with its
several large tributaries, which at certain seasons teem
with Rail (Sara) and Reed birds, besides numerous
other varieties of acquatic birds so eagerly sought fo;
by sportsmen and epicunss: and westward to the [)ic
turesque Allegheny Valley.

A GRAND FIKLD FOR SCIKNTIFIC RKSKARCH.

This expansive- and diversified area is, it seems
almost needless to remark, a grand fi<dd for Ihe student
of natural history; forsooth, it matters not what special
branch of the systematic natural sciences he ])ursues.
Entomologists claim that probably fully 25,000 kinds
of insects find suitable dwelling places here; numerous
species of fishes— many of which furnish fine sport to

*/^.fe#-'^

^^'^-^^

1}

■..: >»f.

1/

i

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

4ST

„,p„»lt. ««. Mtec 11) •'"»""-„„„,., ,„ ,to„.Md»

„f species ot plains ^ ^ ^^ j^j^

,.e„ce the botanist as.iues s tb - . ^ .^^^^^^
.,ui(l Uoney" aa regards the secuiiu^

,„i. the herbarium. ^ ^f^ histories and

Inaividualswho desire to s«d^«^^ ^^^^^^^,^

,,,onomic status of ^^'^ '^^'f^'^Zei,,^ pages of this
,„. tish, can, by consulting ««^^^!1_^^' J i,, piyine

..Uapter, surely find ^^2:TTZ.^^' ^' ^'^-^^^

rtoC:^^^^^^^

men.

THE MECCA OP NATURALISTS.

, io hv reason Of its peculiar geographical
Pennsylvania, by reason oi i v

position, its mountain -"ff' ^^^V^^romantlc lakes,
its numerous water courses, and Jiany

^« ^^tflen::thC:'Sbetw^^^^^^^^^^^ -,

3pecies of tue leatut^i^^ ' „ :„ mipst of furred

and feathered game are ^^^^l^^ J^,^ ^Mch the
natural history student, /^^^^^fj^i^^estigations
Keystone State PO-esses or o^^^^^^^ ^e Warb-

a..e manifold Many ^^^]:^^ ,,,,e or, on the

I..r8,the8woetvoicedriuuslies,c_ raptorial

other hand, well-disposed membe- o^ ^e^^^ P ^ ^^^

feathered races - j;^^/;. HSer representatives
Sparrow amily together w ^^^^.^^^^^ ^^ ^^^

of avian-life, all of wn ^^^^ .^ sequestered.

li

i

<

488

Oli

ber ol hiids incJuded in the (^aroliuiau fauna lind c
j^^enial homes within the borders of this favored huhl
of Penn. . .

..<:>w

^\.

(r

OVER 300 KINDS OF BIRDS.

Oniithological research has shown that there an»
accredited to Pennsylvania, not less than 325 species
and subspecies of birds, which occur here as residents
migrants, si.mmer sojourners, stragglers or extralinii-
tants. Of this large number, the majority are of
great service to mankind because of their insect-eatin-
proclivities; nearly one-half of this number occur as
• breeders with us. , ,

A PARADISE FOR OOLOGISTS.

The presence of so many species in this State duriu«;
the season of reproduction places Pennsylvania high in
the list of localities to be visited by students especially
interested in oological science.

SPECIES NEW TO SCIENCE.

In this connection it is worthy of remark that iLc
note books and field observations of thoroughly tnisi
worthy naturalists show, i)eradventure, that certain
species of birds, whose nests and eggs have never vet
been defiled by human hands, are to be found reguhulv
during the summer or breeding season, in the virgili
forests— so rapidly disappearing before the woods-
man's axe or ruinous forest fires— about the pic
turesqueand higher mountain peaks, with their stately
forest monarchs, their beautiful and ever green rho
dodendrons, and other sweet-scented wild flowers,
which in the balmy June days are shown in all their
charms. This is the time the oological student should
take his vacation to search for desired treasures, and

489

„is heart may be made to bound with indescribable
; . by finding the neatly constructed n<^ts and eggs ot
"Zl. which the eyes of man-so far as written
records are concerned-have never beheld.

; -'■ i .

' « * mr-

FINE TERRITORY IN WINTER.

"The Student Of natural history, if his wants are in the
Hue ..f feathered specimens for the -binet ca„ rave
the rich agricultural or wild unimproved ^^W
I-ennsMvania, and secure much material. Different
„^ies of birds retire in the summer season to the
boreal wilds, where they rear their young and are com-
Svllv free from man's despoiling hand. Aswm er
approl L these birds migrate southward from the
Lud of the Eskimo and savage Polar Bear to glean a
Uvelihood which, so far as many of them are con-
cemed, is a great boon to mankind.

WINTER BIRDS.

Besides these natives of the Arctic solitudes, nu-
merous other species, some residents -^^ P^°«-^;«°';^-
and others which, for the most part, breed north or
south of our boundaries, are present with us in goodly
numbers, as is evidenced by the fact that the win^e
birds in PeiiLsylvania number approximately about
one-third of the bird fauna.

SOME ANIMALS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXTERMINATED.

Many vears ago Pennsylvania contained the massive,
.haggv-coated Buffalo, the bulky and big-antlered Elk.
ITL fleet footed and clean '-bed Virginia Deer
which, with other kinds of furred, feathered and finny
game, then so abundant, furnished bounteous repasts
31* 11

It

%•%

i

490

to our stuiHly pioneer ancestors .who blazed throujj^li
unbroken forests the trails to the land of the setting

sun.

WHEN THE FLINT-LOCK WAS EMPLOYED.

Indeed, one does not have to look back to the earlv
history of this State; in RevolutiC'uary days, or later,
when savage aborigines and wild beasts of the path-
less forests were constantly on the watch to waylay
the settler or destroy his possessions.

By referring to the annual report of the Department
of Agriculture, (Pa.) for 1896, we find (pages 323-32()
and 330-334) some most interesting records concerning
game in Penr.sylvania. Tn this publication, an ac-
count, entitled "How Our Forefathers Hunted Big
Oame," is given of some famous hunts which took
place in Bradford county, of this State, about 70 years
ago.

KILLED FORTY DEER IN ONE DAY.

On one occasion, where the ])rosperous town of
Waverly now stands, there were killed in a single day's
hunt, forty Deer, eight Black Bears, thirteen Wolves, a
large number of Foxes and a few Panthers. In the fall
of 1818, a big hunt, in which the j>ioneer farmers for
miles about took part, was had in Bradford county.

A MENANCE TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

"In those days wild animals wore so numerous in the val-
ley and on the surrounding: hills as to be a serious drawback
to the pioneer farmers in the growing of their crops and the
keeping of their live stock, to say nothing of the constant
fear In which they stood for the safety of themselves and
families."

491

., HUNTED WITH FLAILS AND PITCHFORKS.

This hunt was engaged in by many men who col-
lected from far and near on a given day. ^e -a^^^^^
Te^amed with mnt-locU g»n.. bu. mao, m «>. -k^»
were armed with no such weapons, and ^1- V uun^^^^
Ixes pitchforks, clubs, and even flails. These rude
weapons were made good use of on the march and in
le round up one man, Sylvant Decker, covered him-
ef ^h lionor by despatching two Bears with his
Z but onlv after a hard battle with each animak A
Sin .be i,a.d. o, .7a~b™ VanM* e wj. ™ed «
r.rn«h the head of an immense buck as it attempted to
isf bv .^^ snapping Wolves, and game-devourmg
Foxes wL killed in numbers with clubs and p.tch-
forks. ■

COL. STEVENS' FAMOUS HUNT.

I„ 1818 CoU.nel Adin Stevens conceived lUe idea (.f
., xZ W He collected together early in the n.onun,
. r» llr 4ih. nhout 1.000 s.-tth.., w^'o^--^.-
line and marchinjr from all directions covenn^ a la. «.
..ircle of territory, th.-y proce.nled. n.ahm, all 1 no, .
,>os«ible by blowing horns, etc., to a h.gh Umdl of
ab..ut three acres, which was reached late in the afte.
noon.

,„,ndn.,l ana fifty deer, fifteen bears, ""^ ;"'2p in he rank.,
of foxes. Thirty deer eseaped ''"""f "•;'^/^^,, "on DarUn^',
Anions Co,on..l Stevens' "^""^e" -«« ^ajm rUere ^^^^

u veteran of the Revolution. He was ^ ">*" j^„..

.all. in the cha.e -f one of the deer on - J' ^ ;^ J^^ „,,
Ma^or Damn, stood stiii. ->-^ or he deer to , e^^^^_^_^ ^^^^

way. He stood ^fl'^^^J^l,, h,,,^ and rushed between
doe started f-^--"^; *" ",, ^^^j^V,, „ost available opening she
^a" r :s:;r Thenon^le^ threw the Ma.or forward on the

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492

doe's back. He mechanically clasped his arms about her
body. Away the perplexed deer flew through the forest,
bearing Major Darling, feet first, along with her. He held on.
and after the deer had run with him half a mile or more, he
managed to catch her by one hind leg and trip her up. She
fell heavily to the ground, and before she could regain her feet
the Major cut her throat." ^ -

«• - • > •.
"THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW."

As civilization advances and improved firearms be-
come every year cheaper and more numerous, the wild
birds and four footed (undomesticated) animals will
decrease. This is not alone true of Pennsylvania, for
we see in other regions, where proper laws are not en-
acted and enforced for the protection of game (birds,
mammals and fish), these creatures, interesting and
often valuable from coanmercial and other economic
standpoints, are ferequently exterminated.

MANY YET REMAIN.

Ingenuity has enabled man to make the most deadly
and rapid-firing arms, which, in the hands of profes-
sional meat or skin hunters, have, within the last fif-
teen years, caused much depletion of the large four-
footed game, and also feathered kinds, as well as the
brightly-dressed song and insect-eating birds, which,
fashion has decreed that frail, fastidious woman-
lovely thoi:gh she is, and, without her, terrestrial exis-
fence would not be worth a farthing— shall decorate
her i^vetiy head.

FIFTY SPECIES OF MAMMALS.

Notwithstanding the slaughter in the last quarter
of i\ century of wild animals, dressed either in warm
coats of fur or attractive^ feather garbs, one mav yet,
with proper instructions and investigations, find manv

•

493

species of mammals (undomesticated) in Pennslyvania,
Sere we have at the present time probably nfty well

Jf^rtned suecies.

Birds. al«,, even in the face of ««>st heartless cru.

.ades made against them by market hunters (at er th<.

!,ame birds and other kinds slau.'hten-d by the tens ol
thousands for the millinery trade).are still to b,. found,
.,, stated elsewhere in this article, at certam seasons
and in particular localities, quite plentifully.

' ' '• SOME THAT HAVE GONE.

%ie last Bison or Buffalo, accocrding to Mr. S. N.
Rhoad8,» "killed in Central Pennsylvania was shot
about the year 1800, by Col. John Kelley in Kelley
township, Union county, five miles from I^wisburg.

THE LAST EL.K.

About 35 years ago a large Elk was taken, my friend
and colleague, the Commissioner of Forestry, Dr. Jo^
seph T. Kothrock, tells me, when he was with a corps of
civil engineers, surveying a line for the Philadelphia
and Erie Riiilroad, in the county of Elk.

Mr S N. Rhoads says in referring to this species:
"The latter-name^ regions (Potter, Tioga and Lycommg
cHiunties), formed the hunting grounds of my veteran
friend Peth I. Nelson, whose diary, between 1831 and
1837, shows that he killed 28 Elk during the period."

Mr. Rhoads, quoting Seth T. Nelson, says:

-A bull Elk was killed in Elk county In 1867 by a veteran
Indian hunter of the Cattaraugus Reservation, named Jim
Jacobs," .

•A contribution to the Mammalogy orf Central Pennsylvania,
A coniriuutiun I. x>„bU»hed in the Proceedlngrs of the

by Samuel N. Rhoads. *^'^"°^\r. „" ^^i^y,i„ ao-II 1897
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, April, iwi.

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494

This is believed to have been the last Elk taken in

IVnnsvlvania.

THE BKAYlOll.

rv

The broad-lailed Keaver, a valuable fur-bearing
animal, many years ago was abundant in different
sections of this State. One may at the present tinn^
find remains of their ancfient dwellinj^ places aboiil
streams and dams. The former presence of thes<> in
telligent animals in numerous localities is further at
tested by such familiar and suggestive names as
Beaver Dam, Beaver Creek, Beaver Meadows, etc,
According to Mr. George K. Boak, Pine Glen, Pa., thv
Beaver was found in Centre county about 30 years ago,
but like the Wolk, Elk and Panther, which also occui-
red there, all have been exterminated. Mr. Abraham
Neveling, an aged and well-informed naturalist, of
Coalport, Pa., says, "The last Beaver was trapped in
Clearfield county in 1837." The latest record of the
capture of this species in Pennsylvania, of which I can
lind any record of reliability, is that made by Mr..S. N.
Khoads, who quotes as follows, from Mr. Seth Nelson,
Jr.: ■> ■

^^;. ,V'

».t--">'v/

^^».3-.'^.

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"The last (Beaver taken in this State) was Itilled on Pine
Creek, nine years ago (1884). A part of Pine Creek is in Clinton
county, and part in Tioga county, but the Beaver was started
in Potter county and followed down through Tioga county,
and killed in Clinton county.'

BEAVERS IN "OLD VIRGINIA."

If the natural history student desires to study the
P»eaver on his native heath, he can at a very moderate
money outlay and in .a short time, find them at home in
the swampy woods of Surrey county, Virginia, where
last year the writer found freshly fallen trees cut

I.

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TIGHT BINDING

494

This is believed to have been the last Elk taken in
Pennsylvania.

THK bi<:avkil

The broad-l ailed IJeaver, a valuable fur-bearini;
animal, many years aj>o was abundant in dilfeieni
s(M*tions of this State. One may at the present time
tind remains of their ancient dwelling; places aboni
si reams and dams. Tlu^ foinier presence of these in
telli<;ent animals in numerous localities is further ai
((\s(ed by such familiar and suggestive names as
IJeaver Dam, Ikniver <.^reek, l>eaver Meadows, elc.
Accoi'ding to Mr. (Jeorge K. Boak, Tine Glen, l*a., th<
Heaver was found in Centre countv about :>0 vears a^o.
bui like the ^^'olk, illk and Panther, wliich also occui-
red tiiere, all have been exterminated. Mr. Abraham
Xeveling, an aged and well-infoi'med naturalist, ol'
^•oalport, ]*a., says, ^'The last l>eaver was trap])ed in
('h\arfiehl county in 18.*^>7.'' The latest record of th(»
capture of tliis speci(*s in Pennsylvania, of which I can
lind anv record of reliability, is that made bv Mr. S. X.
Khoads, who quotes as follow\s, from Mr. Seth Nelson,
Jr.:

"The last (Beaver taki-n in this State) was l^illed on Pine
Creek, nine years as*^ (1SS4). A part of Pine Creek is in Clinton
eounty, and p^^t in Tio^u county, but the Beaver was started
in J"*otter county and followed down thrcuish Tio^a county,
and killed in Clint«m county.'

BKAVi:US IX "OLD VIRGINIA."

If the natural histc-rv student desires to studv the
I»eaver on his native heath, he can at a verv moderate
money outlay and in a short time, find them at home in
the swampy woods of Surrey county, Virginia, where
last year the writer found freshly fallen trees cut

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s> '^^i*^ \*

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

495

down by a small colony of these animals. To j^ach
tWs place from Philadelphia one can piocui-e a Broad
s' oet Blation, a ticket to Old I'oiut Comfort by way
o Gape Charles, then take a James river steamer to

lareLit, whele guides and hotel accommodations
tai be had. In the heavily-wooded swamps, about
Z Tnd one-half miles south of Spring Grove post-
on.ce which is some six miles by wagon road west ot

tmulnt you can, I am-quite confident, find Beavers

i -Lg n ho low logs, or in houses of their own malce.

Wyear a hunter whom I met in this locality and wo
ad ^ight pelts Of these, animals which he had recently

slain and sold for f40, said he discovered no houses

buTfound the Beavers living in logs and trees which

were hollow.

THK AMERICAN WOLF.

In view of the fact that for several years past the
writer has made especial efforts to verify the statement
I at this animal is still to be found in l>ennsylvaum,
^d has failed, he is very much inclined to the opinion
tl at none of t^e species, in a wild state, are present in
uil commonwealth. It is true that bounty records
in different counties of the State, as late perhaps as six
Intssince, show that "wolf scalps" have been paid
f^ Such d^ta, however, must not be taken as con-
Live evidence of the presence of these annuals fo.
he "heads and ears" of griz.ly, long-haired cur dogs
etc or the pelts of wolves brought to Pennsylvania
from other states, have in past years proven of consid^
emble value to scalp hunters, although expensive o
the local taxpayers. A large Wolf was 'f ^. ^'j ;°
Westmoreland county, but investigation disclosed the
fact that it had been shipped alive from the far west

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496

and liberated to be pursued by houuds, from vvliicL it
escaped, to be subsequently taken as a genuine exam
pie of a Pennsylvania Wolf. --

WOLVES IN TIOGA COUNTY.

Up in Tioga county, the section which for several
years has so well and faithfully been represented in
our State Legislature by Hon. VV. T. Merrick, three
Wolves were killed in the autumn of 1896.

In support of such an important iH?cord the follow
iug paragraph is clipped from the Athens (Pa.) News,
January 29th, 1896:

"Last fall Charles Lees circus and menagerie was sold out
at Canton by the Sheriff, and among other animals three
coyotes or prairie wolves were sold for fifty cents each tu
Charles Kerby. He kept them tied up in his dooryard for a
couple of months and then took them over into Tioga county in
a box, and a wolf 'hunt' was held. Kerby made affidavit to
the killing of the wolves and collected the bounty of $30 from
the county commissioners, telling them a 'fairy tale,' about
his exploits in the mountains of Union, where he alleged the
dogs ran the wolves and he shot them."

SHOULD SUCH PRACTICES EXIST?

This kind of work is "legal," that is. if I am correctly
informed about the bounty law, which allows a pre-
mium of ten dolars each, with additional fees to the
local officials before whom the affidavit of killing is
made. It was also considered to be in accordance
with the letter of the law, when, under the provisions
cvf the "Scalp Act of 1885," Hawks, which were caught
alive in traps in neighboring states and brought over
the line into Pennsylvania and killed, to pay for their
"heads." The eggs of several kinds of birds of prey
were, it is said, also collected in Ohio, and other ad
joining states, carried into different counties of this

497

Commonwealth where, under domesticated fowls or in
fneubators they were hatched out and the young one^
were sold for the 50 cents bounty under the Act ot
1885.

WOLVES WERE BAD NEIGHBOKS.

Years ago, when our sturdy, brave-hearted, indus-

tnou aBd hard-. orking pioneer fathers had thejr

in-locks at all times by their sides, ever ready to

Ittle with the treacherous and cunning Indians and

^er wild fore^ animals, the ravenous, howlmg, and

tet-footed Wolf held high carnival here bu now

IhS predatory animal, like the Indian of Revolutmn-

Miv davs, has passed away.

iSrLdve of the destructive nature oi the prowlm,

,.aud of Wolves which formerly infested our Con.-

Itealth, the following extract i. taU.n rojn e

notebook of Mr. C. W. Dickinson, ot Norwich, Mc

Kean county, Ta.

A TERROR TO SHEEP OWNERS.
....e Wo« was a te.o. to tne sn ow^ ^^ ^

irise"- Wo.r "me" twentji^ht sheep in the n^ontn o. May
\VTn....or o. ..ne; thev -- -^^ ^n" S^owTs

"""': tirV^TZ Wowrhad abutter ot whelps. I Know
each night. T^^e^^ '^o w ^^^^ ^^^ captured

this to be a ract. f°; ^J°»\;7^^^;^ ^^, jgth day of May. 1869.
the Old «>";/"^.ri elught nf^een Wolves and crippled three

'" ''^'iti^nk I Aive seen where wolves have killed one hun-
more. I think J nave . wolves have

dred and fifty ^^^-P^^' '^es The last Gray Wolf killed In
:riS wrfakTh^. -ov on the K.n.ua creek, In IS.."

FOLLOWED HUMAN BEINGS.

Mr Abraham Neveling, of Ooalport, Pa mentions
thft in 183G he knew a band of Wolves to kill, ,n one

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498

night, eighteen sheep; and to illustrate the bold and
bloodthirsty nature of this dog-like animal, Mr.
Neveling adds, "the last Wolf 1 have knowledge of
was killed by myself in 1858, near Janesville, this
county, (Clearlield). The circumstances were as fol-
lows:

"Mr. Joseph McCully and wife were on their way to the
grist mill at Janesville; a colt was following the sled and the
Wolf came in pursuit; it followed within a mile of the settle-
ment. Mr. McCully aroused me in the early morning and re-
lated the facts in the case, and I toolc the track of the animal
and in a few hours shot him."

A DOCTOR'S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

About the year 1845 Wolves were abundant in
Tomhickon Valley, between Catawissa and Hazleton,
where, according to my friend. Dr. Thomas C.Thornton,
they often atacked human beings, destroyed the set-
tlers^ cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry and devoured
game. When the Catawissa railroad, a part of the
PhiladelpJiia and Reading system, was being built, Dr.
Thomas A. H. Thornton, a practicing physician and
the father of Dr. Thomas C. Thornton, now a promi-
nent medical practitioner of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania,
one cold Autumn night was called out of bed to visit
a patient about twenty miles from his home. At that
time there were no regular roads as we now have. In
their j»lace the traveler used narrow paths or trails,
which, in many jilaces, were illy defined, and an inex-
I)erieiiced person often lost his way when endeavoring'
to follow them. This was the misfortune of Dr. Thorn-
ton who, in his anxiety to reach the bedside of the
sufferer, attempted to make a short cut. He lost his
way and for one week wandered through the wilder-
ness; and, having no gun, was obliged to subsist on

499

roots and herbs. The doctor was on horseback, and
af te wandering aimlessly about the pathless torests
for four or live days, they got into a large swamp
where the horse stepped into a quagmire, from whjch
U owner was unable to extricate him and the noble
animal had to be abandoned, i-^edded as he was a -
most to his belly in the soft and boggy bed. The Doc
UH- reuioved the saddle bags containing his supplj o
!u.Xiues, etc., threw them over his shoulders and
slaHed olT. In those days it was customary to wear
.reen baize leggins to protect one from the cold.

AYOLVES ON HIS TRAIL.

Several hours after the Doctor got out of the swamp
^Z he had abandoned his horse he was homhed io
see that he was being followed by a band of Jive o
Z wolves. At first they kept at a ^^^^^^
tance when sticks were thrown at tU^m, but hnalj as
if thev appreciated the helpless condition of then m
Ind^d victim, and, as darkness came o", t e Iiun^^^^^^
bloodthirsty band became bolder and bolder thej
ircled around the terrified and 3af'<^ »'-' ^^ ^^^^^
in- in started to attack him on all sides. One more
l-^il and impulsive than the others ^^^l^^^^^^^;^^
at the Doctor's throat, but a well directed blow from
1 .. „b lemporarily disabled the animal and caused his
.venous companions, most fortunately, to d.scoii.nue
at that time their premeditated and ^ombme<l attack-
The Doctor, bv thi;. thrilling episode, and the Wolves
frightened condition, succeeded in going perhaps a
mUe unmolested, when, to his ^-at horror, he foun^
the whole pack, led by the vicious brute he believed
he had maimed with his club, ^^^^ f ;\ll\\'l^^
The stunning blow administered to the leader of the

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500

howling band seemed to have oulv intensified the
brute's courage and thirst for blood. The man, weak
ened b^ long exposure and loss of food, realized that
he would soon be torn to pieces if he did not adopt
some new means of defense.

A DESPERATE BATTLE ON THE ROCKS.

Fc^rhinaiely, as the animals began closing around
him for anolJier onslaught, he reached a high rock and
mounted on its top, where a giant tree starved to pro-
tect him from falling backward. He reached this
eminence in time to drop his saddle bags and provide
Jiimself with some stones and two or three good clubs
before his pursurers started to attack him. He stood,
back to the tree, and as the animals, led by the leader,
attempted to come up he drove them back with his
primitive weapons. A large stc-ne hurled with great
force and accuracy broke the head of one of the as-
sailants; ihis fortunate occurrence gave the Doctor a
breathing spell.

AMMONIA SAVED HIM.

The man, however, realized that he must soon quit
this refuge, and remembering that he had in his sad-
dle bags a large lK)ttle full of ammonia he determined
to employ it as a final resort to save his life, lie quickly
removed one of his baize leggins, tied it securely to a
stick, and after saturating the material with ammonia,
he boldly started down from the rocky promontory
toward the Wolves. The cunning animals apparently
aware that he could more easily be overpowered on
level ground, separated, slunk off, and permitted him
to proceed several hundred yards before they renewed
the pursuit. They did not, however, allow much time

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501

to elapse before they took the trail of the man who
hadS far so successfully baffled their powers The
Doctttstood still and waited until one of the
iruti rushed within an arm's length when he struck
XkX L face with the cloth saturated with ammoma
ThT reception was a most novel and unique one for
the Wolf who ran off howling with pain; two more of
tic band were slapped across the mouths w.th the sat-
Irlted baize, and they left. After this experience the
Wo ves followed the T^octox^ till daylight the next
mornTng when they gave up the chase which they had
Tn^mfed for forty-eight hours, -d which unques^on^
ably would have resulted in a most horrible death if
it had not been for the contents of the ammonia bo -
tie Dr. Thornton succeeded in finding a shan y oc-
cupied by the men constructing the Catawissa railroad^
Xe ho was carefully cared for, and in the course of
;;'' or five days was taken to his home, where he was
ill for fully a month.

THE PANTHER.

In former times the Panther was present in all parts
of Pennsvlvania, but now, if the animal is found
here at all, and I very much doubt the species pres-
're in ou; State, it is certainly restricted to a vejy
few of the most inaccessible mountain sections. The
bounty records of Centre county for 1886 b^o-« ""-^
was given for a "panther" killed there in that yea
Mr. Rhoads quotes the following from Mr. Reth Nel
son- "There mav be one or two yet in Clearfield
countv: but the Askey boys and T killed two. two years
^..0 (18ftl)." Mr. Rhoads, also on the authority of Mr.
s;th Nelson, makes roferoncc to a Panther taken in
1803 bv the T.ong boys on "big run of Reech Creek.

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ROMANCING SCRIBES.

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The name of "Cataraoiint" given by many woodsmen
to large-sized examples of the Wildcat or Bay Jjjnx,
has given nev/spaper correspondents in regions v^here
these sreaking and detrimental animals are plentiful,
an opportunity to send to the press some most read-
able and surprisingly sensational stories when a big
"cat" is caught and killed, of the capture of a ferocious
mian-eating or livestock devomringi "panther.'^ Tlie
writer has, during the ])nst three or four years, taken
especial pains to investigate these newspaper panther
stories and, without exception, all have proven false or
at least they were founded on erroneous identifica-
tion. Some people, not versed in natural history mat-
ters, consider the names "Catamount," Panther and
"Painter" to be synonymous. This misunderstanding
is ])ei-haps the cause of so many wrong statements
which find their way into the columns of some of our
most reputable papers, the managers of which, I am
well aware, strive faithfully to guard against all such
errors.

SPECIES WHICH ARE RARE.

The Fisher and Pine Marten or American Sable,
tenants of the pine and hemlock forests, and both of
considerable economic value for the warm and attrac-
tive articles of wearing apparel their loose blackish
or brown coats make when passed through the skillful
furrier's hands, are likewise about ready to be elided
by the iialur.ilist from tlu^ indigc^nous fjiiina of i In-
Key stone Slate.

Dr. Isaiah F. Everhart, the distinguish(^l traveler
and naturalist, of Scranton, about ten years ago ob-
tained two Fishers taken in that region by a hunter.

^'U

503
In 1874 Mr. M. S. Trescott, Harveyville, Luzerne

in Sullivan county." From reports of New '^^^^\^''y
and Pennsylvania fur dealers and shippers^ .t is
"arne^that probably no. ov« ba.f « do^a F.* r
are now annually killed in this State. At the present
L about .be only coon.le. where *>.- «'• ^
to be found are in Clearfield, Cameron, Elk and >rob
ablv Clinton, Potter and Sullivan, and in all of these
theV are reported to be very rare.

0

THE PINE MARTEN.

The riiie Marten, an animal very mink-like in its
,ene:al avpoaranee, hut which can be ^^^^f^^
from the blood-thirsty and destructive M.nk b> its
"Ze and yellowish throat markings, -- ^;^X
sent, but only in very small numbers, in a few sp.use ^
settled sections of Cameicn, Potter, Clearfield, Ohn-

. Hullivan and Elk counties. Fur dealers claim
tL twenty-live to fifty are annually taken in this
State.

THE WILD PIGEON.

'^ventv vears ago the Wild Pigeon occurred in great

numbers in this Commonwealth Nesting or n>os m«

places, covering several miles each, of these game birds

with which the older residents are sc fan lUa. ^vele

vgularly resorted to year after year by the ,.igeon .

The love of pecuniary gain stimulated market hunt^

ors to visit these places and with nets, axes guns and

other murd..rous devices, th.n soon drove «- Jj^lP e^s

pigeons fr<m, one locality to another and hnall.N f-om

""^few of these birds are yet occasionally seen along

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504

the lines of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad, in
Cameron, Elk and XA'airen counties, as well as in a
few other sections of the Commonwealth.

THE SQUIRRELS. .., -

The game laws of Pennsylvania protect two species
of Squirrels ^^hich are designated bj the common
names of Fox, Gray and "Black." Tlie Gray Squirrel
and the Black Squirrel are very generally regarded
by sportsmen as different species. Naturalists, how-
ever do not so consider tliem, but call the black in-
dividuals melanistic examples of the Northern Gray
Squirrel, {Sciurus caroUnensisI leucofis). The gray
form and their black-coated relatives are some years
very abundant in different sections in the hard wood
districts along the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
from Williamsport to Warren. In the seasons of 1896
and 1897 individuals of this species, particularly those
with gray coats, were very abundant at different pointr^
along the Northern Central Railroad from Williams
port to Elmira.

Besides the Squirrels named in the last above para-
graph we have the Flying Squirrel, a species and sub-
species of the Red Squirrel, and one species and a
geographical race of the Chipmunk or Striped G-Pound
Squirrel. These animals feed on nuts (mast), seeds,
roots, buds, berries and fruits; they eat cereals, but,
with the exception of the Gray Squirrel, which, in
some sections and in certain years is quite plentiful,
they do but little damage to the farmer in the way of
destroying his crops. Squirrels, however, do not live
exclusively on a vegetable diet; they catch insects and
some of them often devour the eggs and young of birds.

I

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and they have also been detected depredating in the
poultry yard.

BAT tXJGS. BiKUS. L>UCKS AND OHICKKNS.

Refeiiing to the Red Squinel's bill of fare Dr. C.
Hart Merriam* says:

••The Dropensity to suck the eggs and destroy the young of
our sLTi:' birds is the worst trait of the ^ed Sou.rre, an^
is in itself sufficient reason tor his extermination, ^t least
about the habitations of man. I have myself known him to
i the nests of the Red-eyed Vireo. ^hiPPln^ Span-ow Robm
Wllson'3 Thrush, and Ruffed Grouse, and doubt not that
Zsands Of eggs are annually sacrified in the Adirondack
region alone, to gratify this appetite. Therefore when abun-
dant as he klways is during the springs that follow good nut
;:::;. his Influence in checking the Increase of our insec vor-
ous birds can hardly be overestimated. Dr. A. K- J'^her in
,orms me that on three occasions he^has^known these^Sau..

rels to destroy young Robins. ., .„, „f

Len aware that this animal was an occasional depredator of
t^e poultry yard, and find. In a Journal written twelve years
ago a note to the effect that a case had come to my knowl-
edge where one was caught in the act of killing both chickens
and ducks."

Numerous letters and answers to circulars received
at this Department from farmers, sportsmen and poul-
terers testify to the destruction of different kinds of
wild birds, especially Kobins and Chirping Sparrows,
by Red Squirrels; and at least a dozen persons have
written about SquiiTels destroying young chickens or
the young of domestic pigeons.

THE FOX SQUIRREL.

This, the largest of all our Squin-els, is known by
some as the "Cat Squirrel," a name which I have

•The Vertebrates of the Adirondack Region of northeastern
New York. p. 117.

TjOO

frequently heard applied to the mammal in Virginia,
Maryland, Georgia and Florida. Mr. Bangs* in his
review of the Squirrels, has named this animal, that in
former years was quite plentiful, old hunters tell us,
in different regions of Pennsylvania where stately oaks
were numerous, (Sciurus ludovicianua vicinub), or
Eastern Fox Squirrel. ...

WHERE FOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA.

The Fox Squirrel is rapidly becoming rare in this
State. The species, how^ever, may still be found in the
following counties:

Adams,

Clinton,

Cumberland,

I)au[)hin,

Fulton,

Franklin,

Huntingdon,

Juniata,

Mifflin,

Perry,

York.

THE CHICKAREE.

The common and well-known Red Squirrel or Chick-
aree, of which two forms are thought by Mr. Bangs io
exist in Pennsylvania, is not, as many suppose, pro-
tected by the Harris Game bill, passed at the Legis-
lative session of 1897.

THE "RABBITS" OR HARES.

The "White Rabbit," called also the "Mountain
Jack'' and the "Snowshm^ K^\bbit" by InmKMs an<i
woodsmen, is found in many retired swamps in the
mountainous regions of Pennsylvania. Naturalists
stvle this animal, which in the winter season is

♦ Pros., Biol., Soc, Wash. 1896.

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dressed in a (lulVy coal ol* white, bul in the summer is
attired in brown, the Alleghenian Varying Hare {Lepus
americams virginianus). It is a southern race, a
snuUler brother, so to speak as it were, of the Northern
Varying Hare which abounds in the Fur countries.
Through lield observations during the last five or six
vears I know that it occurs in the following counties:

Bradford,

Clinton,

Clearfield,

Cambria,

Centre,

Cameron,

Elk,

Erie,

Forest,

Huntingdon,

Juniata,

Luzerne,

Lycoming,

Mifflin,

McKean,

Pike,

Potter,

Sullivan,

Tioga,

Union,

Wayne,

Warren,

Wvomiug.

. . . • •♦COTTONTAILrS." ' ^

The Rabbit, as this Hare is commonly called, occurs
abundantly throughout Pennsylvania. The Rabbit or
"Cottontail" which is taken in the higher forested
mountains which are cleared and where the Varying
Hare formeriy had his home, is considered by Mr.
Bangs to be entitled to rank as a subspecies which he
calls the Alleghenian Wood Hare {Lepus sylvaticut

transitionalitf). , j x • ^^..

Tliese Hares last named are so abundant in some

sections of Pennsylvania— parti culariy is this said to

be the case in Clearfield and Northumberland coun-

- ties— as to be a serious nuisance to farmers. The

"Cottontails" destroy, fruit growers and nurserymen

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508

sav, ureal numbers of small fruit trees about their
premises. The eonimon everyday Rabbit, with which
every faruier's boy is well acquainted, is called the
Carolinian Wood B.i\Vk^(Lepvs aylvaticvs).

DON'T USE SNARES OR FERRETS.

However, notwithstanding the mischief they do, it is
not legal to use snares, other similar devices, or Fer-
I'ets to capture these mammals which inhabit the
woods and cultivated fields.

FOXES.

Both the Red Fox and the Gray Fox are found in
Pennsylvania. They are destroyers of game birds and
small mammals. The Red Fox is particularly fond of
poultry; he also captures many mice and insects, and,
sometimes, he kills lambs and pigs.

THE WILD CAT.

This animal, which is so extremely destructive of
game, as well a» of the farmers' poultry, that he
chances to meet on his foraging expeditions, is found
in a number of counties of Pennsylvania, and accord-
ing to all accounts this species is increasing quite
noticeably in several regions of the Commonwealth.
The Wild Cat is quite common in Clearfield, Cameron,
Clinton, Elk, Forest, McKean, and Potter counties.

Wild Cats appear to have multiplied in recent years
so rapidly in several counties of Pennsylvania that at
the last session of our Legislature (^97), by the earnest
efforts of prominent residents of Cameron, Clearfield,
Lycoming, Elk and a few other counties a bounty of
two dollars per head was placed on these animals.

f.?i

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TIGHT BINDING

508

saw 'j'Vi'iW iimnberis of small fiuit trees about llieir
premises. The eommon everyday Rabbit, with which
every farmei's bov is W(^ll aeniiainted, is called the
('aroliiiiaii Wood Ri\n(Lepu8 8ylvaficus).

DONT USE SNARES OR FERRETS.

However, notwithstanding the mischief they do, it is
not lej»al to use snai-es, other similar devices, or Fer-
rers to caj)ture thes(^ mammals which inhabit the
woods and cultivated fields.

FOXES.

Hoth (he Ked Fox and the Grav Fox are found in
Pennsylvania. They are destrovers of game birds and
small nijimmals. The Ked Fox is particularly fond of
poultry; he also captures many mice and insects, and,
sometimes, he kills lambs and pigs.

THE WILD CAT.

This animal, which is so extremc^ly destructive of
game, as well as of the farmers' poultry, that be
chances to meet on his foraging expeditions, is found
in a number of counties of Pennsylvania, and accord-
ing to all accounts this species is increasing quite
noticeably in several regions of the Commonwealth.
The Wild Cat is quite common in Clearfield, Cameron,
Clinton, Elk, Forest, McKean, and Potter counties.

Wild Cats appear to have multiplied in recent years
so rapidly in several counties of Pennsylvania that at
the last session of our Legislature C97), by tlie earnest
elVorts of prcuninent residents of Cameron, Clearfield,
Lvcoming, Elk and a few other counties a bounty of
two dollars per head was placed on these animali.

%

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

509

n

Vi

THE RACCOON.

The 'Coon' is common and well-known. It occurs
.enerallv throughout Pennsylvania, from which region
Farge numbers of pelts of this corn-loving animal are
annually shipped. Raccoons catch fi«h, and they feed
upon mice, frogs, young birds, birds' eggs cray-flsh
Jollusks, krtle. and their eggs. They capture large-
si.ed insects; nuts, fruits and poultry are damty mor-
sels for these animals which are more destructive to
corn than any other of the farmer's possessions.

THE OTTER.

This wary and valuable fur-bearing animal so de-
structive to fish, is found about streams and lakes m
nearly every sel-^ion of the State, but i^t is nowhere
TuhLt and may, not improperly, be c ass^ among
the species termed rare. Individuals of this species
a e of course, much oftener found about streams and
•lak;s or old splash dams in the mountains and sparse-
itittled districts than elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
Two o thre<> vears ago two were captured along the
Brand^wine Creek, near Chadd's Ford, Delaware

""^Th^Otter loves Brook Trout and he delights to make
his home in localities where this toothsome fc^ is
plentiful and readily obtained without continued in-
terference on the part of man, his most deadly, foe.

THE VIRGINIA DEER.

The Virginia Deer is found in a wild state in many
regions of Pennsylvania.

Tn the counties of Clearfield. Potter. Pike. E k. Clin
ton, Fulton, Franklin. Adams. Tioga and Runtrngdou,
the spories is said to bo of frequent occurrence. In

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510

1890, records show that 119 of these animals were
killed ill Pike county; about 1892 or '93 over sixty were
captured in the Diamond Valley (Huntingdon county).
Mr. Rhoads says, quoting Mr. Seth Nelson:

"In the period between 1861 and 1865 the deer became so
numerous in that county (Clinton) that they generally damaged
the crops, and snaring was employed to diminish their num-
bers. In contrast witli this there were killed in 1896, in his
vicinity, all told, only ten deer, and most of these out of season,
by wild hounds or pot hunters. The chief agencies in the
extermination of deer are forest fires and wandering dogs, both
of which pursue their relentless course during the entire year,
the latter being ten times as destructive as the Gray Wolf ever
was."

WITH PROPER STATE AID DEER WILL INCREASE.

If the lawmakers of Pennsylvania will enact proper
measures which will enable county officers under the
direction of the State Forestry Commissioner to keep
in check the disastrous forest fires, game of all kindh
should increase rapidly, now that we have such a good
law for the protection of birds and mammals.

If the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners
receives, as it should, from the Coininonwealth, money
to fairly compensate Grame Wardens to enforce the
new law of 1897, it will not be long before the Virginia
Deer, and other kinds of game will be much more plen-
tiful. The days of the professional market hunter
were numbered in this State when the Harris Game
bill became a law June 4th, 1897.

THE BLACK BEAR.

This animal is found in nearly every county where
the Virginia Deer o-ccurs with any degree of regularity.
In some sections of Pennsylvania, particularly large
ar-eas of land from which the timber has been cut and

511

brush has grown up, there seems to be no doubt in the
m?nds of experienced woodsmen that Bears have be-
come much more numerous than they were fifteen or
renty years ago. Fur dealers claim that about 150

from Peniisvlvaiiia. . . 4-,.

The Bea/is omnivorous. Dr. Merriam referring to

his food says:

"HIS larder consists not only ot mice and other small mam^
.afs "tS:: .ro.s. and «sn; .ut also ana .ar^elV^ o -- -^.
their eggs. Dees and their honey, '^•f/j'^^^^j^f "i;;^^^^^^^^ and
berries, bfueberries, and various other fruits, vegeiao

III Hf. sometimes makes devastlng raids upon the barn-

whatever is left from his masters table.

In addition to the several species and subspecies
(local or geographical races) of mammals referred to
on preceding pages there are in Pennsylvania the fol-
lowing, of which but brief mention will be made:
. Two species of Weasels, two kinds of Minks, eight or
uine varieties of soft-furred Moles and Shrews, concern-
ing the economic relations of which so many diverse
opinions are entertained by farmers and sportsmen;
and at least a half dozen species of insect-destrcying

Bats.

THE BAT'S WINTER HOME.

Bats, like some other of our mammals, spend the
winter months in retirement. In Centre county there
is a cave about fourteen hundred feet long, containing
numerous large chambers and showy stalactites and
stalagmites. This immense caveni. penetrating the
whole len^h of a small mountain range, has the floor

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512

covered with vrater several feet deep. To explore it
one must go in a boat and take a ^uide, both of which
are always obtainable. The boat's bow is furnished
with a large light, otherwise it would be impossible to
see anything in the Stygian darkness that invades
every nook and corner of this weird opening that
penetrates the bow^els of mother earth. This place,
called Pern's Cave, is the source of Penn's creek. The
stream, with its several feeders, is noted for the
abundance and excellence of speckled beauties (trout)
they contain. Few sections of the State afford better
Ruffed Grouse shooting than is to be found in the
mountains around these cool, healthful and rapidly-
flowing streams. Penn's Cave — a modest, old-fashion-
ed summer resort — can be reached bv a branch of the
Northern Central Railroad, which extends from Mon-
tandon to Bellefonte. In the winter season the cave is
the harboring place of thousands of Bats which con-
gregate in great masses on the limestone rocks where
they escape the piercing winter's cold, and remain in
quiet, harmony and contentment, unless their hiding
place is ii vaded by human beings, when they crawl
over one another or fly aimlessly about the boat and
its occupants, uttering all the while, in their squeaking
way, the most violent protests at being aroused froni
their winter's nap.

Bats are beneficial. They destroy great numbers of
insects — particularly flying species. They do not dis-
turb the young of birds nor do they destroy young
chickens as some persons suppose they do.

THE OPOSSUM.

We have a single species of the Opossum — the only
marsupial in the State— and of this animaTs breeding

TIGHT BINDING

512

covered with v.ater several feet dee]). To explore it
one must go in a boat and take a j?nide, bolli of wliieli
are always obtainable. The boat's bow is furnished
with a large lighi, otherwise it would b(^ impossible to-
see anything in the Stygian darkness that invades
every nook and corner of this weird opening that
[penetrates the bow^els of mother earth. This ])laee,
called Pern's Cave, is the souice of Penn's creek. The
stream, with its several feeders, is noted for the
abundance and excellence of speckled beauties (trout)
they contain. Few sections of the State afford better
Ruffed Grouse shoo-ting than is to be found in the
mountains around these cool, healthful and rapidly-
flowing streams. Penn\s Cave — a modest, old-fashion-
ed summer resort — can be reached bv a branch of the
Northern C(»utral Railroad, which (\xtends from Mon
tandon to Pellefonte. In the winter season the cave is
the harboring place of thousands of Hats which con-
gregate in great masses on the limestone rocks where
they escape the piercing winter's cold, and remain in
(|uiet, harn ony and contentment, unless their hiding
place is ii vad(»d by human beings, when they crawl
over one anotlier or fly aimlessly about the boat and
its occnpanls. uttering all the while, in Iheir scpieaking
way, the most violent i)rotests at being aroused froni
Iheir winter's naj).

Bats aie l)eneficial. Thev destrov great numbers of
insects — paiticularly flying species. They do not dis
turb the young of birds nor do they destroy young
chickens as some persons suppose they do.

THE OPOSSUM.

^Ve havp a single species of the Opossum — the only
marsuf)ial in tlie State— and of this animal's breeding

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

.^^7C\

if

513

habits some highly erroneous ideas are prevalent. The
babits some '^SJ ^^^^^^^ -^ ^^ greatly

Xr; of ^ruU: The long shaggy coat of the
Oprum is considerably used by furriers xn the manu-
fact u'e of diftcnent articles of wearing apparel hi.
Inilnal snb«i«ts on both animal and vegetable food.

THE PORCUPINE.

The Porcupine whose head, back, and tail are abund-
antly furnished with hard spines, l^\<iden m a th a
; f fur .,nd stra.'«lv long hairs, is still to l>e tit-

r,° eU ™s antaa,. .o.e ..,,eve, « .^ »
teen made tor one purpose and that is to »"» •

tTthc lives of htrnters, wHo take dogs m hemlocR

.:;;:,r:ue,. tw. d.rk.co.ted .„., y^-^^,

nnimil -oes, so that he can visit, in the still nigiu
ir lumber camps for salty food, or browse on the
Ser evergreen boughs. The Porcupine does r^^
when defending himself, discharge his spines or quills
as some people say he does.

THE MUSKRAT.

The Muskrat is common and generally dispersed
th^ghTufthe commonwealth. Ma.y thousands o
aese animals are ^l^^^^^^,^:^^^.:;:;^,
7:r;Hre:!lrilt ir: ';:* state-is made into

t^ 'ancles of -^^n^ <^^P-' -\re ,- S
various names. This amphibious rat eats the farmers

corn if a field with this growing cereal is near the

stream or pond which he and his relatives inhabit: he

o f^eds on mussels and fish. Several persons have

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33-n

514

informed me he will catch ducklings of wild and do
mesticated kinds.

THK CHIPAHJNK OR GROUND HACKEY.

The common eve ry day Chipmunk, which, in our
happy boyhood days we chased along the fences and
into his subterranean home under shelving rocks,
moss-covered stumps, and stately forest trees, has been
carefully studied by naturalists who have found an
other Chipmunk which is denominated lysferi to dis-
tinguish it from the typical striatus that occurs so
plentifully in the southern half of Pennsylvania, while
on the other hand the Canadian form (lysteri) is sup-
posed to be present in our northern counties. Chip
munks feed largely on mast; they sometimes steal the
farmer's corn, but to compensate such injury they prey
on army worms and sometimes catch yellow butter-
flies.

RATS GALORE.

Rats, at least some kinds, are plentiful and most
vexatious. They eat a great amount of young poultry
and eggs; also devour grain and are a nuisance gen-
erally. Oftentimes when the hen coop is raided the
Skunks, Raccoon, Opossum or little aiijiie Weasel are
made to pay the penalty with their lives for the loss
sustained by the angry owner, who blames them for tin-
thieving act of the cunning Norway Rat, whicli is alike
abundant in coal and iron mines, alM)ut farm buildings
and in the large cities. A black coated rat is of fre-
quent occurrence in the neighborhood of Scranton:
perhaps it is the Black Rat (Mw rattua)^ an introduced
species.

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ALONG THE JUNIATA.

THE CAVE RAT.

There resides in some of our mountainous sections a
laie bairy-tailed and long whiskered an.malcaled
t lllegheny Cave Rat (Neotoma rnafnsfer). Of tlu

bit ofthis mammal I know nothing from personal
b '^vat on. I have, however, seen the spenes m
,., It -Huntingdon. Clinton and Centre counties^
W dsmen say this rat will catch young chickens and
^.reggs; that it is fond of wild birds as weU as then-
eggs, and like other rats will eat grains or other vege-
table materials.

THE FLYING SQUIRREL-

This little animal is common and occurs generally
thrghout Pennsylvania. It — "^^^.^^ *?;,
woods but sometimes will take up its abode in lofts
If "arm houses or hide under a roof, back of plaster
and from some convenient opening come out to st^

hestnuts, shellbarks, hazle nuts, etc., which the school
children have stored away to eat during the long, cold

winter nigbts. /

' '. . ■ - *

SKUNKS.

In the common nomenclature of naturalists there
are two forms of Skunks in Pennsylvania. They are
designated by the names Canadian Skunk and Caro-
linian Skunk. These animals prowl about in the
night to do good, but sometimes they find hens nests,
and the riper the eggs are, the better, it is said,
they are to the palate of the Skunk. In their noc-
turnal wanderings they frequently get into trouble in
various ways, and often cause great inconvenience to
persons who have business or love matters whirh com-

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ALONG THE JUNIATA.

.1 in «nmt^ of our mountainous sections a
Thorp resides in soint oi uui lu^^
H, a'y-tailed and long whiskered an.maleald
1 lllesbeny Cave Rat iNeotoma ,„auisler). Of tlu
,t ofthis mammal I know -tlu.. fr-^^^^^^^^^
„h.orvation. I have, however, seen the species m
! lIunti.,"don. Clinton and Cenlro .M.untH.s.
u- ; dsmen ay this rat will catch youn, chickens and
feTg ; that it is fond of wild birds as well as the.r
og,; and like other rats will eat grains or other vege-
table materials.

THE FLYING SQUIRKKL.

This little animal is common and occurs generally
tu oTgh nt Pennsylvania. It nsnally ^-^s m the
ZZl but sometimes will take «Pit« abode xn lofts
of farm houses or hide under a roof, back of plaster
and from some convenient opening come oul^to stea

hestnuts, shellbarks, hazle nuts, etc., which the schoo
,.l,ildren have stored away to eat during the long, cold
winter nights.

SKUNKS.

In the common nomenclature of naturalists there
are two forms of Skunks in Pennsylvania. They are
dosignat.-d bv the names Canadian Skunk and Caro^
liuian Skunk. Tlieso animals prowl about in the
night to do good, but sometimes they find hens nests
nnd the riper the eggs are. the better, it .s saul.
they are to the palate of the Skunk. Tn their noc-
turnal wanderings they frequently get into trouble in
various wavs. and often cause great inconvenience to
pprsons who have business or love matters wln^h rnm-

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

51 R

pel them to travel after daylight in vehicles ilonjr
public highways.

THE MOST USEFUL MAMMALS.

Farmers and sportsmen, in fact people in general,
speak ill of Skunks, and altliough they are probably ihc
most useful of all our mammals in destroying noxious
insects and troublesome mice, farmers and horticul-
turists will encourage their destruction.

Skunks are easily domesticated and become as gentle
as kittens, and they can, a writer aflSrms, be handled
with impunity if care is taken to use the tail as a
handle.

Skunks are prolific animals, and they are abundant
in this Commonwealth where many thousands arc
every year captured and their pelts shij>]K'd mostly to
New York and Philadelphia markets.

THEY DO GOOD SERVICE.

Notwithstanding the untold services whicli thesis
animals do in the farming districts, farmers as a rule
allow hunters and trappers to employ all devices which
their ingenuity can invent to slay these four-footed
1 r()t(M-tors of cultivatc^d (*roi)s. Strange, is it not. how
prejudice and ignorance, like love and confidence
wrongfully placed, will often lead one to do that which
sooner or later does him serious injury?

It would be a wise expenditure of public money if
the State officials who have full power would direct
subordinates who are entirely competent to do such
work to prepare and have published for the widevf
possible circulation to school children and farmers,
books and bulletins which would fully explain the

517

,U.ds mammals, insects, trees and plants and the value

Duas, "^ ' . ^^Q human race.

,,uch mo8 of them a e to tbe ^^^^^^ ^^

such l*"^!^^-^^^:';'; '\^'/^^j;,e at large throughout
,f fai- more «^''7;: V''. ^^^P^'^Lber^me and tardy
the Oommouvealth than t^e u""^ documents

Tf..nslative Kecord, and certain otner uoc
t^^illso often find their way to the juuh shop.

LET THE MIIXIONAIHE HELP THE POOR.

Generally, However, when efforts are made to in.v
vi^t- . sua really useful publications, whuh .
be of great worth to the poorer classes and whicl
irid be paid for largely by corporations and n
r^:l^al taxpayers of large Holdings some w.se)

(„ „,e that their utterances, made most guardedl> an.i
"vnllion under. .fCu. th.- mask .f hypu.r..H-.l
ien IP were given birth to hide their own ques-
::ble methods,%ven if it did injury to other- «
endeavored to be honest and when placed n ofhu. 1
„,aces faithfully tried, to tlu- 1m st ot ^'^^^^>:^
give to the public printed matter in an attractne and

useful form.

THE AVOODCHUCK.

This bothersome animal, which is known to inany
as the Ground Hog. is common and of wide d.s.nbu-
tion throughout the State.

WHAT A VKACTICAL FARMKR WROTE.

My good old friend, the late A. C. Sisson, of La
riume, Pa., about two years ago, and but a few days

'1;^'!

518

before his sudden death, which was lamented by all
who were acquainted with this true christian and
honest gentleman, wrote as follows:

**The Ground Hog, or Woowchuck, is fast becoming one of
the farmer's and gardner's most destructive enemies. I would
most earnestly recommend legislative aid in suppressing this
intolerable nuisance. There should be a bounty of at least
twenty-five cents upon every one killed. I have looked in vain
for some one redeeming trait in this sneaking, groveling curs*3
to the agriculture of our State. He is a gross feeder, devour-
ing nearly as much clover as a full grown sheep; he eats to
give him strength to dig holes, and then he digs holes to give
him an appetite for more clover. He takes supreme delight in
tearing the bark from young fruit trees, and will wipe out
entirely a good sized bean patch in a day, and will make
truck gardening impossible in many localities, and his sub-
terraneous excavations make it dangerous to drive teams over
our fields. It is said that he hibernates in the winter and
ceases for a time to follow his damaging occupation, but it
would seem that he simply retires when he can spend the
long winter months in making diagrams for new and more
extended operations for the coming season. Whether or not
he could be domesticated and educated so as to be utilized
in promoting sub-irrigation and laying drain tile, is an unex-
plored field for scientific investigation."

THEY ARE GOOD FOR FOOD.

The succulent vegetable diet of the burrowing
VVoodchuck makes his flesh, particularly when he is
young, a most toothsome article of food for man, con
sequently this species is much sought after by many
for the table. The thick and strong hide when prop-
erly cured is used, I am infonned, in some sections to
make shoes which are said to be particularly durable.
Sulphur fumes, gun powder, or dynamite when ignited
juid placed in the Woodclnuk's und(*r«ireund retreats,
speedily destroy him; and a rifle in skillful hands will
soon enable the fanner to rid himself of these annov-

ft

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519

f.. THE MICE.

„f dollars 10S8 annnallv m .^^e ajnon
...unities Wlu-n the farmer .s at rest m the nign
: hese sprightly, sleek-coat^ Uttle robbers b.
eome most active and prey upon the results of the

husbandman's care and labor. omnivorous-

The common Hons,. Mouse, an exotu-. is omnivoious

it Its been kno.n to Uill -U'e birds and y<mn,cb-^^

,.ns The White-footed Mouse hkes hone> and he also.

: . idM been known to attack f^^ckens but^Jew

davs old. Dr. C. Hart Merriam. wntmg of the White

t

foot Monso, says:

v.mrs dead blrd« placed In Its wa> . '"^eed. tm^ '
naturally, that the suspicion arises as to whe he it does no
sometimes capture and prey upon the smaller birds
roosts at night."

MICK, HAWKS AND OWLS.

The thoughtful person says: Why is it that these
nimble four-footed pests which i"^«^"/^^"^^•:^^r:
and grass fields have increased so rapidly w.thm the
last few vears? The answe. is: I" <l'e first place
thev are hardv and exceedingly prolific: then popular

520

prejudice and widespread ignorance throughout
Pennsylvania, a few years ago, prompted the lawmak-
ers to pass a measure which allowed bounties to be
paid for all kinds of Hawks and Owls as well as some
other animals. These birds, with few^ exceptions,
and some of the mammals, also, which were included
in the bounty law, lived almost wholly on Meadow
Mice. These birds of prey and their co-partners, or
the mice-destroying mammals, had voracious appetites,
and being numerous in agricultural districts, they read-
ily kept the Mice in check.

T\w stimulus which Scalp Acts gave hunters to
shiy, seemingly without any consideration, nearly all
kinds of wild birds and mammals thev found, re-
sailed in the killinj^ of manv thousands of animals
whose dietary consisted almost entirely of destructive
Mice. Hawks and Owls, which are foremost among
Nature's natural agencies to aid man in combating
th(» voles or Meadow Mice, are not jnolific like manv
others of the feathered kind.

Th(* cruel warfare so relentlessly waged for many
years, with Ivcgislative aid, against these faithful
guardians of the farmer's crops, is now being most
dearly paid for by the loss annually of thousands of
dollars through ravages of the rapidly increasing
army of well fed, sleek Meadow or Field Mice.

521

■'"'Cfl'out, .Mch som.tin.os will eat Mice, are
„ lit in u,aW of the cool n.ountain str« a.^ -
Ue winter season, when tiio numerous lakes in no. th
rjrn rennsvlvania are fi-o.en over, fishing w.thtlc
W' for pidcerel. through holes made m the u-e, is
, ,!^vorite d version with many persons. Certam spe-
1 oTflsh c-itch ducks and sometimes other feathered
Z:.Xt^^^^^<^ they do in this direction is not
very great.

FISHES.

One hundred and fifty kinds of fishes, it is said, are
found in the waters (Lake Erie included) of Pennsvl-
vania. Many of these are highly valuable for f(M)d.

The Susquehanna river at different points, fui-

^1

i

:«• M

522

•

1 "^ 'v ; '^\t:.

...

Section 1.

•

EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY. AND

THE DELAWARE AND VIRGINIA

PENINSULA.

Principal Kindb of Game.

MAMiMALS:
Rabbits, Squirrels, Raccoons, Foxes, Deer.

BIRDS:

Quail, Ducks, Plieasaiits, Reed Biids, Snipe, Rail Birds, Wood-
cock, Geese, Doves, Plover, Marsh Hens.

Principal Kinds of Fish,
salt water:

Sheepshead, Bass, Weakfish, Drum, Porgy, Blue Fish, Flounder,

Black Fish.

FRESH WATER:
Bass, Perch, Pike, Trout, Carp, Catfish, Rock Fisj?, Sun Fish.

RABBITS.

Rabbits seeui to be the most {^[enerallv distributed
Ttioinmalian j^ame to be found in the territorj'
reached by the IVnusvivania Railroad. Tliey are
most plentiful in the Eastern agricultural districts,
in the lowlands and meadows along the Atlantic
Coast, and in that long stretcli of timber land com
monly called **barrens,^' extending through New Jer-
sey from the vicinity of Raritan Bay southward to
near the mouth of the Maurice nver. The best lo
calities for hunting this kind of game are near Wood-

523

Z and in the forests near Atco and Winslow June
voad, ana m luc Tp.r«pv on the Atlantic

":• sir 'z^^2^^' "^-^ ^"r

'^Z:Z ot Sp....«a. Miad,«« county Ne.

Weiehts in Ocean county. AH of these towns i
!: d httel accommodations, and with the ex-pt.on o
Vtoo and Island Heights no guides are needed, at the
i L points guides are preferable and ca. he se^
cured. R^^bbits are also reported plentiful in the
V cinitv of I^wes and Rehoboth. Sussex county, De .-
w"re on the Delaware Division of the Philadelphia
Wnmiiton ..Baltimore RniU'oad. Ample bote
accommodations are afforded, and no guides are
needed.

SQUIRRELS.

Squirrel., like Rabbits, are found throughout the
eastern se tion of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware. Thev are less plentiful, however, in this
terrirorv, owing to the absence of large forest trees
T?ey ai-e, perhaps, most numerous in the vicinity of
Splwo<;d! Middlesex county, New Jersey and a ong
the Millstone river in Somerset county. New Jersey,
me first point is reached via the Amboy Division
and the latter via the New York Division to East MiU-
stone or Rockv Hill. The best Squirrel hunting, how-
ever, is probably found in the Allegheny Mountains.

RACCOONS.

Raccoons seem to have become quite scarce. A few
mar still be found along the Millstone river in Somer-
set "county, New Jersey, reached via the New ^ork

. ^anMF-

525

524

•i-'

Division to East Millstone or Rocky Hill; also in the
neighborhood of Winslow Junction, Camden county,
New Jersey, on the Atlantic City Division of the West
Jersey and Seashore. They are also reported in fair
numbers in the vicinity of Milford, Kent county, Dela-
ware, on the Delaware Division of the Philadelphia,
Wilmin;^ton & Baltimore Railroad. Guides are un-
necessary, and any of the towns named furnish good
hotel accommodations.

FOXES.

F(h\es are reported very scarce in the eastern district
A few are still found in the vicinity of Hammonton and
Egg Harbor, Atlantic county, New Jersey, on the At-
lantic City Division of the West Jersey and Seashori-
Railroad. Better fox hunting, however, is found
among the Alleghenies.

DEER.

At two points only in the eastern section are deer
reported. Tn the wooded districts lying between Egg
Harbor, Atlantic county, and Yineland, Cumberland
county, New Jersey, deer hunting is said to be still
quite good. Yineland is reached via the Cape May
Division of the West Jersey and Seashore, Egg
Harbcr via the Atlantic City Division. Guides are
considered necessary and can be secured at either of
the above-named points. These towns also afford
good hotel accommodations.

BIRDS.

- . QUAIL.

Quail are reported most plentiful around Spotswood,
iliddlesex county; Port Norris, Cumberland county;

..r.nntv New Jerscy ; and

gunuing is ^^^jf/^'^r Gvande, Ocean Vie.-,
Bndgeton Cape May, ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^co, Hammou.

Woodbine B^"^?'^"^' Gilford, Seafoid, Ku-k-

ton and Wenoah, ^ew Jc^^^J' ^,^^.^^, Centreville,

wood, Clayton and »''^>™^'':^, Hurslev and Berlin,
I 11 TJirlHf'v Trappe,Maiydel,tiursiej^a

Hopewell, Ridgley,iiapy, ijirdsboro and

Maryland; Potts owri, SpnngC^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^.

Aubuin, P-^yi^'^"" Id wbere necessary. Go<k1

needed, but can be «^<="^^^ T'td at all of the above
hotel accommodations are afforded at all

points, except Rio Grande, Kew Jersey.

WILD DUCKS.

1 i>.,v w the honio of wild ducUs, and
The Chesapeake bay is the iioi .pounds.

^r n.o Peninsula arc tlieii leeuiUf, »
(ho shores ol ihc luun eastern shore

;:;:t' iTdu* «un„i„... E«ene„. *-«5j •;;;:;;

^ , ^. A ■ Mr..T ToVind Bay, Pocomoke and iangiti
al30behadinHoglsianai.a;y, vicinitv of

Keller and l^xmou . -l East on,

previous notice may sometimes be necessary.

^i

}^^

nzTfjBEaiT'wrrTm

I

52()

hotel accamraodations are afforded at the larger
towns. r

PHEASANTS.

Pheasants are most plentiful in the Jersey "barrens"
around Brown's Mills Junction, Woodbine, Rio
(hande, Belleplain, and Hammonton; alsio around
Quinton, Alloway, Bridgeton, Manahawken and Rocky
Hill. Fair gunning is also reported on Welsh Moun-
tains near Dowingtown. Guides are not necessary
and good hotel accommodations are afforded with the
exception of Rio Grande.

REED BIRDS.

Reed birds are very plentiful in their season along
the Lower Delaware, the Delaware Bay, and the larger
tributaries. They are reported most plentiful near
Linwood, Pennsylvania, Swedesboro, Burlington,
Quinton, Salem, Bridgeton, and Port Elizabeth, New
Jersey. Guides are sometimes needed and can be
secured. All of the above points afford good hotel
accommodations.

SNIPE.

Snipe are found in greatest numbers in the marshes
and on the river shores near the coast. They are re-
ported particularly plentiful along the Rehoboth Bay,
Rehoboth; along the Indian river and Beach near
Frankford, and along the Delaware & Chesapeake
canal near Delaware City, Delaware. Good shooting
is also reported in the marshes near Quinton, Sea Isle
City, and around Seaville, New Jersey. Guides are
sometimes desirable and can be secured. Good hotel

527
named towns.

RAIL BIRDS.

X i^^f^fiii in the marshes along

M birds «e »»«/X«„Sl their tribufrle..

,l,e MaT>«ro bay anfl '"'li!,ut .ear Ui>»oed «v.i

The; are reported mo,t «^»;^«"'^' !,,„„.,„ oity.

„„ya„b 7"'^™^:; .^.rSWth. Wd^t»,
f ,t Cem r/c^h a»6 Ue.a.co, New Je^y.
SScX-her. and ^ bote, .ec«mnu,d..,o«.

can be had.

WOODCOCK.

woodcock are reported most plentiful around BeUe-
,1, cape Ma,-, AUo.ay, ^^^^^^.^ ^; S-
Jersey; and along the canal at Delawaic uuy,

ware.

GEESE.

WM oeese are mo. plentiful ia "-•l"';;;;;;^ l^^';
, ,„d,.n Eiver near F'ankford^and . e »' JJ I5^« ^.

"z tr:::'H ir:: ',«r Mar,-.and. oo.d

H„":; reeoJlnltio,;, are a«orded, bn, «ni.,ea are
hardly needed.

DOVES.

Turtle Doves are most plentiful in season in the vi
• 1 !f Oane May Atco. Wenonah and Martins
S NeW^rse and Seaford and Belbyville. Dela-
Ze: No guides are needed; good hotel accommoda-
tions.

3^;.

528

PLOVER.

Good Plover shooting is found in season near Mobrs
ville and Leesport, Berks county; Waverlj, New Jei
sey, and Delaware City, Delaware.

0

MARSH HENS.

Marsh Hens or Mud Hens are reported most plenti-
ful in the marshes near Anglesea, Wildwood, Sea Isle
City, and Pleasantville, New Jersey. Guides are pre-
ferable; good hotel accommodations are afforded at
all of these towns except Pleasantville.

FISH.

SALT WATER FISHING.

Excellent salt water fishing is found all along the
Atlantic Coast from Cape Charles, at the inouth ot
the Chesapeake, north to Asbury Park and Long
Branch. The best fishing, possibly, is found in the vi-
ciL'ity of Anglesea and Ocean City, Gape May county,
Beach Haven and liarnegat. Ocean county, New Jer-
sey; Rehoboth, Lewes, and Millsboro, Sussex county,
I)elaware; Ocean City, Worcester county, Maryland;
Franklin City and Chincoteague, Accomac county,
r.nd Cai>e Charles, North-ampton county, Virginia.
Al.<(. on tlie eastern side of the Chesapeake at Ohos
fertown, Oxford, Cambridge and Crisfield. At tlu^sc
points almost any kind of salt fish may be found in
large numbers. Sea Bnss are perhaps most plentiful
in the vicinity of Anglesea; Slieepshead in Barnegat
Bny, (Jreat Egg Harbor Bay, and Corson^s Inlet near
Ocenn City, New Jersey: Blue Fish in Barnegat Bav
and On^nt K^^^ Hnrbor; Blnckfish at Chestertown.
Kent conniy, Afarvbind: Flounders in Barnegat P»av.

529

Umost any of the South Jersey seashore points may
i refch^^ from Philadelphia by morning trams m
tLe tot^oy a good day^s fishing and retur. agam m
the evening.

FRESH WATER FISHING.
BASS.

The best Black Bass fishing is reported along the
llpir Delaware from Lambertville, New Jersey
no^ward to Hancock, New York. Excellent flshmg
•r reported near Milford, Riegelsville, Carpenterville,
Martin's Creek, Manunka Chunk, Delaware i^ater
Gap, and further up at Port Jenis, Narrowsburg, and
Cochecton. Good fishing is also found in ^^
wine near Wilmington, and in the Schuylkill and its
larger tributaries.

PERCH.

Probably the best Wbite Perch fishing in the United
States is found near Betterton, Kent county, Mary
land, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bax.
Good fishing is also found in the Delaware nver as
far north as Milford, New Jersey, and generally a
considerable distance up all the Iributanes of hat
«lream. Among the streams on the Jersey side where
,„vroh abound in thoh- soason are the Rancocas. r,>o,.-
,.,'s Timber, Woodbury. Salem.Cohansey. and AUoway
Creeks and Maurice river. The Nesliaminy and
Brandvwine near their mouths also abound witl> them.

PIK'E.

I'ike tishiuf: is reported good in the tributaries of
tho Delaware river, as well as the rive.-s and .-.•eeks

34-11

t

m

m

530

of the Delaware Peninsula. The Ban cocas, Cross-
wick and Alloway creeks afford, perhaps, the best
pike lishin^.

TROUT.

The best Brook Trout fishing in the eastern district
is undoubtedly found in Monroe and Pike counties.
In the Big Bus-hkill, Saw, Broadhead^s and Lacka-
waxen creeks trout are quite plentiful; also in the
tributaries of the Upper Delaware. Henryville,
Cresco, and Canadensis, Monroe county, furnish good
headquarters for trout fisherman.

CARP.

Carp are becoming quite plentiful in the tributaries
of the Delaware, and good fishing may be found in
Mantua, Bancocas, Chester, Darby, and Brandywiue
creeks; also in the Schuylkill river near Spring City.
Carp, like some other exotic animals which have been
brought to this country, have become a great nuisance.
Since Carp are so numerous in many of our streams
and ponds it is found that they have, in some places,
almost depopulated the waters of other kinds of very
desirable fishes. Fortunately the laws of Pennsylva-
nia, through the efforts of our eHrtcient Board of Fish
Commissioners, do not give protection to the Carp at
any season of the year.

CAT FISH.

Cat Fish are quite plentiful in all of the streams in
this [>art of the country, and may be found in any of
the tributaries of the Delaware river. They are re-
IK)rted quite plentiful at Alloway, Bridgeton, Port

5H1

Fli/abc4h VVestviUe, Clayton, Burlington and French-
fown, Ne; Jersey, ^nd in the Neshaminy creek near
Croydon.

ROCK FISH.

Itock Fi.h arc reported quite plentiful near Mana-
l.iwken Burlington and Delanco, New Jersey; Berlin
id Ce^treville Maryland; and Milford, Delaware
City and Clayton, Delaware. Good hotel accommo-
dations can be had at any of these points.

SUN FISH.

Sun Fish are most plentiful, perhaps, near Fish
House Station, New Jersey. They are also .juite
numerous at Rocky Hill, East Millstone, Alloway,
Lumberton, Florence and Burlington, New Jersey;
also in the Schuylkill river and Manatawney creek
near Douglassville, Berks county.

9

532

Section 2.

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WEST OF THE

8USQUEHANNA EIVER AND ITS TEIBUTA-

KIES, AND EAST OF THE SUMMIT

OF THE ALLEGHENIES.

Painoipal Kinds of Game.

MAMMALS:
Rabbits, Squirrels, Deer, Bears, Foxes, Raccoons, Wildcats.

BIRDS:

Piieasants, Quail, Wild Turkeys, Ducks, Woodcock, Geese, Snipe,

Reed, and Rail Birds.

Principal Kinds of Fish,
freshwater:

Brook Trout, Bass, Carp, Ferch, Pike, Salmon, Rock Fish, Sun

Fish, Cat Fish.

RABBITS.

Generally speaking, rabbits are less plentiful in this
section tlian in Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
They are well distributed throughout the territory,
however, and good hunting may 1x3 found in most of
the river valleys. The best rabbit hunting is reported
ill the vicinity of .Mt. Union and Huntingdon, Hunt
ingdon county, and near Tipton, Blair county; also in
the neighborhood of Cameron, Camerc-n county,
Johnsonbur^ and Kalhbun, Elk County, on the Phila-
delphia and Erie Railroad; Snow Shoe, Centre county;
Gap imd Teach Bottom, T^incaster cminty, and Conn-

533

erod necesmry and can be sec ^i^ove-named .

,• .f Tii.tou Rathl.nn and Crap, an uie
t'*»"^'f ''''"• 1 T,^t<.i nccommodations.
points afford good hotel accom

SQUIRRELS.

r,„merous in this section, espe-

Squin-els are --;:;^^ .'^:::„„tains. They are re-

ciully an^onj,' the A"eghcn> m ^^^^^ „f

,..ted most «^^-^-\,t^.1;H"ntin,don; also at
Mt. Union, and ,n the ^'^^''^ johnsonbnrg, Elk

Snow Shoo. Centre conn y, «"* a^ ' neighbor-

county. Good shooting m also f^"'^* ° ^he «

r ^"rnr:;:'Sr::: rs:red necess^

f;r tLlt::^^^^o^^^^ can be had at any of
these i)oints.

PF.KR.

,.n Tno<,t plentiful along the line of

Peer are ^Xl' T^^e Railroad west of Lock
the rhiladelph^a an^ Ene ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Haven, and while they «'« " ^^^ ^jeinity of

good hunting may ^t^ be -3o;f^^^^^^^^„,„g (Kar-

Snow ^^^- Xv -XX^raonA Valley near Hunt-
thans mountam); m the uia ^h-^ek, Hunt-

ingdon; on Tussey m,onnta,n --^^-^;^,,,/, near
ingdon county, and also on the ^'^^ ^^^^

Reedsville. Mifflin county, and on Ma^o^ .

near Glen Iron, Union county. The be.t ^-^
however, is evidentlv fcund ^-^^^l^^^^^^ Haven
.egion ^^%j:f::tc^^^^^e.. It
rr;Se<?r the'^laVlphia and Krie Railroad to

534

Lock Haven, Karthaus or Driftwood, or via the Penn-
sylvania Railroad and Bald Eagle Valley Railroad
to Snow Shoe. Guides are generally considered
necessary for deer hunting, and may be secured at any
of the above named stati(ms. Good hotel accommoda-
fions can also be had.

BEARS.

Bears are found in various parts of the AUe-
•^^henies, along the line of the Philadelphia and Erie
Railroad, and in the neighborhood of Altoona. They
an* reported most plentiful on Karthaus mountain in
the vicinity of Sinnemahoning; on the mountains
around Lock Haven, and in the vicinity of Snow Shoe.
A few may also be found near Rathbun and Renovo,
and also in the Allegheny mountains near Tipton and
Altoona, Blair county, and on Jack's mountain near
Glen Iron, Union county. As in the case of deer, the
best hunting grounds are evidently in Clearfield,
Centre and Clinton counties, especially in the oeigh-
borhood of Snow Shoe. Guides are ne:edsary, and
can be secured at any of the above mentioned points.
Good hotel accommodations are also afforded, with
the exception of Tipton and Rathbun.

FOXES.

Foxes are reported most plentiful on Jack's moun-
tain north of Mt. Union; among the hills and moun
tains around Bellwood, Blair county, and in the vi
cinity of Johnsonburg, Elk county. They also are
found in the vicinity of Milesburg, Centre county, and
around Montour Falls, New York. Guides are consid-
ered necessarj- at Bellwood, and can be secured. Good

■ ^;^--'.v

^ , ^

"^H .•■

..■ .v:;^:*a,ASM:'

■'.,■■ • ^-- ♦'V

ll'»*-»?H<2J^

-■H/^r^^)^

•■^4..

'Ir.^

. r*'*-i4.-

• %!« •* ^

X • r-

^» > 'ft • ^, *

:^/^x^

u- •'.

^m.

^-.i:'

■i '■'<.■• -r-

...r.'wK^"^

L », ' /■ ■

%^^r*

'.♦-

■4^*'ii»

t\ -itT

CLINTON COUNTY.

II

534

Lock Hav(»n, Karthaus or Driftwood, or via the Penn-
sylvauiii Railroad aud J^ald Eagle Valley Railroad
to Snow Shoe. Guides are generally considered
necessary for deer hunting, and may be secured at any
of the above named stations. Good liotel accommoda-
fions can also be liad.

If'

<»%.^'-i-*

BEARS.

Hears are found in various ])arts of tlu^ Alle-
;4henies, along the line of the Philadelphia and Erie
Railroad, and in the neighborhood of Altoona. They
are reported most plentiful on Karthaus mountain in
tin* vicinity of Sinnemahoning; on the mountains
around Lock Haven, and in the vicinitv of Snow Sho<'.
A few may also be found near Rathbun and Renovo,
and also in the Allegheny mountains near Tipton and
Altoona, Blair county, and on Jack's mountain near
Glen Iron, Union county. As in the case of deer, the
best hunting grounds are evidently in Clearfield,
Centre and Clinton counties, especially in the oeigh-
bcirhood of Snow Shoe. Guides are ne:e^sary, and
can be secured at any of the above mentioned point.>.
Good hotel accommodations are also afforded, with
the exception of Tipton and Rathbun.

FOXES.

Foxes are reported most plentiful on Jack's moun-
tain north of Mt. Union: among the hills and moun
tains around Bell wood, Blair county, and in the vi
cinity of Johnsonburg, Elk county. They also are
found in the vicinity of Milesburg, Centre county, and
around Montour Falls, New York. Guides are consid-
ered necessary at Belhvood, and can hr secured. Good

^'Af

r -i

-^ys ^^

-- ' r'' *

\ -

J'\^.

'^jd^.,.

•''f^.-*^ -^»r

Xr*

^\V<

-V , ^

^-i^f>:*f".

^^;j^^_*

CLINTON COUNTY.

I

P

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

535

named places. i •.

; RACCOONS.

^^ori nlpntiful at Mt. Union, Hnn-
Raccoon, are -^'J^^^^"*^*; ^,,,,,, and Renov*,

Hugdon county, J«^^;« ^ eonsidered necessary at
Oiinton county. Gmdes are c ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^

.TohnsonbnrR, and can be securea.
inodations are afforded.

\VIT.D CATS.

Good hotel aeeoinmodations can be bad
burij: and St. Mary's.

BIRDS.

PHEASANTS.

'4r ,.iontifnl tbrouehont this sec-
Pheasants are quvt^pjen^f "J ;^^^ fhe hillsides at

^L""'."rrl Mle^hen "^ Th,, «re re-

the foot of *be A leKnen ^^,,^^^ ^^ ^^Sne.

,.,,ted very plentiful "^ *^^ ^ ^.^^.^al Railway;
Lycoming county, on the Norther .^^

al«o on JacK's mountain "^^^^"^ .""^Vr M'«™^"^^'
the neighborhood of ^''f'^^TLuU- nc>ar Ooburn.
MUlmont. and Olen ^^-^^^^Z^'l^^^ around
Spring Mills, and at Zeibj, '^♦'""*' cnanuehanna
Wolfsburg. Bedford county, along ll^e ^-^-^^ ^^
river at FarrensviUe, Clinton county; ^" /^^_^^'""*^„.
inthbun. Elk county, and around ^-^^^ ^^^^^'Z
field county. One of the best locaht.es 1 h^- e^^
found in Pennsylvania for Pheasants .s at Loganton,

n

(i

538

Clinton county. To reach this place you drive about
eighteen miles from Lock Haven. Guides are not
usually ntH^ded, and, Avith the exception of Rathbun,
«i:ood hotel accommodations are afforded.

QUAIL.

Quail are less plentiful than in the eastern district.
The best shooting is evidently along the Lower Sus-
quehanna, in Lancaster countv, and in Cecil countv,
^Faryland. They are reported in good numberK near
Conewago, Pennsylvania, and Rising Sun and Cono-
wingo, Maryland. Quail shooting is also good in the
vicinity of Halifax, Dauphin county. Tliere is good
quail shooting in the agricnltural districts of Snyder
county about Selins Grove, likewise in Oolumbia
couTity in the valley in the neighborhood of Catawissa,
and also in different points in York county. Property
owners, however, in many of these places, object seri-
ously to gunners. The best gunning, however, is evi-
dently in New Jersey.

WILD TURKEYS.

Wild Turkeys are most numerous in this district.
The best hunting ground seems to be along Jack's
mountain from Mt. Union and Mill Creek, Huntingdon
county, northeast to the vicinity of Glen Iron, Union
county. They are reported quite plentiful in the
mountains around Wolfsburg, Bedford county, and
along the Susquehanna in the vicinity of Lock Haven;
also at Barree, Huntingdon county. Tliey are quite
plentiful in Juniata county. Guides are desirable to
direct strangers to the best localities, and they can be
secured at any of the above places. Ample hotel ac-
commodations are afforded.

537

DUCKS.

r • ,. binilft ire of course, most plentiful
Ducks of various kinds are, oi c , ^

1 ^ +hP Lower Susquehanna and in tne ^^^^"^^^

during certain seasons «f fJ'V^ York. Guides
,.ke Kenka and at S<^«^^^^^^^^ Chesapeake Bay,

Td tv tn be icured at any of the above points.
;! hitraccommodations can also be secured, ex-
,-,'i.t at Priuc-ipio and Perryville.

WOODCOCK.

Woodcock are apparently nowiiere abundant- but
alb^ft looting, 'p^ibly, is found in Marjiand m
e vicinitv of Conowingo, Cecil county, and (.hasc
fd«er'sRun,Balt^ county, on the Maryland

; vit;:: of the l>^nadelplna Wilmington and^^^^^^^^^^^
more Railroad. This kind of game ^^ ^Iso tound m
Mr numbers around Canton, Bradford count, ,^a
Bloomsburg, Columbia county, and along the Jun.ata
river near Altoona. Guides are needed at Altoon.,,
but are not considei-ed necessary at the other points
Good hotel accommodations are afforded, except at
Stemmer's Run.

GEESE.

Geese may be found along the line of the Philadel-
pMa Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad in the njh-
borhood of Ferryman, Hartford county, and Bengies,

It' :

II -I

m

5H8

Chase aad Stemmer's Kun, Baltimore couaty, Mai7
land, on the Western shore of the Chesapeake. Guides
are hardly needed, but they can be secured it desired.
Bengies and Stemnier's Run afford no hotel acoom
modations. /

RAIL BIRDS..

The Carolina Kali, also named Sora, and often im-
properly called ^^Ortolan," is very abundant on the ex-
tensive marshes of the Patuxent in the month of {Sep-
tember. The best places to shoot these birds, in sea-
son along this river, are at Bristol, and Nottingham,
Maiyiand. These points are best reached by the
Pope's Creek Branch of the Baltimore and Potomac
Railroad. At both of these localities sportsmen and
naturalists can find poultry-destroying Hawks and
other animals; good hotel accommodations and first-
class pushers (boatmen) at reasonable mtes can be se
cured. In September, 1897, fully fifteen thousand
Rails, besides large .numbers of Reed Birds, and a
goodly number of wild ducks and snipe were shot on
the marshes around Bristol. As many as 150 Rails
were credited to one boat in a day; but the average
was about fifty of these toothsome birds to a tide. To
reach Bristol from Philadelpliia go to Marlboro by tht^
cars and drive to the river; and to visit Nottingham
procure a ticket for Croome and take horse and wagon
to the desired point. Arrangements can be made in
advance by mail for pushers, hotel accommodations
and conveyance to and from the railroad stations. Foi-
such information address Wilson Owens, Leon (name
of postoffice at Bristol), Md., or Capt. John MaKMibbin,
Xottingham, Md.

539

, .. ..;: . SNIPE.

A f.w Snipe may be found along the lake shores
rJ^nsN^w York; also along the Conewago
Z^lSZ^Zo, Lan;.ster county ; on the Patu.-
.driver near Croome, Prince George cM>nnty, Mary
1 and along Ramney creek near Perryman Har-
ord'countv Maryland. In March and April, or durmg
:e Xafmigrations there is usually very good Bn^^
shooting along the Patuxent river, especially m the
marshes in the neighborhood of Bristol, Md. It is
nothing unusual for a skillful marksman to make a
baroTtwentT-flve or thirty English or Wilson's Snipe
in a da at this place. You can reach Bristol by nver
steamer Jrom Baltimore, but the quickest way to get
reTf rom Philadelphia is via the Pennsylvan,a r^V
Id to Marlboro, and then drive about five miles. No
ll'des are necesLiry and good hotel accommodations
can be had.

REED BIRDS.

Reed Birds are found in good ^^^^''\'']^''^'^'
Patuxent river near Marlboro, Ci-oonus ""iJ ^^-^^^^^
Prince George county. Maryland and m t'- -^^^^
near Bennin^a, I). C. Good boatmen can be secuml

Hery rea.>„able rates, and the ^^tel accommoda
tions are good. During the first two weeks ui Septen
her Reed Birds are usually very abund^uit «" /»'« *^*^-
Txent river marshes in the neighborhood of Marlboro
Kristol and Croome. These places can be reached ,n
a few hours ride from Philadelphia.

II

540

FISH.

BROOK TROUT.

The best Trout fisliing is endently in Ck^ntre county,
and in the vicinity of Emj>orium, Oamei*on county.
In Centre county the best fishing is found in Buffalo
Eun and Spring Creek near Bellefonte; Fishing Creek,
Sinking Creek and Penn's Creek, near Centre Hall; and
the Bald Eagle Creek, Moshannon Ci*eek, Marsh
Creek and Beech Creek in the western part of th(^
county. All of these points are reached A'ia the Bald
Eagle Valley and Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroads.
Bellefonte, Tyrone, and Snow Slioe afford aui])le hojcl
acci'iuTuoda lions. In Cameron countv the best fish-
ing is found in the headwaters of Elk creek and Clear
Creek, and in the numerous runs around Driftwood
and Emporium. Good fishiim- is also re])()rl(Hl in the
ncnghboi'hood of Westport and Kenovo, Clinton
county; Tlathbun, Elk county; Adamsburg and Beaver
low 11, Siivdoi* coiinlv, and (Men Iron. Cherrv liuii,
Tniou couuly; also in Belle Knn near Frugality, Cam
bria county, and in Sjnuce creek near Pennsylvania
Furnace. All of tlu^se ])oints except Pennsylvania
Furnace and Halhburn, furnish good hotel accommoda-
tions. Guides are usually desirable to locate tlu'
str(NUUs and best fishing grounds.

BASS.

Bass fishing is reported good all along the Susque-
hanna, Ihe •hiniata and their principal tributaries.
The best fishing, however, is found in the Lower Sus-
quehanna from Columbia south to the Chesapeake.
In fact, no better bass fishing can l>e found in the
country than at Port Deposit, Octoraro, Rowlands-

oil

t r and W^C»n B^oi.^. !--"« ^^ '
Harbor, ana vv ci»u iub „^,,p,,.tpd at Sinnemalxon-

Excelleu. ba» ».»g » ^^"^^J^ '^^mou co»u.y and
i„S, Can>c,™ county, Glen UnHJO, ^,^.^^,

,„ H»n,m.d»n aud .a h ^^^ ^^ ,„„„ o,

,':;:.M;™,i ^ 1.- acU.»«dat,o,. ..„d „.d.»

it' desired.

CARP.

r: ;i:r,:^;.t."r.':^u.e. acco«uu.^a.,on.

: ,d . u^^^if ao,[,ed. Gaido, ..-o not 80am.".v »«"•
'Ildered necsaty, however, for m> ku,d of Mnag.

PERCH.

The best perch fishing is found along the Lower

Susquehanna «f ^ ^^^^^ Good perch fishing
western shore of the ChesapeaKe. « i ^

is reported at Oonowingo and Perryville, Cecil counT>
MarTand; at Ferryman, Harford county andj
Hen.^ies Wem.ner's Run and Chase Baltimore
"mt" 'Maryland, on the Philadelphia, Wilmvngton &
rmmore liilroad. Good fishing is also reported m
rrtuxent river near Croome, Prince George county,
Maryland; in the Potomac at Bennmgs D^ Cm
Seneca Lake at Watkins, New York, «"^ -J^^^
Bav, Lake Ontarfo. With the exception of Perryville,

i

it^

542

Bengies and Steniiner's Run, good hotel accommoda-
tions are afforded at all of the above points. Guides
are needed for fishing along the Chesapeake, and can
be secured at such points.

♦ * •

PIKE. ,

Good pike fishing is reported at Cherrytree, Cam-
bria county; in the mountain streams around Altoona;
in Seneca Lake at Watkins, New York; in the Sus^
quehanna river at Williamsport and East Bloomsburg,
and at Bainbridge, Lancaster county; also in the
streams around Bengies, Chase and Stemmer^s Run,
Maryland, on the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti-
more Railroad. Good hotel accommodations can be
had at all of the above points except Bengies and
Stemmer's Run. Guides are considered necessarv for
pike fishing and can be secured.

SALMON.

Salmon are found almost exclusively in the Susque-
hanna and Juniata rivers. They are reported most
plentiful in the vicinity of Middletown, Dauphin
county, although good fishing is also found at Cono-
wingo, Maryland; McCall's Ferry, Safe Harbor,
Wrightsville and Steelton; and as far north as Glen
Union, Clinton county ,► and Wapwallopen, Luzerene
county. Along the Juniata good salmon fishing is
found at Newport, Perry county. Guides are consid
ered necessary for salmon fishing, and can be secured
at most any of the above-named places. Good hotel
accommodations are also afforded.

ROCK FISH.

The best rock fishing is found alonji; the Lower Sus-
qnohnnna. nnd in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay; at

548

Kowlandsville, Octoraro, Oonowingo, Ferryman, ^^^-^
^ Stemmer^s Run, and Chase, Md., ^nd at For To^
£0 and Croome on the Pope's Creek Branch of the
Smore and Potomac Railroad. Guides can be se-
:^'Zr.n^ of these points, as well as hot.l accommo-
aadons, wiih the exception of Bengies and Stemmer'.
Run. ^ V * •

SUN FISH.

Sun Fish are reported most plentiful at Notting-
ham, Chester countj; Oonewago, Lancaster county ;
at Ferryman, Harford county, and HoUins, Baltimore
county, Maryland, on the Northern Central Railway,
and at Sodus Point, New York. Good hotel accom-
modations can be had at any of these points, except
Nottingham. Guides are not necessary.

CAT FISH.

Good cat fishing is reported at Rising Sun, Cecil
.■ountv, and Bengies, Baltimore county, Maryland; at
McOail's Ferrv, Lancaster county ; Rockville, Dauphin
countv, and\t Cherrytree, Cambria county. No
iiuides are necessary, and good hotel accommodations
can be had at all those points except Bengies.

ll

^

■ ■ ■

i* ■ 1

514

Section 3.

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WEST OF THE

SUMMIT OF THE ALLEGHENY

MOUNTAINS.

Principal Kinds op Game.

MAMMALS:
Rabbits, Foxes, Squirrels, Deer, Bears.

BIRDS:
Pheasants, Quail, Wild Turkeys, Ducks.

Pbinoipal Kinds of Fihh.
fresh water:

Trout, J5ass, Salmon, Carp, Perch, Pike, Rock Fish, (.'at Fish.

RABBITS.

West of the Alleghenies Rabbits are most pleutiful
in the mountains in the neighborhood of Lilly and in
the "Big Woods" near Summerhill, Cambria county,
and around Nineveh and Penn Station, Westmoreland
county. Guides are not necessary, but if desired they
can be secured. Good hotel accommodations are af-
forded.

FOXES.

Foxes are reported quite plentiful along the Chest-
nut Ridge Hillsides, Westmoreland county; also
around S-axonburg, Butler county, ten miles west of
Ebensburg, and in the mountains around Lilly, Cam-
bria county. Guides are usually considered necessary,

545

A on he secured. Ample hotel accommodations
tZi^ aTanae abo^e stations excep, H,n.,d..

SQUIRRELS.

Souirrels are most plentiful in the neighborhood of

.. Tltaton Westmoreland county; they are also

rtotet^telmerous in the vicinity .^^^

Villev Junction, and around Nmevah ^tat»«°- /"

l^ills are needed, and good hotel accommodations

can be secured.

L DEER.

Deer are quite plentiful along the chestnut ridge

,„d" urel Hill nl Ninevah Btation, Westmoreland

nntv and thev mav be found in tlie vicmity of Kane,

M^^an county. ^ Guides are necessary and can be

secured. Good hotel accommodations can also be had.

BEARS.

bears mav be found in the vicinity of Gi-oyland, Elk
eoun also in the mountains at Farrandsville above
Uck Haven, and at I.-ganton, which latter place is also
roiinton county, and can be reached by -gon trmu
either Lock Haven or Coburn; r.nd abon Uye nnles
.Ithwest of Kane. McKean county. ( uides a.,
needed and can be secured, as well as '""P>« .'" ^^l^;;.'
...uunodations. Bear shooting, like hunt.ng \N . d Tm-
kevs is gei.erallv followed with very unsatisfactoiy le-
Sts I would' not reconuuend any one to ,o after
Hears unless he is able to do a lot of l;«-^t'-;M;»;;
over rockv, bru.h covered mountain land. You should
nl«o have good dogs whi.h an- experien.-.'d in pnrsu-
in" Bears. Woodsmen and trappers in Pennsylvania

35 II

Ail

546

wlio hunt Bears for their flesh and pelts secure these
animals chitfly by trappin<j:, and few of them appear to
make any effort to eduoate dogs to follow and harass
these hardy brutes as was done by hunters and trup
pers in former years.

BIRDS.

PHEASANTS.

West of the summit of the Alleghenies Pheasants
are reported most plentiful in the mountains around
Lilly, Wilmore, and Ebensburg, Cambria county.
Good gunning is also found near Export and Donohoe,
Westmoreland county; Saxonburg, Butler county, and
Spring Creek and Youngsville, Warren county. Pri-
vate accommodations can be secured at Export; no
hotel accommodations are afforded at Donohoe; good
accommodations can be had at all the other points
named. Guides are not generally needed, although
in Cambria and Warren counties thev are desirable
and can be secured.

QUAIL.

Quail seem to be quite scarce west of the Alle
ghenies, but good shooting is reported to be around
Crab Tree and Ponn, Westmoreland county, and in
the vicinity of Dunbar, Fayette county. Good hotel
accommodations can be secured at these points; no
guidei^ are needed.

WILD TURKEYS.

Wild Turkeys are reported plentiful around Wil
more; along Black Lick A'alley, ten miles west of
P'bensburg, and around Conemangh, Cambria county;

547

,lso along Chestnut Kidge and Laurel HiH Westmore^
nd ountv. With th. exception of Lockport good
itV "Immodations are afforded at all of these
Jits. Guides are sometimes desirable and can be
secured where necessary.

DUCKS.

Ducks are said to be plentiful along the Con-av^h
Ht Nineveh Station, at certain seasons of the jeai.
TUe town affords good hotel accommodations, and n..
cTuides are needed.

FISH.

,4^ . ,i+^*''

...^-i-

Brook tront are reported plentiful in Fo>-^f J*"*^
,.I.son counties, and in the western part o McKean
,.ountv; likewise in Potter county. G<iod fishmg is

Id along the tributaries of Tionesta creek in Fo^e^
,.ounty: along the branches of the north fork in Jeffe^
son county, and along the Kinzua creek in McKeai.

oun V Prettv good trout fishing can be found ah>ng
,he Philadelphia & Erie Railroad from Johnsonburg
to Ck>rry. Guides are generally required.

B.\SS.

Bass are reported most plentiful in Beaver run, five

„.iles west of Export, and in ^^^^ . ^^"^"^""^ "!;;;:
Ninevah, Westmoreland county; in the A"*-ghen>
river near Springdale, Allegheny county, and at Alle-
gheny Vallev Junction, Westmoreland county; also
iii the creeks around Garland, W^irren county. Good
hotel accommodations can be secured at any of these
points; guides are not nooded.

■f: 1

i.^-

{
( 1

548

549

SALMON.

A few salmon may be found in the Allegheny river
near Allegheny Valley eJunetion, Westmoreland county;
in the Monoi-gahela river near Webster, Washington
county and in the Ooneniaugh at Summerhill, Cambria
county. Guides are not needed and hotel aceommoda
tions can be secured.

CARP.

Good carp fishing is found in the Monongahela river
at Webster, Washington county, and in the Alio
gheny river at Allegheny Valley Junction, Westmore
land county.

PERCH.

Good perch fishing can be had at Webster on the
Monongahela river, thirty-five miles south of Pitts
burg.

PIKE.

Pike are repotted quite plentiful in the Conemaugh
river near Ninevah, Westmoreland county. No guides
are needed and good hotel accommodations are af-
forded.

ROCK FISH.

Rock fishing is reported best in the creeks near G-ar
• land, Warren county. Good hotel accommodations
are afforded and no guides are needed.

CAT FISH.

Cat Fish are reported quite plentiful in the Monoii
gahela river near Webster, Washington county.

CHAPTER VII.

TAPEWORMS OF POULTRY.

"".^TlTDr D E Sa mon, Chief of Bureau of Ani-
irrintC; " S. -P— Of A^icuUu^ Was.
iuoton, D. C. says, in lefernng to this mattei .

U£actoryco„d,Uon and the cent ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^
rrneV^aterTr:; those en.a.ed in the inve.tigafon ot
this and allied subjects."

The serious outbreaks of epizootics ^Wch bave jc-
cuired chielly in Europe, among domesticated fo^ Is,
:„d which have been traced to tapeworms wh.h n-
fest Doultry, has led scientific men abroad to investi
^e^i^at cxre, those internal forms of parasitic
Hfe Is a result almost all the literature on the sub-
ject appears in

..:.tin. German. French. Danish UaUan etc while ^"jj^
Knglish language we have only a few sho.t not.oes
these worms."— Stiles.

Within the past two or three years several speci.
...ens of tapeworms and other entozoa have b en sent
to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture with

ai^Lnts that the fowls from which tl- «Pe—
were taken were dying from some ""l^^^^J^r ^•
and that, although the fowls at times showed .n-

550

creased desire for food, tliey grew thin, dull and list
less, and leaving, with ruttled feathers and drooping
wings, tlie rest of the flock, soon died.

In order that an interest involving annually in Penn
sylvnnia about $22,000,000 shall be fully dealt with
in a publication which the Legislature has directt^d
should be prepared to meet the great demand which
comes especially from farmers for such a documeiil,
it has been deemed advisable to reproduce in this
chapter the carefully prepared paper of Dr. C. W.
Stiles, entitled

"A REPORT UPON THI-: PRESENT KNOWLKDOE OF THI:

TAPEWORMS OF POULTRY,"

which was recently published as part of Bulletin IsO.
12 (Bureau of Animal Industry) of the United States
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The
handsome illustrations in this chapter, so true to
nature, have been prepared from drawings made witli
especial c^are, from sjieeimens in the National G-overn-
ment Museum, by Mr. Wm. S. D. Haines, an artist of
rare ability.

This chapter, made up as it is of the most exhaus
five report which tc^ date has ever been printed in
the English language on the Tapeworms, will no doubt,
notwithstanding its technical character, be of great
service to poultry raisers of Pennsylvania, as, by its
teaching, they can learn that which will enable them
to recognize and guard against outbreaks of disease
from parasitic enemies, which have only lately been
investigated by specialists in this country,

Tapcwoims. as well as numerous other internal
parasites, infest wild birds. The abdominal-thoracic
cavity of the common Meadowlark is frequently the

551

,,fuge of masses or balls of parasites (fllaria?); under
he bony covering of the skull of the Anhinga or bnake
tod a species of parasite is usually to be found
These parVsites are often seen in birds of prey which
subsist on an animal diet. Tapeworms are very com-
mon in the intestines of Crow Blackbirds, which are
mnivorous. When in Florida, in 1885, the writer
r,„uul the intestines of several Quail fairly gorged
,,th whitish, pinkish or yellowish colored tapeworms.
„ was noticed that the Quail had been feeding to a
considerable extent on a small species of batrachian,
called by the natives "rain or sand frogs. In a
period of about three months, in 1895, the writer ob-
tained fully one hundred and twenty-five specimens of
internal parasites from land and water birds and do-
niesticated fowls in Florida. These specimens pre-
pared in alcohol, with full data, were presented to the
late Joseph Leidy, M. D. Many of these specimens,
some of which were new to science, were fully dfr
scribed by Prof. Leidy. in Medical Journals, etc.
■ Unfortunately, the fire of 1897, which destroyed the
office, library, note books, etc., of the writer, consumed
a large amount of data concerning tapeworms and
other parasites of wild birds, mammals and domestic
fowls, which had been collected by me in the field or
l)resented bv mv esteemed friend and instructor. Prof.
Joseph I.eidv, who had, a short time prior to his death,
i.ccumulated a considerable amount of data concern
ing tapeworms of domesticated fowls and wild ani-
mals. ,

B. H. WARRE>.

552

REPORT UPON THE PRESENT KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TAPEWORMS OF POULTRY.

BY CH. WAKDBLL ftTlLKS.

PAKT 1.

It lias beeu known for years that tapeworms infest
domesticated poultry, and in some cases they cause
serious epizootics among fowls. The outbreaks thus
Tar recorded have occurred chietiy in Europe, and as
a natural outcome almost the entire work which has
been published on these parasites is the result ol
European investigations. The literature upon the
subject is accordingly in Latin, German, French, Dan-
ish, Italian, etc., while in the English language we have
only a few short notices concerning these wonns.
Generic and specific diagnoses of the parasites of this
group are almost unknow n articles in the English Ian
guage, while as yet we have absolutely no reliable data
as to how many species of tapeworms are found in
American poultry.

Several outbreaks of tapeworm disease have been
noticed in fowls in different parts of the country, and
upon various occasions specimens have been sent to
this Bureau for identification. As Dr. Moore (1895)

x\«

*A Nodular Taeniasis in Fowls, by Dr. V. A. Moore.

553

H.s recently called attention to this disease, and as
has ^^^^"'*^ ^1 its existence in various pai-ts ^

tow^^ tapeworms of domesticated

1 Td il response to several requests from expen-

::: I'hI » V. m ge„e,ic and speci.c dia.-

been recorded for poultry, but several of these are
aoubtful and probably several forms aPPear m the h.
more than once, under different names. Bes^s the
ZZ ^ven, ore or two other forms have been re-
;\ld but can be ignored for the present. A square
n Inifles that the parasite is recorded only from ponl-
;;f: cross + that it occurs in wild birds, but prob.
blv not in poultry; the circle O signifies that
Z plsite is recorded both in poultry and m wild
liirds.

35' -U

554

555

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556

From this table it will be noticed that 6 different
tapeworms have been recorded from pigeons, 12 from
turkeys, 11 from cliickens, 2 from Swans, 7 from geese,
16 from ducks, and 1 from ostriches; 1 form has been
recorded as common to pigeons, chickens, and ducks;
5 forms as common to ducks and geese; 1 form as com-
mon to geese and swans; 1 as common to pigeons and
ducks, and 1 as common to pigeons and chickens.
These statistics are based upon the suppositions that
all the parasites mentioned are good species, and that
the specific determinatic-ns of tlie parasites were cor
rect. A comparison of the original types would, how-
ever, undoubtedly show that both of these suppositions
are incorrect, for many of the species are very poorly
described, and have been established upon very limited
material.

Many of the specific diagnoses existing to-day are almost
worthless; some of the species rest upon very weak characters
and must undoubtedly fall, while the synonymy and proper
names of the group need thorough revision. It would be haz-
ardous to malie any radical changes in the system at present;
in fact, I do not believe this should be done unless the worker
has a large series of specimens, with types, if possible, before
him.

LIPK HISTORY AND SOURCE OF INFECTION.

Fortunately the life history of a number of forms is
known. So far as yet worked out, the larval stage is
in every case a cysticercoid and lives in some inverte-
brate (snail, insect, crustacean, or worm). A glance
at the above table and the remarks under each specific
diagnosis will show the source of infection (interme
diate hosts) so far as known or supposed. There are
no gi-ounds for believing that poultry can become in-
fected with tapeworms directly from the eggs con-
tained in the droppings.

557
TUC ..e hi,..., o. these ""-^f „7 .^f p::^"'e:

„e voided w.th the «"™™ „„„„„ i„ thi.

i»«.) »"'! ""■*^„;,tV' l; to the essshell then
"" ""rt: tZ i tteBtiue into the hod, cavit,

r;v«:r^- ho. ,a wo™ »..,. ^»^^^

iXitToL'^rwaUowed h, a chicken. d„ck, 800,e,

^**^' \^uf. history has been based upon four

The known or supposed life history n

different methods '^^ 7°;'^' ' „j\he fowls by feeding to them

the eggs of tapeworms found in

larval stage. ^^ ^eads of adult tape-

3. comparison "fj';'^^^';"^'';, ".^"^^vae found in invertebrates
worms of birds w.th the l'"^^^/ ^^^ ^,3 stages.

and thus as«ociat ng ^^^^ ^^^^X^n^edlate hosts, based upon

4. WiW speculation as to the .nte i^^tific foundation,
negative resuus and totally devo^ ot any sc. ^^^^^^^^

Of these four ^^''^'^^^ ^J^"'^, experiments are successful;
proof of the life ^''^'o'-^; jjf" '^^ ^^e statements, but not a
;roof"^;b^e S^ald^r 'In^ L.. method the bettter.

1 foHow^n, are the data we have at present re-
";%^SJ^:trSotion of fowls wU. larvae
in invertebrates.

exactness and brevity u i-
names in all cases.

SSCiTTTI

..'■if L

568

XV, fig. 194) to slugs (Limax), and raised the larval stage (Pi.

XVI, figs. 199-202) in twenty days. Slugs containing these lar-
vae were then fed to chickens, and within eight days the four
segments were formed. There can, therefore, be no question
that chickens become infected with this tapeworm by eating
slugs.

Echinocotyle Kosseteri of ducks— Small fresh- water crusta-
ceans (Cypris cinerea)i containing a very characteristic larval
tapeworm (PI. XIX, fig. 251) were fed to a domesticated duck
by Rosseter (1891A-B, 1892). The duck was afterwards killed
and found to be infested with tapeworms possessing the same
characteristic head (PI. XIX, figs. 247-248). The life history
of this form must therefore be looked upon as experimentally
demonstrated.

2. Experimental infection of invertebrates by feed-
ing the eggs of avian tapeworms:

Davainea proglottina of chickens.— This case has been dis-
cussed above.

Drepanidotaenia anatina of ducks.— -Schmidt (1894) has re-
cently demonstrated the life history of this worm in a manner
which places the source of infection beyond question. He fed
large quantities of tapeworm eggs to fresh-water crustaceans
(Cypris ovatai) and thus raised the larval form (PI, IX, fig.
110). In summer these larvae developed in two weeks, but in
winter they required over five weeks for their development, the
difeerence in time being attributed to the difference in the
temiperature. The same larval form is described by Mrazek
(1891) also from two other mussel crabs, I. e., Cypris incon-
gruensi and Cypris compressa^ (=Crypria ophthalmica accord-
ing to Moniez).

3. Comparison of the hooks upon the heads of the
adnlt tapeworms in birds with the hooks of larvae
found in invertebrates, and thus associating the young
and old stages.

This method of explaining the life history does not

^niTlTJ^f^''^ "i? ?^P>^^a^ "ames for the numerous different
species of sma 1 fresh-water crustaceans. The popular name

^n^ r^JZl^ ^^ r""^^^ ^^J ^^^ Ostracoda (Cypris, Candona.
ni^;c ^? ^rr «^^ for Daphnla; copepods for the Copepoda (Cy-
clops. PI. VT. fig. 67: PI. XT. fig. 130); flea craibs for Gammarus.

559

A . ^h\o\i are demanded in science of to

i^"r ::."" *- ::.. ...e V..--- '- ^"•-

is.

• nRRl 1882) found two

Davainea letmgona of «Wckens.-P|ana ( .^^ ^^^^^

„gs. 219-227. PI. XVin. flgs. 231-\^i,Mrazek (1890) found larvae
Dlcranotaenia coronula o^/^'^'^f; y,^ (Cjrprls ovum and

(Pl. Ill, flg. 25) m fresh-water """^^'J/.^osseter (1890) found
Cypria ophthalmica (Cypris ^^^P^^f ^^^^.^^ (1891) in Cypria
a'cysticercold in Cypris -'"--;^^"j£"the three respective
ophthalmica and Candona ^^"^'^*^ J^'^^j^ „£ aucks.

worms (.Aaiiuuv^p 37-38).

species of tapeworm (P • ^J-f /"^^^ _Mra^ek (1890. 1891) classi-
Drepanldotaenla '^^^l^'^;'^^""„.^o) found in fresh-water
fled a cysticercoid (PL J/' ^^^opfa j.is) as the iarva of th.s
crustaceans (PI. vl, ng. o<; v j

oestode (PI. V, figs. 66-66) geese.-Cysticercoids

Drepanidotaenia graciahs. of ^''^^^ ^^^J^^^^^l crabs (Can-
(P,. VIII. Figs. H-99)/o-d ^" '7.^5;;^^^',Xpressa by MrazeK.
dona rostrata by Scott. 1891. P;^"- *;|P ,^ ophthalmica

im: Cyclops viridis by Mrazek. 1891 an^ ^P^^^^^ ^^ ,^ .^
by Moniez, 1891. p. f> ^"^^'"3 The Lval stage of this para-
Schmidt, 1894. are looked upon as the

Bite (Pi. Vn, 80-85). ... ,,„„rmi8 of chickens and ducks.-

Drepanidotaenia '"f""^'*'""';.^^! ,tate that the larva (PI.
Grassi & Rovelli (1889A. p. 104. ^^'Y' ^3 „«) ,3 ,„und in
XV, fig. 191) of this pa,raslte (Pi. Xiv. ng

the house fly. ... f^g 154) of geese.— Infec-

Drepanidotaenla setigera Pi. Xm_ g cysticercoid

tion attributed by von Unstow 189m P. ^JJ>: ,^^^,).

found by Schmell In ~P^P^^ <^^f {fg) of ducks and geese.-
Drepanidotaenia sinuosa (PI. X. "»• ' j „ 130, 135)

supposed to develop from cyst cer-m^ ^^' H^mann am. PP-
found in flea crabs (G'^'"'^^"; c 2 ,1s and C. lucidulns) by
1-7: in copepods (Cyclops viridis. C. agin.,

Mrazek. ..;<. „f eee<=e —Supposed larval stage

Drepanidotaenia tenuirostns of gee. . (Oammarus

(PI. XIV. figs. 165. 168) was found in flea

M

560

pulex) by Hamann (1S89, pp. 7-9) and von Linstow ri892A, p.
338); and in cope-pods (Cyclops agails and C. pulchellus ' by
Mrazek 1891). . , . -

Thus, chickens are kuuwn to become iuiected with
one tapeworm through eating slugs (Limux). They are
supposed to become infected with a second through
eating snails (Helix); by a third through eating Hies,
and by a fourth through eating earthworms.

Ducks are known to become infected with twoworin?^
through swallowing fresh-water crustaceans, and are
supposed to become infected with three other tape-
worms in the same way; another tapeworm is supposed
to be trnnsmitted to them through flies.

Geese are supposed to become infected with five
species of tapewoims by swallowing small fresh-water
crustaceans.

Nothing is known in regard to the source of infec-
tion of the tapeworms of pigeons nnd turkeys, but in-
vestigations in this field should be based upon the tape-
worms of chickens.

THE RELATION OF TFIE TAPEWORMS OF WILD BIRDS
TO THOSE OF THE DOMESTICATED FOWLS.

Only two of the chicken tapeworms (Dr. infundibuli
formis and T. malleus) have as \ef been recorded for
wild birds, but the nmjority of the tappwomis found
in the domesticated ducks and geese are also recorded
from closely allied wild birds; besides these forms,
however, many species have been described in wild
birds which are not known to occur in the domesti-
cated fowls. (See chart at end of text.) This renders
the economic side of the question of avian cestodes ex-
tremely complicated nnd demands a thorough study of

r,6i

„e p.«.l.e, of wild bud. ia c«,.e...lo. wi.l, .Lose «<
rt„r domesticated fowls.

■ SYMPTOMS AND PATHOLOOY.

. H«nini of symptomatology, practically
From a standpoint »* sJ™!* aeneval, how-

ti^inrr i« ImowH upoD tWs subject. lu geQCiai,

nothing IS known uy „a„atic birds are less af-

ever, it may be stated ^ ^=^;^^;^;:«;;*^ ^^,„ ,,„rt birds;

fected by the presence of ^^P^^^^f \. ^,^,. .^^ that.

,,,t yonng bi^s sn«er more than M bn d. ^ ^^ ^^^^

although a fowl may lainor a ^ ^ .^

worms without showmg any ^f^'^^^""'^ ^,^^^,, ,„
l.eavy infection injures the health and ^^^'^^
til as han been abundantly <lemons^ ted by ep
demies observed in different parts of ^'^J^^'^l^'
h.i«, nl^o been noti--ed (hat poultry are nmtc severe. j

nfe "tecl iu wet vears than in dry years, and the general
applt" ion ma; be made that poultry kep m damp
lees will be more heavily infested than fowls kep

fn d" places. All of these statements are general

principles of parasitology. fallows-

Zurn (1882, p. 17) gives the symptoms as follows.

K numerous tapewor.s are present U> ^J;^;^:^^::!^^^

o. om fowls a X: t:^;:^r:::re:™ov or parasite.
\€lops, corresponding to tne gieaiti

present. ^ x, . ucoif pmiecially in chickens unci

The intestina. -tarrh sW^ ^^^^J^/l^r^, ,^,,,a^.d. al-

though the appefte Is not ^^^f^f J , ^re thin, contain

microscope.

n6 IT

502

After a time other symptoms develop. The sick animals
became dull and listless, remain apart from the rest of the
flock; the feathers are ruffled and the wings drop, the appe-
tite is lost and the birds allow themselves to be easily caught.
Although it was stated that in the beginning of the trouble
the appetite is not disturbed, the sick animals develop an in-
tense thirst for cold water. When it rains they run under the
eaves in order to catch water, and in winter are eager for ice
water. v

At reading this some experienced poultry raisers will probably
reply that many chickens which are not sick are fond of very
cold water. The droppings are also thicker or thinner ac-
cording to the food. Both of these facts are known to me
(Zurn). At the same time I look with suspicion of tapeworms
upon every chicken which shows an especial thirst for cold
water; and as for the droppings, the fowls infected- with tape-
worms have droppings mixed with mucus and blood, and pass
their excrements much oftener than other fowls do.

The intestinal catarrh often ends fatally.

Upon post-mortem the body is seen to be thin and anaemic.
The intestine generally contains no food, the mucosa is soft and
hyperaemic and covered with reddish yellow, more or less thick,
purulent mucus. According to Hertwig epileptic attacks are
frequently noticed in chickens affeoted with intestinal worms.

The diagnosis by svmptoms seems to me very uncer
tain, and although the symptoms decribed by Ztirn
serve as an indication of the disease, they can not b(^
taken as proof. The diagnosis by hunting in the
droppings for segments of the parasite is less satis
factory than would be supposed, for it is not rare to
lind chickens badly infested with tapeworms when it
has been impossible to discover segments in the man
ure. This method is rendered doubly uncertain be-
cause the color of the segments is about the same as
the urine in the faeces. Microscopic examination of th<*
faeces for eggs is quite a certain though not positive
method for diagnosis of tapeworm disvease of poultry,
but it is thoroughly impracticable for the farmer to
attempt it. TIk* best method for the farmer to follow

563

lus, iB a bowl of warm water, and look for the pa.

"iTleast one species of tapeworm ^^^^^^^

.ana) causes a serious nodular disease m ^^'I'^f^^

0 chickens which upon superficial -amm t on ma,

easily be mistaken for tuberculosis. This disease was

.robably first published by Rivolta ^ ^^^^ I'^'^J^^'

or 1881') It was afterwards described by Piana (1882)

rurring in chickens in Italy, and quite re^n«y

Moore (1895) has recorded it in th.s country^ The f ol

lowing is extracted from Moore's article on the sub

ject:

..f 1x04 a fowl (Gallus domestlcus) died at the

m the spnng ot 1^»*- ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^j^ease characterized

experiment ^ ^^^^ ^J^.f/.^^,";^^^^^^ ^^ the intestinal wall. Upon

by nodules or tuoercie ii*vc u /, +^ ko ^n the subserous

oLer inspection the >esians were found t^ be^^^^e ^^^^^^ ^^

and muscular coats. -f^^'l^suZ contents there was a
least, m the glands. In the •«*««""*' j, ^^^e firmly

,arge number of smaU tapewo-^; "^^ oj^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
attached to the mucosa. Later in the purposes,

fowls from the same flocU were tised ^^ -,'^^^^■^t\e^nore or
and upon post-mortem ^^^™'"^''°" J.^f" '° "hese one of four
less affected with this disease In ^^^^^^^^ "^'j'^^^^^ a farm
fowls which were examined from a ""^^^.^'^^^br infected
ad,o.nin. the experiment s a ion wa o-d^ -^^'^^ „„,,,,,.

TIT::1Z fTom iUtCN. C. and one from Tac.etts

-;:ru^.hrurorrrc:=eu^^^^^^^^^^^

extent of the ^f^^^^.TZll^^ wou^^ undoubtedly have suc-
^'"Vrrt°h'TseaseThe'rse resemblance of the nodules
cumbed to this disease, ine ciuo ^^t„npd description

to tubercles renders necessary a somewhat det^^f^^'^^^^ ^^
«f th*. lesions and of the means by which this disease can
rLdify dTerenUated from tuberculosis without ,he a.d of
laboratory facilities.

564

Description of the disease.— The fowl which died apparently
from this disease was much emaciated, and the lesions were
restricted to the intestinal wall. In the fowls used for other
purposes, there were no observable symptoms by which the
nodular affection could be detected prior to post-mortem ex-
amination. Diphtheria was the immediate cause of death of
the fowls from North Carolina and Virginia. All of the fowls
examined, affected with this disease, were from one to three
years old.

The nodules were invariably more numerous in the lowest
third of the small intestine. They occasionally appeared, how-
ever, in small numbers in both the duodenum and colon. The
larger and to all appearances older nodules were found In the
ileum near the caeca.

In the badly affected portion the nodules gave the appear-
ance of closely set protuberances, varying in size from barely
perceptible areas of elevation to bodies 4nim (i-g inch) in diam-
eter. In some instances they appeared to overlap one another.
When separated by a band of normal tissue they were round
or somewhat lenticular in form. In the latter case the long
diameter was usually transverse to the long axis of the intes-
tine. The larger nodules were of a pale or dark yellowish color
while the smaller ones varied in shade from the more highly
colored areas to the neutral gray of the normal serosa. To
the touch they gave the sensation that would be expected if
the subserous and muscular coats were closely studded with
small, oval, solid bodies. The mucosa presented similar ele-
vations. Attached to the mucosa over the nodules were a
number of tapeworms. There were also in the more advanced
cases a variable number of small (0.5 to 1mm) areas over the
larger nodules in which the mucosa had sloughed, leaving small
ulcerated depressions.

The larger nodules contained a greenish yellow, necrotic sub-
stance which appeared in the advanced stages as a seques-
trum with a roughened surface. On section it has a glistening,
homogenous appearance. Surrounding the necrotic substance
wasi a thin layer of infiltrated tissue. The smaller nodules con-
tained a more purulent-like substance and the smallest ap-
peared to the naked eye as areas of infiltration. Sections of
the affected intestine showed upon microscopic examination
that the heads of the tapeworms had penetrated the mucous
membrane and were situated in different layers of the intestinal
wall. They were frequently observed between the villi. As
would be expected the heads were not readily detected in the

565

. , tiiA larger nodules, but were
necrotic masses -ont.ine^^-J^l^^^^^^^ ,n a few sections
Almost invariably seen m ^^^J^^^^^^^ ,^e mucosa to the
the tapeworm ^^^^f^^f .^^'^^fin which its head appeared In
nodule m the muscular ^^^^^^^;^^,^elopment there is a cell m-
tbe earlier stage of tj^e nodu ar de ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^,,,

filtration about the head of the w ^^^^^^^^^ size.

until the inmtrated tissue reach^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^

The worms attached ^^/^^ "^ ^^^ intestinal contents.

,,rger form was --^^^^.^PPe-ed to be different Dr.
Although microscopically ^^^JJ^^^^^^ of the same species.
Stiles found that ^^^yj^^^J^^^^^^^ this disease has not

It appears from ^^^'^^'^^f ^^'\n.erica. In 1881, Piana de-
heretofore been demonstrated in Am ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^,

scribed a disease of ^^J^^^^J^^/to^^ deals more with the

Taenia bothriopUtis. His ^^^f "^;°J,,,,,ng cestode than with
anatomy and classification of the m es g ^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^

the character of the lesions it proau ^ ^^^n there

nodules and heads of ^^^^^^^ of the lesions to those in the
can be no doubt of the ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ,nd birds are not in-

disease here d^^^^^^^' ^ '""^if '7 the lesions produced by
frequently -^^:^ ^Z:^:^^^-^ — ^ ^^^^^' ^"'

;:T.r.":r,rv.,.a,H..M...... . . .

* . .P The imioortanoe of this disease is
Economic importance.-The i . resemblance

^uch greater ^^^^^^'^\^ZZZl lenders it of much sigr.i-
of the nodules to those of »" ;^^^" ^^ the intestines are

ficance from a different ^^an-Jpoin^^ ^^ ^^^^^^

stated to he freauentiy the seat Of he^sp-^^^^^^^^

culosis in fowls, It *\°f '^^ ^fore a positive diagnosis Is
thorough examination be made t^for ^ concerning

pronounced. There are already sev eral ^^^ ^^^^ ^.^^^

the presence of tuberculosis m fowls in ^^^ ^^^^

are not sufficient to -^l"-^" 'a'^^^J^^ait aso of sheept caused by
described. A somewhat a"'''^^""^,,^!'^^^^ curtlce) has led
a nematoid (Oesophagostoma -'"-^'^^l,, ^^e owners be-
to the deliberate ^-''•uc ion of many --^^^^^^^ ,^„„ their
Hcving that tuberculosis ^^'"^ J'^;"/^^ ^^ p„„ury diseases be-

flocUs. AS the >"-7^/;;';;,t„,r t lat .his affection will be

comes more general, it is P"«''^ „^,„,e jg recognized

occasionally encountered and unle^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^„.

it mav in some instances, like the sneep

warranted destruction of property.

arranted destruction.., ,r ■ -.,„.,,,. pe.

mrr^nreau of Animal IndustU . ue

"lAnlmal P«'•«^lt^VfJ^^To• p 165
partment of Agriculture. 1890, p.

566

In addition to its importance in differentiating tuberculosis
it is in itself a malady worthy of careful attention. The fact
that it has already appeared in two flocks in the District of
Columbia and also in the State of North Carolina and Virginia,
shows that the infesting cestode isi quite widely distributed in
this country. It is highly pro'bable that the total loss it
occasions both from deaths and from the shrinkage of poultry
products, due to the chronic course of the disease it produces,
is very large. ♦ ♦ ♦

Diagnosis.— Tuberculosis is, as before stated, the only known
disease for which this affection is liable to be mistaken, and it
is of much importance that the two diseases should not be
confounded. The diagnosis has not, in my experience, been diffi^
cult, as in every case the attached tapeworms were readily
detected upon a close examination of the intestinal contents, or
of the mucous membrane of the infected portion of the intes-
tine. However, the worms are quite small and could easily be
overlooked in a hurried or cursory examination. In case of
doubt, if the affected intestine is opened and the mucous sur-
face washed carefully in a gentle stream of water, the small
worms will be observed hanging to the mucous membrane
This discovery, In the absence of lesions in the liver or other
organs, would warrant the diagnosis of the tapeworm disease.
Although much is written concerning tuberculosis in fowls
especially in Europe, the investigations of poultry diseases by
this Bureau have thus far shown that it is not common among
fowls In this country.

TAPEWORM-INFECTED FOWLS AS FOOD.

None of the tapeworms of birds are transmissible to
man in any stage of their development, and the pre-
sence of tapeworms in the intestine of fowls does not
in itself warrant the condemnation of their bodies as
an article of food.

PREVENTION.

From the nature of the intennediate hosts (fresh-
water crustaceans) of the tapeworms of aquatic birds
it is evident that nothing can be done to prevent the
introduction of larval tapeworms into ducks and
geese, if these animals are allowed to visit ponds.

5G7

r nfininu the animals to frequently flushed artificial
Oonfinmg tut tapeworm infection.

With cbick^^^; T immunity agamst

extermination ;>^ ^^^^b will ^.^^.^ions can be

Davainea V^^^'^'f^^^^^^^^ infested

with other tapewoims ^ , ^. _^:ii v.^ ^ell, how-

hosts of other worms. ^^^

Absolutely nothing can be ^«^« f '\';' ^^ms of
,0 a prevention of ^^^^^^^ : ^^^Slnown or
..Ud birds to the^-^^^^^^^^^^ prevent the

unknown intermediate nosxs, f ^^

the tapeworm* of chickens are Kno

1 c wiiother this immunity of chickens to lui .

ent. however, is yet to be scioni _ ^^^

the larval stages of tapeworms and that

■1 i

568

breaks. of tapeworm disease should appear from time
to time.

Alternating flocks of geese and ducks promise sim-
ilar but less satisfactory results.

The safest plan to prevent the spread of poultry
worms would be to destroy the manure from infected
fowls. If one is not willing to do this, however, be-
cause of its commercial value, he should at least take
steps to prevent further infection from it. If the sick
chickens are confined to a comparatively small space
their droppings can easily be collected and placed in
a strong barrel, to which the access of snails, slugs,
worms, etc., should be guarded against. It is not
known how long the eggs of poultry tapeworms will
live, but it seems verv doubtful to me whether thev
conld live many months in such a barrel if placed in u
dry spot. It seems almost certain that they could not
live through the winter. Tlie temperature required
to kill the efrgs has likewise not yet been determined,
but probably r.oo O. to m° C. ni2^ P. to 140° F.) would
.suffice. Sulphuric acid (10 per cent) or quick lime is
an excellent disinfectant for faeces containing e}?gs of
para.sites.

The i)r(>i)er care of the manure from infected fowls
is uu<inestionably the most important preventive mea
sure ajrainst tapeworm disease.

'ri;p:ATNri:.\T.

The treatment of tai»ewonii disease in the domesti
(;ated fowls must for the present be more or less ex
perimental. as the records in this line are extremely
limited.

The (irst rule to be carried out in all cases of dis
eased animals, whether chickens, turkeys, geese.

5f.9

, ... ..ihers is to isolate Iheu. from the rest of the
'"T a 1 eeu tli couaned until they have recovered.
T::'ou:7XZo destroy the droppiu.s of ai an.^
iUe secona :„feeted with parasites, or it the

'"l^^t^^e dod a trtilizer, it should be treated in

:;ri^::.rrsoasto.u.h^^^^^

-" nr ^isrt'::^m:« t:v::.L . ..an yard for

::t;::;i:ftbe Sick auin.a,s, Where fh.nr^^PP^^

fA his fowls or other animals.

The cWef drugs used agaii.st tapeworms are: Ev
trac of male fei^, turpentine, powered kamala, areca
J, pomegranate root bark, pun.pkin seeds, and sub

tih-Ttp of copper (bluestone).

'AiUnu. -According to Ztun powdered areca m
is the best tapeworm remedy for fowls, but he calls
attSftiorto tl^ fact that turkeys are unfavorably af-

fppted bv this medicine. , , . . .

'"z 1 iulvises the administration of P-dered .-e
„„t in dos<> of 2 to :•> gr=nns (^^O to 4o grams), mixul
with butter and made into pills.

qu^ extract of male fern is very effectual agams
tapeworms. Hutcheon advises a ^e-l^^^^^ J^'
voun- ostriches three to four months old, to a table
;,M.u:ful for a full-grown ostrich; it may l>e made .nto

ji Dill with flour. . ^ <• ,

Turpentine may be given to ostriches in doses of a

desertspoonful for chicks three to fo"'" -^ '^^ ^i
two tablespoonsful for a full-grown b.rd; >t8 • t.on -
much more effective when combmed w.th a purgative,
such as linseed or castor oil. (Hutcheon.)

570

The Bureau has reeeutly made the follt>wing experi
ments upon chickens to determine in what doses tur
pentine may be administered to them without danger.
As in the experiments with bluestone cited below, a
small rubber tube was inserted through the mouth to
the crop, and the medicine forced through the tube
with a large bulb pipette. This insured the deposit of
the entire dose into the crop, and proved to be a most
excellent method of administering the liquid, since it
caused no pain to the animal, a chicken's gullet being
quite large and easily admitting a 3-16 inch (outside
measurement) rubber tube.

No. 121. Full-grown chicken.

Jan. 13, dosed with 5cc turpentine. Effects- Slight diarrhoea.

Jan. 16, dosed with 15cc turpentine. Effects: Severe diarrhoea;
animal sick and listless; complete recovery in three days.

No. 122. One-year-old chicken.

Jan. 13, dosed with lOcc turpentine. Effects: Moderate
diarrhoea.

Jan. 16, dosed with 25cc turpentine. Effects: Very severe
diarrhoea; animal quite sick and refused food; complete re-
covery in six days.

No. 123. Full-grown chicken.

Jan. 14, dosed with 15cc turpentine. Effects: Moderate
diarrhoea.

Jan. 16, dosed with 30cc turpentine. Effects: Very severe
diarrhoea; animal very sick and refused food; complete re-
covery In six days.

After performing these preliminary experiments in
the laboratory I requested Dr. Schroeder to treat a
larger number of fowls at the Experiment Station with
doses of 15^^ turpentine, noting the age, sex, weight,
etc., of the animals. Of these experiments he has
handed me the following notes.

Each chicken in the following table received a dose of one-
half ounce (14.7»5oc) of spirits of turpentine injected through a
rubber tube directly into the crop. The experiments took place
from February 19 to February 25. 1896.

571

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1

572

Thus, out of 32 chickens dosed with half an ounce
(about 15'% about 1 tablespoonful, about 2 dessert-
spoonsful, about 4 teaspoonsful) of spirits of turpen
tine, one died. In another case dosed with 25^^, in still
another d(»sed with 30^^ (about 1 ounce, or 2 table-
spoonsful) of tuipentine the animals were very sick,
but recovered.

It will be well, therefore, to make half an ounce
(about J 5^% or 1 tablespoonful) the maximum dose.
As a safe rule, we can adopt 1 teaspoonful
(about 4^% about one-eighth on an ounce) to 3 tea-
spoonsful laboul 12% about three-eiuhtlis of an ounce)
as the dose for chickens, the size of the dose being de
terrained by the size of the chicken.

It will be noticed that the above experiments were
made to determine how much turpentine could be
safely given to chickens. As there was no outbreak
of tapeworm disease among the fowls used in the ex-
periment, no observations could be made on the effects
of tlu^ medicine upon tlie tapeworms which occur in
chickens. Turpentine is, however, one of ihe recoir-
nized remedies against tapeworms.

Powered kamala.— M^gnin states that very good re-
suits followed the use of this drug, mixed with the
food, against tapewonns of pheasants. Hutcheon ad-
vises for ostrich chicks one month old 1 drachm, two
months old 1^ drachms, three to four months old 2
diaehms. eighteen months old 1 ounce, a full-grown
ostrich 2 drahms more. It does not require to be
mixed with a purgative. Powered kamala may b(»
given mixed in a little flour and water.

Pumpkin seeds.— These, according to Ziirn, are not
well borne by turkeys and not always by chickens, but
it would be well to experiment further with them.

573

^ i..i,.i'— Verv effective against
pomegranate «.>-^ Ve,, ^^ .^^ ^^^^^

,.-srrrr;:rt;ra.e,,o....

have not been determined.

in som. expe.Hment« which are "- in Progr^- IT^T^t

eocc of a solution of 1 °««^^,:"'f ^'^IciL any m effects from
later to a fuH-grown h.n -'^^o^t notlc nR a ^^^^_^^^^^

the dose. Thirtyco of he ^^^^fl'^'^'^ post-mortem It wa.
,ooster within twenty-four h- - JP- P^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^
found that the worms m the inte ^^^^ ^^^^^^^

half-grown chicken was dosed with 4=.

and bore the dose very well. v,luestonp for chickens at

I am not prepared to recommend b'^^^^"" ^^t^„t,on to

present, except In -P^'"^" "' ""^t^:^ '/the windpipe, as a

he danger of allowing the solution to '^^^\ ,f ^^^ ^^di-

very small dose of t>;i« -Vution ..11 ^^^^'j^ ^,,^^ „, ex-

oine reaches the respiratory ^^^^J^^.^ ^^^ ^^ the crop (a

perlment. I have inserted ^,;'^'"™*^^"^*„'^'' forced the medi-
catheter would answer e,ualy as w^l) and^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^.

cine through this tube. This metnoa ^ .^ution

mentioned and is borne very *'^'' ^^^^'j^^^,;';;,, „ne is needed
again, that a large series of -P-''^;";;/;,„'; ^A.se in dosing
before blueston^ can he recommendr-d for gener

fowls.

Penoucito advises the following treatment for tape-

worms in chickens (dose ^- ^nermo 20 centigrams.
(l).\loes(socotrineor carballme), l.^ to. -o tt;i fa

The animal is fasted the same day.
(2) Pumpkin seeds, 40 to 50. .\dmuns(e,ed to eatu
diicken on the second day. Or—

3) Mah- fern, powdered, 100 j^M-ams. Mixed in b.an.

til o the above medicines should be procured as
f.;„ -1 possible. Many failures in treating for tape-
worms a e due to the fact that old drugs have been
Td which had lost their anthelmintic properties.

4

4

574

PART II.

OLABSIFIOATION.

Part II contains the descriptions of the tapeworms
found in poultry and a discussion of the different
species, and it is placed for the most part in fine type
because of its rather technical nature. There are,
however, a number of points mentioned under the var-
ious species which are necessary to the poultry raiser
who desires to obtain a thorough knowledge of this
subject. I have endeavored to bring together in Part
II the entire history of each species, in order to show
the exact status of our present knowledge of the group.

The Bureau is gradually collecting the original typos
of many of these species, with a view to revising the
entire group and placing it upon a more scientific
basis. It is our desire also to obtain all the material
possible from various parts of this country, and we
invite poultry raisers, etc., to furnish bottles of alcohol
or formalin, and mailing cases for such sendings. All
correspondence should be directed to Dr. D. E. Sal-
mon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, United
States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
^ Worms sent to us for study or identification should
first be washed in warm water and then placed in
alcohol or in the preserving fluid furnished bv the
Bureau.

The following classification by genera is largely
based upon the papers by Blanchard (1892B and 1893).
In the specific diagnoses, the original descriptions and

575

figures have been consulted as far as possible and data
S f'^ them have been combined with more re-
cent diagnoses and descriptions. ^i:.u;„c.
I would be well if authors making and publishing
suecirdeterminations in this group would preserve
s^^^^^^^^ in some way, so that they -y^^^^-^^
by later writers on the subject, for m manv of the
ZeZ described below the determination can b
ooked upon only as approximate and P^oviBionah
The SP^ determination of these forms is of much
lTeZ\mort.n^^ ^-m a practical standpoint than
Ts Generally assumed, for an exact knowledge of the
Tpedes is necessary as a foundation for general pre-

ventive measures. ,

Nomenclature.-In several places where it i per-

fectly evident that the parasites are now «a^l^°g »°f ^'
Itng names, I have corrected the names ac^oMin^J.
the international rnles. In the majority of cases ho^
ever I postpone changes until I can complete a rev ■
on of the entire group based upon -iginal m^ten^
In the systematic arrangement given below keys are
,i n notU to the species of adult tapew- -f
domestic fowls, but also to some closely a lied orms^
The allied genera and subfamilies are given in t e
^, t order to show the general relationships of the

The tapeworms of fowls belong to two families, the

Rothriocephalidae and Taeniidae- ^^^, of

Rpo-irdin<' the generic position of the tapewon »

very recent Mars nea. ^^^^^_^ ^^ ^ ^^^^^

''u"i '". A R^l iet is d^e the chief credit of pointing
rt^lbtr'diir Of iiniting the«e forms gene.cnllv

!> 1

i

•^

11

576

with such forms as Taenia solium of man. True, other
authors had recognized the great difference in sonic
characters, but the group is such a difficult one to han
die that helminthologists, either from lack of time,
material, or courage, have carefully avoided any at
tempt at a natural classification.

Blanchard brought some order into the group in 18!M
by proposing the new genera Davainea and Echino
cotyle for certain forms, while Railliet followed up the
work by proposing the genera Drexjanidotaenia Di
cranotaenia, and Bothriotaenia for certain other forms.
These five new genera, together with Mesocestoides,
Ophryocotyle, Cotugnia, and Amabilia enable us to
make a provisional classification by genera. It should,
however, be remembered that this classification is nee
essarily provisional in nature, as the internal anatomy
of these worms is as yet very poorly understood, and
a thorough study of that subject will probably result
in great changes.

Regarding the si)ecies it may be again remarked
that a considerable number of different forms have
been described, but that a number of these species will
unquestionably fall, while new species will have to
be described for forms which are not vet recoirnizablc
as disctiiict.

!

l.<f

ANALYTICAL KEY TO FAMILIES AND GENERA.

Head with two elon)E,'ated
grooves or slit-like suck-
ers; rostellum wanting;
uterus with special pore;
genital pores gf^nerally
dorsal or ventral BOTHRTOCEPHAT.TDAK. p. .^70

Head with four cup-shaped
suckers; rostpllum pre-
sent but not always evi-
dent; uterus without any
special pore; genital pores

generally nr.arglnal TAF:NIIDAE. p. '.84

Tlead is (always?) absent,

577

.■it'

Body without external seg-
mentation; head without
suckers, or two weak slit-
like suckers develop

" i (Ligulinae)

*" ■ Body with external seg-
mentation; head with

two elongate slit ^^^^rpTTRToCEPHALlNAK, p. 680
grove-like suckers. BOTHRlUi.i^t'nA

LIGULA, p. 583

».(

^'\

5.

Genital organs single in

each segment ••/'"•"

Genital organs double in

each segment

Genital pores lateral (mar-
ginal) •

Genital pores ventral or

dorsal,

Penis, vulva, and uterus ^^^j^jq^i^phaLUS, p. 5Sl

open ventro-median, ..... »^ ^ "
Penis and vulva ventro-

p. 580
p. 581

BOTHRIOTAENIA. p. 582

p. 582

pore

6.<

''\

8.

9..;

median; uterine
dorsomedian

Penis, vulva, and uterus
open ventrally ••••

penis and vulva ventral,
uterus opens dorsally, ...

Genital pores ventro-me-
dian (gen. Mesocestoids)..

Genital pores lateral (mar-
ginal),

Head never provided with
hooks; uterus transverse
or reticulate; egg gener-
ally with pyriform body;
larval stage not known;
adults m herbivorous

mammals

Head nearly always pro-
vided with hooks (T. sag-
inata exception, see also
Hymenolepis).

Eeg with thin outer shell

and thicfk brown inner

shell; uterus median and

longitudinal with lateral

branches; larval stage a

Cystlcercus. Caenurus or

an Echinoccus genf al y

in herbivora; adults m

rarnivorous mammals. ..

37-11

PTYCHOBOTHRIUM

KRABBEA
DIPLOGONOPORUS

MESOCKSTOIDINAE, p. 584

p. 584

ANOPL.OCEPHAL1NAE. p.

584

TAENllNAE. p. 5S4

578

' Eggs with thin transparent
shells; frequently in egg
capsules, in some cases
scattered through the
9^ J segment ; head nearly al-
ways armed with hook-
lets on rostellum; larval
stage a cysticercoid ;
adults in birds and mam-
mals,

i Suckers unarmed.

I Suckers armed with min-
10. •{ ute hooklets (with four
exceptions known only in
birds),

Genital pores double

Genital pores single, ir-
regularly alternate or un-
ilateral

'■1

f Two submedian ov
j»2 J each segment, . .

aries in

One median ovary in each
segment

13.

14.^

15. «

Several rows of hooks upon
rostellum

A single tow of hooks upon
rostellum,

' DorsaU root of hook much

longer than ventral root

or prong; ventral root

very short; hooks 8 to 12

rarely to 26) in number;

known only in birds

Dorsal root of hooks about
the same length as ven-
tral root and prong, . . .

Dorsal root shorter than
prong or ventral root;
hooks generally less than
20 in number (range from
10 to 26); genital pores
unilateral or irregularly
alternate; known only in
birds

DIPYLIDIINAE, p. 5Sr,

p. BSf)
p. 587

p. 5sri

p. 586
AMABILIA, p. 58S

DIPYLIDIUM, p. 586
COTUGNIA, p. 586

DREPANIDOTAENIA, p tjl>7

p. 5'Jl

DICRANOTAENIA, p. 591

lAs the terms anterior and posterior in referring to the roots
of the hooks are reversed by some authors. 1 suggest the us^
of the words dorsal and ventral in their place. These words
are not open to misinterpretation, the dorsal root being a con-
tinuation of the dorsum of the prong; the ventral root lies
under the prong.

579

Dorsal root longer tkan
prong or ventral root, if
rostellum is armed there
are 24 to 30 hooks present;
genital pores unilateral
(on left of segments); 3
testicles normally pros-
I ent in each segment; re-
\b.{ tractile rostellum armed
with minute hooklets or
• rudimentary and un-
armed; eggs with 3 en-
velopes; parasitic in man,
chiroptera, insectivora,
roden.ts, -arhd insectivor-
ous birds; larval stage in
insects or myriapoda, . . .

Hooks on suckers arranged
in circular rows on bor-
der; hooks on rostellum
•resemble a hammer in
form and arranged in a
double row; with four ex-
ceptions known only in

birds, ;*

Hooks on suckers arranged

in several transverse

rows; hooks of lnf«ndi-

bulum very small (4 u )

arranged In a single row;

known only in birds. ....

Hooks on suckers arranged

in one median set and

two lateral sets; hooks on

rostellum- iprovide,d with
long dorsal root and ar-
ranged in a single row;
known only in biras, ...

Anterior extremity of stro-
bila expanded in form
of a hammer •••

Anterior segments become
caliclform and function
as a pseudoscolex

HYMENOLEPiS, p. 51U

V_.7

-*«•*■

^'*S

DAVAINEA, p. 613

OPHRYOCOTYLE. p. 630

ECHINOCOTYLE, p. 628

FIMBRIARIA. p. 636

INDIOGENES, p. 637

Family BOTHRIOCEPHALIDAE.

Diagnosis:

or slit-like suck-
genital pores

Head provided with two groo^e
i^iU6....o... nea< 1 J ^^ special pore; geniiai pores

ers; rostellum wanting, uteius witn p^
.pnprallv (possibly always) dorsal oi ventral. iTPe g

ri'

generally (poss
Bothriocephalus Rud.. 1808

■'.**.■

580

The tapeworms of birds which belong to this family
are classed in two (of the several) subfamilies. The
forms recorded for the domesticated fowls are of little
importance and the records of them are very incom-
plete. Three species have been reported from poultry.
The first of these (Ligula) has been developed experi-
mentally in ducks and pigeons; a second species (Botli
riotaenia lougicollis) has been recor-ded but once from
chickens, and a third form (a "Bothriocephalide'O is
recorded once from a pigeon.

Subfamily BOTHRIOCEPHALINAE.
Diagnosis: Body with distinct external segmentation; head
witli two elongate slit or groove-like suckers. Type genus:
Bothriocephalus Rud., 1808.

This subfamily contains among other forms the
species mentioned above (Hothriotaenia longicollis)
from chickens, the undetermined genus and species
from the pigeon, and a number of species of the genus
Hothriocephalus found in wild birds.

Although an unimportant subfamily, so far as the domesti-
cated fowls are concerned, it is quite an important one in
human and comparative medicine. Six of its species (Both-
riocephalus, B. cristatus, B. cordatus, B. liguloides, B. Mansoni
and Krabbea grandis) occur in man, while several forms arc
recorded from dogs.

Genus BOTHRIOCEPHALUS Rudolphi, 1808.
(1819, Dibothrius Rudolphi; 1850, Dibothrium Diesing.)
Diagnosis: Two suckers present; penis, vulva,
open ventro-median.
Type species:! B. latus (Linne 1758), Bremser, 1819.

and uterus

wonid hi o ^^ nomenclature were strictly adhered to there
in T^^h -^ general rearrangement of the species now Included
in Bothriocephalus. The species now known as Ptychoboth-

s^es'of^Bo'th/it'fnt' r'^K'^r Vl^^ ^^ R"dol1fhi'^^?h'e^fi St
bpecies of Bothriocephalus, but within recent years B latus of
man has been tacitly understor>d by zoologists ^repretnt^^
the type species of the geniis. This view, howe^r. can not ^e

581
f thw ffenus as at present revised
"'" :'^"l894 p 99-702) s known to occur in do-
^t^c tld'fowi air„;. ae pigeon "Bothriocepha-
S" C-"eniently be placed here at P-sent; -v
lide may rtPnrtriticus B. ditremus, B. tisaicepa,

eral species (B. dendriticus, c.
K nodicepedis) are found m wild biros, rm
L'pJalus longicollis see Bothriotaenia long.colbs, p.

.'S(».'.

, BERTKAU-S PIGEON BOTHBIOCEPHALUS. .en. et sp.. '.c.r

Cornelius (1875) mentions the occurrence of a Uipe-

L in n Pi,rrier pi-'con at Eberfeld; hesitates that it
worm .n a carnei pi.e ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^.

was a true Taenia, ^"V^^";^f "' '^ «Bothriooephalide,"
lius's paper, remarks that it is a Botniu t

as it possessed two suckers.

:„ .^Mnr 24<^'» long". tWO

The worm was vf-"^';^7^^;l^,.'"„e " >^orf, anterior se.-
muckers but no hooks on the h^ad^ "^^ increasing in breadth
ments very short and straight, s^^""^"'. terior extremity:

to 6mm. then decreasing again toward the poste

margin o£ strobila serrate. regained its natural

The host had been listless and dull, but rega

condition after the expulsion "' 'f ^Xj-^V^rm. mentions also
HaiUiet 0«^;/-,f >, - -rSeuir 'r;denburg). D.
a case recorded by "^'^^°"" ' . . j, j,e ^as assured, had
nzigsohn was called to ^^^f f Ciocephaius was shown
vomited a worm, and, in fact, ^ f" ^ ^^^ ^hiid had
to him. An investigation, how vei, ^«-f^^f„^\,,„,, ,y the
been playing with a pigeon killed ^^e «ven J ^^^
child's father; upon examining the h.rd a slmi
found. ^_^ ^

species of this genus f *A .nfo t^nwrny under Bothrlocep-
Ptychobothrium should fall into ^yn^^yj^^'^ip term should bo
halu« (type B. '■'avlceps) and a new K^n% ^ type. This

given to the group of which B. 'f;"\'°a pou,a be taken consis-
would. however, be ^J.^^'^^' i'Xr soiXn of the problem,
tently only In a rev^«'°"i^f^"t^eof creating less confusion,
which would have t*'^, ad^^"I?f,| °, type of Bothriocephalus.
would be to accept an°"l«'„^f ^'^med by Rudr.lphi in 1808-1810.
which must obviously be one "w^mea °y „
with penlB. vulva and uterus opening ^enl

M

I

582

From the date ^iven it is utterly impossible to dt^
termine these worms, and it appears useless to atteuipi
it. ..-''•'''•'.

Genus BOTHRIOTAENIA Railllet, 1892.

Diagnosis: Two suckers present; genital pores lateral (mar-
ginal). Type species Bothriotaenia longicollis (Molin, 18r>S;
Railllet. 1892.

2. BOTHRIOTAENIA LONGICOLLIS (Molin, 1858) Raillet. 1892.

(1858, Dibothriiim longlcoUe Molin; 1878, Bothriocephalus lonyi-

collis (Molin, 1858) von Linstow).

Diagnosis: 18""" to 27mni long by imnx wide. Head small,
claviform, thick, with 2 marginal oblong suckers, and a small
central depression on the summit. Neck long and very thin.
Body taenioid, flat, with 2 longitudinal grooves. Anterior seg-
ments very short; the following segments almost square, over-
lapping; posterior segments transverso-elliptic, thick with
rounded borders. Gravid segments show a mosaic structure m
dark, angular spots due to egg sacs. Genital pores unilateral,
about in the middle of the margin.

Development: Unknown.

Host: Chickens (Gallus domesticus), by Molin.

Distribution: Pavia, Italy (by Molin and Polonio).

Molin seems to be the only author who has made
any original observations on this worm, and these are
not extended enough to give us any clear idea of the
parasite in question. The egg sacs, unilateral pores,
and the central depression on the summit of the head
recall JJaAainea (vide p. 613), with the query whether
Molin was really not in error in describing two suck
ers instead of four. 8uch an error would be an ex
tremely easy one to fall into, as the suckers of avian
cestodes are frequently indistinct or lost.

At all events, Molin's original specimens should be
re-examined, as nearly forty years have now passed
since the worm was first found; it has not b'-en col
leered in recent years, although the chicken has fre
(juently been (examined for tapeworms.

583

Subfamily LIGULINAE.

Genus LIGULA Bloch. 1782. ^^^^

,>a.nosU: Bo.y not se^m^nt- ^^^^^^^--^^^.T^^^^.

,,ga„s are -P-\^^ ^^^s rop^r^.ntral.y ; head without

:ni„rrcK^ro"/S.Uu.>nS sUt-U.e sucKe. .av <ae-

velo;i. , „ ^^ ,. ,^g ij^ the abdominal cavity

various piscivorous birds. , . ,

This genus does not normally occur in domesticated

inis genus. nuoted in Duchamp, 187 ()

,,irds, but Duchamp 187(>, q«otea ^^^^

raised the adult m the pent

nonnadieu (1877) fed young l»g"»f ,;",^"?;'';^^^^^ eggs
- „+^ in thirtv hours found adult ligules witn et,j,
twenty to thir > uou „^neriments, although ni

in these birds in some of 1"« ^xper me ,

other infections of d-^^^;;-^:^^^^^^^^^ with

Uiehm (1882) also succeeded m iniectiut,

ligules.

From a plscicultural standpoint the J-^f -;^:;;,;^:„;';;e:
parasite is ot considerable ""^'•'^"^^. '7,„; ^i^t^Hcal review.
Pise to serious epizootics among fish (for h,s

'■V various autho^^ ~^CthHum T.u.a; other authors,
cephalus under '^^ "^7^;^„g„„e two species, i. e.. I.isula
however, are inclln^ to ''^^"S" „„nogramma Creplin), and
uniseriallB Rud.. '^^^ ^^^^J^^^,"^^ Z. dl.ramma CreplinV
T^igula alternans R"f ••/^^'' '7. ' „„, ,, generally applied to
The term L. simpHcisslma Rud.. IfO.. E

the sexual form in fish. ^^ uniserlalis.

C:;;Hal oSrs T.^^e Tn-rateVnatln^ •::::. •:;:X. aiternans.

1

1^

584

Family TAENIIDAE.

Diagnosis: Head with 4 cup-shaped suckers, rostellum pie-
sent but not always evident; uterine pore wanting; genital
pores generally marginal; body always segmented. Type
genus: Taenia L»inne, 1758.

This family is an extremely important one from au
agricultui-al standpoint as all the tapeworms of do
mesticated animals (with the exception of a few be-
longing to the Bothriocephalidae) are classified liere.
Probably all of the tapeworms normally found in poul
try belong to the subfamily Dipylidiinae.

The subfamily Taeniiaei (type genus: Taenia Linne, 1758)
contains mostly large tapeworms, the adult stage of whicli
lives in carnivorous animals (T. saginata of man, T. marginata
of dogs, for instance) while the larval stage lives in herbivor-
ous animals (Cysticercus bovis of cattle. C. tenuicollis of sheep,
cattle, etc.j.

The subfamily Anoplaocepholinae (type genus: Anoplocephala
E. Bl., 1848) contains most of the adult tapeworms of horses,
cattle, sheep, rabbits, and allied animals.

Subfamily MESOCESTOIDINAE.

Diagnosis: Head with four suckers; segments distinct; genital

^.Tn^fa vom^ f^'iL^o''^''^^ ^'''^- ^^^ ^"^ ^"ly »^n^s: Mesoces-
toides Vaillant, 1863.

Genus MESGCKSTOIDES VailUnt. 1862.

(1885, Ptychophysa Hamann.)

Diagnosis: Char, of subfamily; a single egg sac present
Type species: M. ambiguus Vaillant, 1863.

Railliett (1893, p. 313) places Polonio's Taenia im
butiformis of wild geese in this genus as a species in
quir«ida, but I can not recognize Polonio's description
and figure as supporting this view (vide p. 58). This
genus would, therefore, according to my view, be
without any representative among the parasites of do

r'Jfn"' ^^^«' Scle-rolepidota Weinland (hard-shell tapew**i in.s>.
Cysticaae; Cystotaenlae.

585

n.esticated birds. The type species M. ambiguus is
Id in Gennetta gennetta (Linn., 1758) [Viv^ra
'enetta], and one species, M. Uneatus (Goeze, 1782)
Kailliett, 1803, is found in dogs and cats.

Subfamily DIPYLTDIINAK.

Cystoideae Leuckart; Cyscoidel. Cystoino
(Mlcrotaenia).

diagnosis: Head with 4 sucKers; 7^^""- ,^:":;^;;,:nhf;
genital pores lateral (marginal), ^'"^'^ J .^^"^'^'^.f/in some
transparent shells, frequently ^^''-'Jf^ '"^ J*;^,;"'!' «y,t,cer-
cases scattered through the ^^^^^^^ ' ^^J^^Zl', ^.pyudlum
cold; adults m birds and mammals. Type genu

Tt. T^/euckart, 186S.

Probably all of the Taeniidae of birds belong to this
.lativ, which is at present divided into "^e genera^
tC tapeworms of domesticated fowls are confined to
I five genera: Ootngnia, Davainea. Dicranotama.
Drepanidotaenia, and Echinocotyle.

I. G,„..a, pore, double and oppcl.e. SucXer. unarmed.

Three different genera have -^ ^^^^^^^^.^e ge^.^arpTres-
Dlpylldimae for forms with ''ouWe a"d oPPO^"e ^ ^^^^^^
but they have been very poorly defined ^rom ^^^^^^^

The genus DlpyWdlum contains ^P^^'^/^^'^; unquestionably

and with D. canmum ^^'^^^^'^Z J form, with double

stand as a good genus. I" ^"^tg^,^,^ taenia dlgonopora

genital pores have -'-^^^t^^ J^^a Slebold In Aythya

PasAuale In chickens ^"^ .^^^f^\^, ^een placed by Dlamare

ny^a (Nyroca '^^'>'^''";^;j^ .'^"Jhlch. however, he falls to
(1893A) m a new genus Cotugnla, ^"'^ • unquestlon-

define distinctly ^:^^V^r^T,::^r:.:^^.^:to.Xi to Us
ably be «"PP'-«^^^ ""'^^ Tasllso proposed the genus Ama-
support. Dlamare (1893A) *>*« %^°/fl^^,ngo (Phoenlcopterus
blUa for Taenia lamelUgera In the flamingo

^ Truttlf is known of the other forms ^-H^-^^ as Pee-
ing double genitaa pores to a"ow a de ernUnaUon he.^^
eric afflnlties. and speculation In this dlrecuon

3T»-U

I:

i

I

•I

I

4

14

58G

complicate m-atters; the forms which must be taken into mn.
sideration are Taenia polymorpha Rudolphi, 1819, pars (as de-
termined by Krabbe 1869, p. 301) from Recurvirostra avocetia
and "Taenia lavis Bloch (Diesing)" (seei Krabbe, 1869, p. 30i>),
from Aythy-a ferina (Fuligula ferina).

In deference to my Italian colleague Diamare, I adopt his
genera provisionally, postponing final opinion in regard to them
until his more detailed publication appears.

a. Two submedlan ovaries in each 8effment.

a'. Hooks on rostelhim arranRed in several rows.

Genus Dl^YLiDIUM R. Leuckart, 18«3.1

(1858, Alyselminthus Zeder, 1800, partim Weinland.)

Diagnosis: Rostellum retractile, armed with several trans-
verse rows of alternating hooks; hooks with small roots, tlu-
base l>eing discoidal; mature segments elongate with doubU'
sets of genital organs; pores double and opposite; testicles very
numerous, scattered through the median field; ovary bilobled;
vitellogene glands distal; uterus at first reticulate among tli.'
testicles, finally resolving itself into independent egg sacs cun-
taining one or several ova; ova with double transparent mem-
branes. Type species: D. caninum (Linne, 1767).

Xo members of this genus have as yet been recordiMl
from birds. The type species D. caninum inhabits tlir
intestine of dogs, cats, and man; its larval stage lives
in fleas (Pulex serraticeps P. iiritans) and lice (Tricho
dectes can is).

a*. Hooks on head arranged In a single row.

Genus CO TUG NI A Dlaraare. 1893. (Gen. Inq.).

Diagnosis: Head large, with a rudimentary retractile ro.sti'l-
lum armed with a large numl>er of very minute booklets ar-
range<l in a single row. prong thick and short, without dorsal
root. \^ith ventral root thin and elongate toward the point.
Suckers large and unarmed. Mature segments broader than

iFor full Mbliography consult Damare's monograph 0893) II
Oen^re Dipylidium T.kt. < Atti. R. Accad. Scienze fische c
matf^matiche. Vol. VT. ser. 2a. No. 7. 31 pages. 3 plates. Can-
should, however, be exercised in accepting the dp.tes given bv
Diamare as many typographical errors have crept into tli<
nibliography.

58T

renital organs double, opening separately each on Us
loiiS. Oemtai oigd TMerus composed of egg sacs. Type

..espective lateral "'.^'^S'";^^^*""' "^^^^ is90) Diamare, 1H-J3.
siucies: Cotugnia digonopora (Pasquaie, ;

This genus was established by iMamare for a tape-
,.m which occurs in chickens. The diagnosis as at
en given by Diamare fails, in -y op mon to ^p^
' Ue the genus distinctly from DipyUdium. i^vo
aiare uir » eniflpiencv of details

species have been described. ^"V7'"^'''; ,.,f,,t^rv
i„ the specific diagnoses does not allow a satisfactory

morphological distinction at present.

I

Found in chickens
Found in ducks

C. digonopora.
C. bifa;ria.

.OTUONIA DIOONOPOHO (Pa.auale. 1S90) Bia.are. 1S9. The .ou-
(OrUGNiA ^ie.pored chicken tapeworm.

^ (1890, Taenia digonopora Pasquale.)
(PI. I, figs. 1-11.)

n-,a«nosis: Strobi.a 40n,m to ^^-^^1/^,^X1^^^^
,„..,„U„„ about in,. ^^;;^^^;,;-\:7„eTerysmanhooUs8.35
„,th a crowded crown in a smg^e '^^^ ^^^^^^^ g,„bular,

,, long: base of rostellum 0.22mn, bV J^l» ' Anterior seg-

;„„„„„ent, 0.35™n, in '"^^^^^^^^^^^^/ITonger than broad,
ments broader than long, posterior seg margins;

nenital pores ^'^^^::J^;:r:<^Z^^^^^^^^^^^^ '" ^^^ «^<=''-

o ovaries in each segment, e«gs cmu

;io:t'cSn''S.rdomesticu.> i>y Pas^iuale.
"eographioardistribution: Abyssinia, by Pasauale.

r.snuale (IS^OO) found this worm quite common in
.,.Ss n Massowah and thinks it probable that the

r -ondition of the fowls was due to its presomc
rt was f.vqu,.ntly present in the caeca as well as ,n
the small intestine.

II

i

f n

)¥

1

588

4. COTUCJNIA BIFARIA (von Siebold, 1848) Diamare, 1893. The dou

ble-pored duck taoeworm.

(1848, Taenia bifaria von Siebold; 1871. T. tuberculata Kieftt

(nee Rudolphi, 1819).)

(PI. II, figs. 12-17.)

Diagnosis: Strobila 39mm to 90mm long by (?) broad. Head
triangular, with conical, pointed, (?) unarmed Tostellum and
4 small unarmed circular suckers; neck short. Proximal seg-
ments small, narrow, gradually enlarged, and rectangular;
distal segments the largest, subquadrate. Genital pores double,
one each side in about the middle of the margin, prominent in
sexually active segments. M-ale organs: Testicles few in num-
ber; each vas deferens inflated into a vesicula seminalis near
the anterior margin of the segment, somewhat laterally of the
median line; from here the seminal canal runs diagonally to
the sirrus pouch, which is large; cirrus covered with minute
spines. Female organs: Not well understood; evidently 2 ovar-
ies present in the posterior portion of the segment, one each
side of the median line.
Life history: Unknown.

Type specimen: Collection Siebold in British Museum.
Hosts: African Teal (Aythya nyroca). by von Siebold; White-
eyed duck, A. australis (Gould), by Krefft.

Geographical distribution: by von Siebold; Aus-

tpalia, by Krefft.

Von Siebold (1848, p. 147) mentions Taenia bifaria from the
intestine of Anas leucophthalmos (=Aythya nyroca). Tl.e
specimens possessed double genital pores similar to D. caninuni.
Monticelli (1889, p. 325) examined these specimens, preserved
in the British Museum, and gave a short diagnosis. In another
paper (1891, pp. 151-153) he gives a more extended description,
together with figures. He did not observe hooks on the head
but will not deny their presence. Monticelli states that Krefft s
species "T. tubereolata" (=T. tuberculata), described from
Aythya australis (Gould), is identical with T. bifaria. Diama.-
(1893, p. 12) places T. bifaria in the genus Cotugnia.

b. One median ovary In each segment.

Genua AMABILIA Diamare. IMS. fGen. Inq.).

Diagnosis: Avian cestode with double lateral genital pores;
double cirri; ovary single and medium. Type species: Amabilia
lamelligera (Owen, 1835) Diamare. 1893.

589

Secies IS found in the flaiiningo.

,. AMABII^A I^MEI^I^IGERA (Owen. 1835) Diamare. 1M3.

1835, Taenia lamelligera Owen.)

(PI. II. figs. 18-20.)

X iTAmm inne- 10 5mm broad, 2.1"""

Sardinia (? CagUarl) by Flcalbl.

„. GenltM pore, single. SucKer, an«ea or unarmed.

1 o-<.„pra. Hvmenolepis. Dicranotaenia,
A. Suckers unarmed; genera wyme"
and Drepanidotaenia. ^

GenuB HYMENOLEPIS Welnland, 18M.
(1858 Diplacanthus Weinland (nee L. AgassJz).)
„-,agnos.s: StrobUa small <«;f-->,, "rLrarielwUbl

single crown of 24-30 hookiets, ^^^^^^

(Neck long. Segment, serrate much broa ^^^j^^^^,

less than 150 In number^ «7"^^^,^'^'^^,,presfnting ventral,
the female surface of the P;°S^°*"J^^„^ ^^^ ,^„ and two
Tfstlcles few, generally 3 In eacn seb..

■^wen states that his ^P-^-ens were -I'-ted by Ueu^ten^^^

ant-Colonel Sykes ' '",.*,, ^^"^'"^"Ueclmens were collected
Linn." Diamare states that his "^i^ ^Pft'J^a, cagUari." from
by "Professor Flcalbi, della R- V""?^^'^^ T S. Palmer, the
•Phoenicopterus roseus." Ae^^rdmg to^DrJ^ =^ p^„^„.

Old world flamingoes are P- |"*"l"°;''7he New World flamin-
Pallas). P. erythraeus and P^ "^gXalUatus. In Owen's tim*,
goes are P. ruber Linn., and f^^ '^"'^^n^er the name P. ruber
however, all flamingoes were ;"^^;»;f°y'i"es collected his mater-
Mnn. As it was not stated ^^here . > k definitely, but

i^^i,' l.%'Ta,r;i i'.T.r^e'^l ^an^^a^rum as host.

;l|

I W /I

i

\i

I

%

590

right of the median line. Gravid segrments transformed im,,
a j?ac full of eggs; eggs surrounded by 3 shells ssparated nnr
from another. Inner shell without pyriform body, but (u--
casionally with a small knob at each pole. Larva is a Crypt n-
cystis or Staphylocystis; intermediate host an insect or myiia-
pode. Type species: H. diminuta (Rud., 1819).

(Revised generic characters from Blanchard, 1891C, pp. 4i)-:„i.
I inclose in brackets several characters which I can hardly louk
upon as generic. For bibliography see R. Blanchard. 1891C.)

Welnland proposed this genus with Taenia flavopunctata as
type, but as this form is identical with taenia diminuta the
name H. diminuta is here ins-erted as type species. At tlu
same time he proposed a genus Diplacanthus (nee L. Agassiz;
with Taenia nana von Siebold as type species. The term Dip-
lacanthus must drop, as it is preoccupied, and there seems to
be no good grounds for separating H. nana generically from
H. diminuta.

Weinland divided Hymenolepis into two subgenera: (1) Lep-
idotrias Weinland, 1858 (with 3 eggshells) with H. murin-.
(Dujardin, 1845) Weinland, 1858, as type species, and including
Taenia scalarls, scutigera, tiara, plstillum, microstoma, nasula
undulata, serpentulus. craterlformis, sinuosa and flavopuni-
tata; (2) Dilepis Weinland, 1858 (with 2 eggshells), with T
angulata Rud. as type species, and containing T. purpurati
porosa and lanceolata. Of these forms T. sinuosa (vide DrejV
anldotaenia sinuosa p. 604) and T. lanceolata (vide Dr. lanoe..-
lata p. 597) occuer in domestic fowls.

Most of the species of this genus are parasitic in
mamiimls, but Weinland included a number of avijin
tapeworms in Hymenolepis. Blanchard (1891 (J, j)p.
(\S-(\U), liiscusses the forms jiml concludes that ouh
four avian species can be included here witli anv dc
^•Tee of probability. These species mentioned liclou
do not occur in domesticated fowls.

Ilymenolepsis .«erpentulus (Schrank. 1798) Weinland. isr.s
rSyn. 1798. Taenia serpentulus Scrank [nee DuJ.. 1845-|. found in
Oriolus galbula. Corvus cornix. C. cornne. C. frugilegus. C. nion-
odula. Xucifraga caryocatactes. Oarrulus glandarius. Pira ran
data. Pious aurulontus.

Hymenolepis angulata mud.. 1810) Weinland. 1858. (Syn. ISlo.

501

A i«i^ T serpentulus Duj. [nee Schrank.
raenia angulata Rud.; 1845. T. ^J^^ atrigularis. T.

:,;,; found in Nucifraga ca^ ^^,,,,,, ,, .or-

(luatus, 1. vi»^ Weinland, l»o»- <.»>"•

Cotruleus. P. cristatus. P- Pf "f ^_, ^ 3,.. ^m. (Syn.

.-Sfi Taenia farclminalis Batsch, 1845, T. un
Ifsturnus vulgaris. Garrulus g.andanus.

Genus DICHANOTAENIA RallUet. 1892.

„lfo™ l.~M. S'""'"'' ""hi* tho <lo™l root. •»" "•""'"«

crustaceans.

rrom the characters thus far given it i_s very dimcull
to Snguish this genus from Hymenolepis.

(Genital pores unilateral

r Kostelium with 18 to 26 hooUs 13 /^ to " F ^ ^^^^^^,^ ^

., \ long; f»"nd in ducks •

I Rostellum with 10 hooKS

, Hooks 27 ^ to 32 ^ long; foun.l in .wans^ ^,^„^biUs. p. r.»3

y ducks

(iMo. Taenia coronula Duj.)

[PI. HI. ftgs- 21-28-1

1 a- 1 '.mm to 3"^"^ broad. Head
Diagnosis: 120-m to 'l^;^' 'ill .\\,,^er^ ,v,,.mlnent, angular.

„^ost rhomboidal 0.20mm to 0^2 ^^.^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^,^, „ ,,

,,regular. 0.066.nm to O.Oftn.m in rt ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ,^ ^^^,,^^ ,, „

„y o.O«mm. surrounded b> a . V^^^^^ ^^ ^ ^^_ ^^ ^ ^„^.„,,j)
to 14 li (Pujardin). 14 « to 1..

.''.'■

592

long. Anterior segments very short; following segments grad-
ually increase in size. Genital pores unilateral. Penis bo -,
to 80 a (Duj.) 110 ,. (Krabbe) long by 30 u to 53 « broad but
able to swell to 80 ^ covered with minute spines. Hooks ot
embryo 8 ft. Internal anatomy?

Development: Cysticercoid. probably in mussel crabs (Cy-
Pris ovum Jur.. Cyprts clnerea. Cyipria ophthalmica Jur. an.l
Candona Candida.

Hosts: Tame ducks (Anas boschas dom.); Mallard duck (a
boschas L.); European Golden Eye (Glaucionetta olangula)

Geographical distribution: France (at Rennes, by Dujardin
at Alfort, by Rallliet); Denmark (in Zealand by Krabbe)- Ger-
""""KJln ^*^*'"'* "y ^-"n Siebold, after Krabbe; in Munich by
von Willemoes-Soihm, after Krabbe. 1882). No epidemics re
ported. >^= It?-

f„f "i^'*^'^ ?*^' •'• "*^ -ie^^ribed ^this species from parasites
tound m ducks at Rennes; Krabbe (1869. pp. 317-318) found the

nZ TiT '" ''^'"^««<=^'^ <lucks and adds a few observa!

ions, chiefly measurements; he cites it from Siebold's collection

Orom Glancionetta clanula) and in 1882. p. 356. cites it from von

303) has found young tapeworms in the domesticated duck at
Alfort Which he determined as belonging to this species al
hough the dorsal root of the hooks were much more lende,-
than those figured by Krabbe. These appear to be the on^!
Observations upon the adult worm, which as at present dlag
nosed, is based entirely upon external characters arrtwhiK
therefore, should be restudied anatomically '^^'"*''

Several authors have found larval cestort»c i„ f u
.ussel crabs which they look upon al trttng'-sti^r^rLr

Mrazek (1890) [in a publication which on account of ,h« i
«uage I am unable to read, I quote from MoZ (" 9 V >«;
and Rallliet (1893)] has found a cysticercoid In oJi! '

•lur. and in Cyj.ris ophthalmica Jur (CvnHl 1 ^^ °^"'"

tf 7.i:\rrbrrc:;Th:: trdor,r:r-^ '-
r^rbe-t^ rr (H L^groVtro^

Om> describes and figu s'lhrcysti ercoid oTn " '''''"''''
Cypris clnerea in Kent. Monlez ( 89T ' °L \ T""""' '™"'
cysticercoid is rather common in v- ' ^'**^^ *""* "^is

.t .n CypHa oph.haimica a^ C L!r::•na1:;^h'^''^'' '''""'
It m Cy. ophthalmica from Durham and flm c'hina" "'^"'^

593

-- H will ^^^^^^ziri^"::^^^^^^-^^-^

,a.. to Dicr '^^/^f'T^^^^^^",' ^"rgotten that Ihe experimental
"' Tof theTelaUo^sh p o these organisms has not yet been
7::Lor2l. "nd ".rth^rmore, that even the aduU form ts
very superficially described.

r DICRANOTAENIA AEQUABIOS (Rudolphl. 1810) Railllet. 1893.
(1810. Taenia aequabilis Rudolphi.)
[PI. III. figs. 29-30.1
ni.enosiB- 160mm to 350m.m long. 3.2n.m to 4.6mm broad. Head

l^orntt^.^k^^V^/ort^nte^

thin; following -^-^f^^^^.^'^^.Tore rounded near the
T::To/:T rnn.XorTZ.:.r.. De^,opme«t un-

' Hrts: European swan (Olor -^"-> = ^^n^tSl^ ^u;
(O cygnus dom.); Widgeon (Anas penelope). European scau,

' GeoSi-iaiTtHbution: Pomerania (by Rudoiphi and Crep-
nnl IchLwag (by Friis). Epidemics: None reported.

Like the preceding species, this form has been seen
,,„t a few times and is established entirely upon exter-
iial characters.

t 1 r.u.- oriri f^p^o^ibed it in 1810 (PP-
Rudolphi collected it original ^n^ aescube ^^^^_

135-136) from wild swan. In ^'^ ^^1 >"»> .^ prem^^r found it

-orcyg:ri;:ni-=js r^^^

^mr thTorrg^ardC^ed tS^Li; he oit s in ..

r IT •Sl-.^r^r ;en:dl.'^arr:rdr von ..nstow.
St" .tprotab, 'erroneously, from the <>o'nosticated swan^

[Rail,..), von i^-tow (18J. p-^-> ;;--% ; zj::r^

marila <=Aythya marila). but does noi bi

38 TT

fU

504

8. DICRANOTAENIA PURCIG?::RA (Rudolphl. 1819) Stiles, 1896.

(18iy, "T. tiilineata Batseh" of Rudolphi; ISIH, T. fuicigera
Rudolphi ex Nitzsoh, MS.; 1845, T. rhomiboidea Duj.; 1893,
Dicranotaenia rhomboidea (Dujardin, 1845) Railliet.)

( ? 1779, Taenia lineata Bloch; ? 1786, T. trilineata Batch; ?
1790, T. Anatis /? lineata Gmelin; ? 1802,T. longirostris Frolich
[nee Rud., 1819] ? 1803. Halysis trilineata (Batseh, 1786) Zeder;
? 1858, T. conica Molin.)

[PI. Ill, figs. 31-34 (35-36).]

Diagnosis: 100mm to 35mm long by 0.5 to 1mm broad. Head
0.46mm to 0.52mm^ rhomboidal, or prolonged anteriorily in a tube
containing a thick ovoide, oblong, rostellum 0.22mm to 0.25mm
long, armed with a single crown of hooks 65 /^ to 66 // (Dujardin).
48 /^ to 58 // (Krabbe) long. Suckers 0.18mm in diameter. Seg-
ments trapezoidal, 2 to 3 times longer than broad. Genital
pores unilateral. Penis 9.7 fi broad, smooth. Embryo 36 fi ;
hooks of embryo 14 // (Krabbe), 16 ft to 17 /z (Dujardin). De-
velopment not known.

Hosts: Mallard ducks (Anas boschas) by Dujardin, Nitzch,
Krabbe, Friis; Pochard (Aythya ferina); is erroneously stated
to have been found in domestic ducks, according to Railliet.
See also hosts for T. conica, T. lineata, and T. trilineata, in
chart at end of text, taken from von Linstow, 1878, and others.

Geographical distribution: France (by Dujardin), Italy (by
de Ninni), Iceland (Krabbe), Schleswig (Friis). Epidemics,
none recorded.

The early history of this worm is buried under indefinite and
incomplete statements upon superficially studied material.
We can, however, trace the species with certainty as far back
as Rudolphi, 1819, p. 528. Nitzsch collected some worms from
the Mallard in 1816, and sent thc^m to Rudolphi. evidently under
the MS. label Taenia furcigera. Rudolphi determined the
worms as T. trilineata Batseh. 1786, which according to Krabbe
(1869, p. 315), (Batseh's original not at my disposal), is a name
Batseh introdu-ced for Bloeh's T. lineata of 1779. Krabb? after-
ward examined Nitzsch's specimens, and states (1869. p. 316)
that they are identical with T. rhomboidea Dujardin. 1845. I
adopt Nitzseh's name for the reasons given in the footnote.i

^ — - — ■ -

iA very delicate point of nomenclature Is Involved In this
case, and one which has been entirely overlooked by helm.'n-
thologlsts. In the first place, the name trilineata should be
suppressed because (Krabbe, 1869, p. 315) it was originally in-
tended for a species (i. e.. T lineata from A. penelope. A. cJrcia.
Dafila acuta) already named and figured. Accordingly tri-

595

.^T^W.'i T rhomboidea) found a 30mm

Dujardin (1845. pp. 574-^5. T-'" j^ ^ ,vild duclc.

fragment and 6 young '^"'^ms Onun to 18 ^^ ^^^^^^^

in which "Taenia megalops J^^ «;^^^.^^ „£ t. rhomboidea
Krabbe collected ""'"^'-ous young spec^men^ ^^^^ ^^

from wild ducks (A. boschas *«;^>;^^f J^^ j, ^ooks. 47 «

0.5mm broad; the ^-^'^''^"^J''l^'Zi,^^?^i^(Kv^X.^.^,im)

to 58 /. long; genital apparatus -^^^^l^ ^^^ j^Vabbe thinks

collected the same species 'l^^'''^^^^^.\l^^^ p. 253. Taf. VII,

that the worm which Molm < f !; P-^J-'^^^'.ie^crlbed under the

figs. 1-2 )foun<i in wild ducks in ^^^"^^ ^fj^„., t. rhomboidea.

name T. conica is also id^"''^*' ^''^^J^^^ ^on Linstow (1878)

Molin .records his form from "^"^^ ^^W^^,^^. Railliet

gives It for A. boschas dom ^^^J"^^ ^^l '^^^^^ Dicranotaenia,

,1893. P. 3(«) Places T^ ^^^^^^^X^^^^Zm p. 543) of in-
and calls attention to the error n u ^^^ duck-an

eluding T. trilineata as a "^^^^.^^'^^^tZ^-^- '^^'""^^^'^
error repeated by von ^^'^^^^^^^'"'^^^XiLa, although Du-

%r:- seems no -_eUh--^^^^^^^^ rr^pTritHn!
T. trilineata Batseh (-T. ""^^7/^. '„, the poor descriptions
less the types can be procured. In ^^^ °"^,„^^„„„,, entirely.
I Intend for the present to Ignore these spec

b. Genital pores alternate. nalUlet. 189«-

,. mCRANOTAENlA SPHENOIDKS (Ka.Ulet. 18W RalU e ^

(1872. Taen:a cuneata von Unstow ^^^^^^^^^^ "o^i.in.Unv,
sphenoides KaiU.; 1893, Dicranotaenia cuneata (vo

1872) Raill.)

[PI. IV, figs. 37-42.1

T inctrvw^ to 4mm (Magalhaes) long.
Diagnosis: Body 2mm (von Linstow) to i v

lineata should never have ^^en proposed and^ hence can^not^
be taken into consideration under any c ^^^^ ^^^ ^^

states that the d^-^crlption and flf"^;«^^J„,„e the speoies with
perfect that It is not T'^f^'^, *°fl„° ^^Tt is not probable that
certainty, although 'j-°"" ,^'^ Vhomb^ldea. This statement re-
his worm is identica with T '^l^omboiaea ^^^^^ g,^^.

lleves us from considering ^■^^^^^IJ.I generally accepted
specimens can be f""""*; ,,f "^^"i^^Mlcation of Nitzseh's name
Dujardln'9 specific name, but t^fP"I*'J^ furcigera as 1819, and
by Rudolphi establi-shes the date of J^ J^j-p^'^^ Krabbe's es-
assoclates the name wUhRudoplhi^saescrp^ ^^^^ ^

'-r Ta-Jir-a^-r -^^the^o^^vp^s^Ts yef c^.llf^f l
?rn^thinrrera?nsa7p;e^enrbut\o- Accept Rudolphi's pub-

lication of this name

'..^

.. (^

I
i 'I

iMiiii

596

by 1mm broad, wedge-shaped; head 200 .V long by 205 fi broad,
contracted posteriorly to form the neck; retractile rotellum cyl-
indrical, 160 fi] long by 37.5 fi broad, bearing 12 (von Linstow.
Magalhaes, Plana) or 12-14 Grassi & Rovelll) hooks which meas-
ure 25 /i (Magalhaes) or 32 (i (other authors) long; dorsal root
of hooks short and «ame length as ventral root. Suckers round
to oval, 75 u in diameter, unarmed. Segments 12-13 lin numtoer,
increasing gradually in size from the first to the last, so that
the entire body is wedge-shaped. Genital pores irregularly
alternate, situated at the anterior angle of the segments; male
organs appear in firs't segments, testicles "numerous," vitel-
laria seen in ninth and following segments; mature eggs seen
only in twelfth and thirteenth segments; they lie in 12-1.'] large
vesicles which finally break, the eggs being scattered through
the segments. Eggs spherical. 42 fi in diameter, with 2 mem-
branes; hooks of oncosphere, 6 fJt .

Development: Intermediate host is probably an earthworm
(Allobophora foetida Eisen). The cysticercoid has no tail.
Host: Chickens (Gallus domes-ticus).

Geographical distribution: Germany (von Linstow); Italy
(Grassi & Rovelli); South America— Brazil (Magalhaes).

Von Linstow (1872B, pp. 56-57) discovered this worm in chick-
ens in Germany ,and described it as Taenia cuneata. Piana
(1882, p. 393-394) evidently examined some of von Linstow's ori-
ginals, but does not add much to the diagnosis. Grassi & Rov-
elli (1889A. p. 404; 1892, pp. 29-30, 88-90) found the same species
in Italy; they found some cysticercolds in the earthworm (Al-
lobophora foetida). which they believe represent the larval
stage of T. cuneata. They evidently, however, did not make
any experiments to determine this point, although they state
that the hooks agree with the hooks of T. cuneata. This sup-
posed Intermediate host must therefore be subjected to experi-
mentation before Grassi & Rovelli's statements are giv^n full
credence. Magalhaes (1892. pp. 145-146) records the same
species from Brazil, adding several Important points on th-
anatomy of the worm. Rallllet (1892. p. 53) uses the term
Taenia sphenoides for this worm, his ground evidently being
that the term T. cuneata Is already preoccupied. In 1893 (p
04) he reverts to the specific name cuneata, placing the form

1^.11T .. ^"^ '''" international rules the term cuneata

must fall, on which account I accept the next available name
sphenoides. (See addendum, p. e.-??.)

597

Genus DREPANIDOTABNIA RallUet. 18»».

.^3 A uv, a «intrle row of uniform hooks,
Diagnosis: Head Provjded w-th a^>ng^e a ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^

few (8-20) in number, with ^o^^^^' ,„„ directed posteriorly
;tnrrreirror:c;;.trsP-es or. lanceolata

^"S;rier";U^ltrval sta.e (c..t..erc<.d> o. several
speSes ha's been found in small -ustaoeans.

t Genital Pores alternate: ro«tenum

I with 16-20 hooks 20-27 /* lonK.
l.| Hab: chickens. ? 1^^^^'^^^^V InfundlbuUformls, p. 609

I ? ducks, pigeons ur. unu ^

\ Genital pores unilateral

c Rostellum with 10 hooks :;:".*.'.*.'.!'.'.''.'.' 4

2- I Rostellum with 8 hooks

Hooks 20 /x to 23 II long; found in

""dScks domestic goose, and -^^^^^ ,,„„,,ostrls, p. 60«

3. 1 H^^Tto- 40- . longV found in geese . . D^^tigera, p. 605

I S: ^6^ ; " % ; = S In Ss.-.Dr. anatlna, p. m

Hooks 31 /i to 35 /i long; found in ducks^^ i^nceolata, p. 597

and geese : " " ;* *,„' *^p*.i»^' ' Dr. fasclata, p. 598

4. i Hooks 57 fi long; f^^J^'^J.^.f^^ i^ ducks

Hooks 77 /i to 80 « long. ^^^"^ ;*; ^. . . . . Dr. gracilis, p. 600

and geese

A. Genital pore unilateral.

a. Rcstellum with 8 hooks. ^ ^^^

,0 OREPANIDOTAENIA LANCEOLATA (Bloch. 1.S2) RallUet.
10. DRBPAisii^ lanceolate tapeworm.

■R d 1810- 1781, T. aeutis-

(1727. Taenia ^''^^'''"' J'^^^^t \m: 1779. T- anservls Bloch
slma Pallas, pars-v^de Krabbe^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ , ,

-vide Rud., 1810. 1782. T- 'a ,anceolata (Bloch. 1782)

(Bloch, 1782) Welnland.)

[PI. IV. Figs. 43-53: PI. V, PiK». 54-65.1

1- cmm tn IRmm broad. Head
DLsno.!.- >«"" <■> ISO"- »« '' ' X„ M,my .wollCT «"

r i\

598

in length and becoming gradually broader to within a short
distance of the posterior extremity when they become nar-
rower, giving the body a lancet sharpe. .Genital pores unilat-
eral, near anterior corner of segment; penis armed with spines;
cirrus-pouch small; testicles 3; female organs on opposite side
of segment froon genital pore (Feuereisen). Eggs with very
thin external shell 50 // by 35 ft; hooks of oncosphere 8 fi. De-
A^elopment: Unknown.

Hosts: Tame duck (Anas boschas dom.); black duck (Anas
obscura); tame goose (Anser anser dom.); muscovy duck (Cai-
rina moschata); white-headed duck (Erismatura leucocephala) ;
pochard (Aythya ferina); African teal (Aythya nyroca); red-
cresteid pochard (Aythya rufina); flamingo (Phoenicopterus
antiquorum).

Geographical distribution: England, Denmark, France, Ger-
many and Austria. p::pidemic in 1710, reported by Frisoh.

Bloch (1782, p. 7-9) found this worm/ more especially among
lean geese; Goeze (1782, pp. 377-383) says that it is most com-
mon in lean geese which have been allowed to roam; Dujardin
(1845, p. 562) mentions T. lanceolata as possessing 10 hooks and
irregularly alternating genital pores, which makes it proba)ble
that he did not have this species before him. Krabbe (1869, pp.
295-296) found this form in 77 geese out of 400 examined, or
about 20 per cent. The Vienna catalogue gives T. lanceolata
and T. sinuovsa together for 19 out of 139 tame geese. The epi-
demic of 1710 recorded by Frisch (1781, pp. 15o-156) is attributed
to this species. It has been found by various German authors
Megnin (1881A, pp. 29-32) has found it in ducks and geese in
France, Railliet (1893, pp. 29^-300) in Ardennes France, Lucet
in LcHret, France. Railliet states that this is the most com-
mon form in geese. Hassall has one specimen from Liverpool
England.

Authors generally consider that there is little or no difficulty
in recognizing this species; its anatomy, however, is very im~
perfectly understood.

11. DKiPANIDOTAENIA FAS'JlAlA (J ? RudolphI, 1810J Krabbe. \m^) Railliet.

(1868, "T. setigera Frolich." 1789 of Feuerisen [nee Frolich v.

Siebold. 1848]; 1869,T. fasciata Krabbe.)
( ? 1800. Alyselminthus crenatusi (Goeze, 1782) Zeder pars^vide
Rud., 1810; ? 1803. Halysis crenata (Goeze, 1782) Zeder pars-
vide Rud., 1810; Taenia fasciata Rud.).

[PI. V. flgs. 56-66; PI. VI. figs. 67-76; PI. VII. figs. 77-79.]
Diagnosis: Rody 60n.m to 160mm long hy Imn, to 2mm broad
Head hemispherical, compre.qsed. 0.3.5mm broad by 0.25mm long;

599

..eKers ova,. ^^-^ XlT S^^^^^^^.
terior) broad; rostellum lon», in , ^^^^^^ ^j

r; 0^05.™,. a:m.d on -^"^/^.^^f^rt e^ua^ length. NecK
8 hooks 57 MO 60 M long. '^''°\« °; i^^ad. Segments much
very long, much thinner ^^^^J^g^ .t^es as broad as long;
broader than long; anterior segments 5 t ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^
posterior segments 3 t™es a« broa^ _ thickness es-

?^nnel shaped; segments ^^°"^ ^^f j, traversed by a dark
peclally m the median ^^^^J^^^ transparent toward the
longitudinal band; thmner and mo ^^^.^^ ^ ^^.^^^,,

bortler; stralghter at the anse^^ ^^^ ^^^^,^^, halt o£ mar-

appearance. Oenltal ^^'^f^l'^X^^ ,^, head, but present m
gin. calcareous fod'es absent '^^^^ ^egln to develop

the neck and Increase ^f ^"^. .^^J* ° ent". 3 testicles present
,n ca. one hundred and twentleth^gme ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^,^^ ^^^.

m distal portion of «<^^'"*"'' ""t^^fmal aporose corner of seg-
erens runs diagonally to^^-^^/^^^^tus; near lateral margin
„,ent. swelling Into a ^^'^"^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^nd leads to cirrus
,t turns, runs parallel *<> ;"[^5\°; ^^rtor margin of segment;
pouch, which also run« Parallel to ante^^^ ^^^ ^^„^^i„,

cirrus pouch lies on aporose «'^- »' "^^„„,,,,es with a very
a second veslcula sem nalis. vvhl^h c ^^ ^^^^^ ^„

long cirrus; genital ^^^aca 0.2mm to o^ ^^ ^^^.^^^ ^^^^.

0.09mm h^ad, the broader portion be ^ g^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^
a row of spines at the pomt w Female organs not

cloaca: penis covered - '^^^^^'^^^Vun^r^ and forty-fifth seg-
well understood; beg.n In ^a jne hun ^^^^ j^,„^

ment; a median oval ^"^^^^"f^^^^^fji'nls runs cephalad and
together; a median '^-^P^t.^r which runs parallel to anterior
diagonally, continues as vagina. ^J'''^ ^„^ opens into

margin nearly entire ^'^^^^^^/^d body = ? uterus.

cloaca near <=f ^j^^^^^t" Dr Tasciatae in Cyclops agiUs. re-
Oevelopment: Cercocysti» x^

to T. crenata Goeze. which ^as ,ep ^^^^^^^ ^^^

Krabbe. 1869. p. 300^ Ku^olph (181 .PP-^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^,„^, „.
.pedes 'a- at", but do^ n ^^^^ P^^^^^^^„^^ von S.ebolds J.
Feuensen (1S68. pp. ^^' ' „^h_ 1789. and the year tol-

fasclata Rud. as T. seugei<i

U

>%

•I-

600

lowini,' Krabbe (1869, p. 300), stating that it was impossible to
recognize definitely what goose tapeworm was included under
the s.peclflc name fasciata by earlier authors, proposed to ap-
ply the name to a worm in geese provided with 8 hooks on the
rostellum. Authors have since Krabbe's time adopted his form
as fasciata. I retain this name provisionally, although it has
no right to stand.

Mrazek (1890. 1891) records a cysticercoid from Cypris agilis
which he identifies as the larval stage of Taenia fasciata Ru'-
dolphi. He evidently made no infections.

12. DRKPANIDDTABNIA GRAC1L18^[ ? Zeder, 1803] Krabbe. 1869) RalMiet.

(1869, Taenia gracilis Krabbe.)

( ? 1782, Taenia collo longissimo Bloch; ? 1803 Halysis gracilis
Zeder; ? 1810, T. gracilis (Zeder) Rud.)

[PI. VII, figs. 80-91; PL VIII, figs. 92-99.1
Diagnosis: About 270mm long by 1.5-2mm broad. Head sub-
globular; rostellum cylindrical, obtuse, armed with a simple
crown of 8 hooks 77-80 /i long (95 // and even 103 /x after Lonn-
berg). Neck very short. Anterior Dortlon of body very thin
for a considerable length; anterior segments infundibuliform,
the following segments gradually becoming quadrate, genital
pores unilateral. Receptaculum seminis pyriform; penis un-
armed; genital sinus provided with large spines

So^m'''T''V ^"^^^^y^t^« ^^' gracilis in Candona rostrata by
Scott in Cypris compressa Baird (Cypria ophthalmica Jurine)

by MonTez'' ^ ^'^ "^'""^'^ '" ^'^''''' ^" ""^^^'^ -Phthalmici
Hosts: Tame duck (Anas boschas dom.); mallard duck (A
boschas); widgeon (Anas penelope); tame goose (Anser an tr
dom.); goosander (Merganser merganser); red-breasted mer
ZZ. ' "''^"^ ^^"^'^^^^ ^^'""^^" ^^^^^-^^^ (Tadtna :::

demfcr^lt '^"^^'"^^"^ ^""^-^' ^— No epi-

It 18 impossible to tell what worm was referred to
under the specific term gracilis before Krabbe^s time-
the earlier descriptions may therefore be ignored for
the present, the names being accepted as unidentifiable
svnonyms; it is impossible to show that the e-arlier
worms were not identical wit], Krahbe^s form from

001

I i .i..in The onlv positively Uuowu host
Anas boschas doiu. iue o n v f therefore, the

for the adult up to Krabbe's time i., theittoi

tame duck.

.;qk >;<i7^ afterwards found a -worm

von Llnstow <1872A. PP. 535-537) alter merganser!)

i„ the goosander (Merganser merganser [M^g ^^

which he identified with ^-^'^e^ JP- ^ ';^3,, ^hich he de-
9-10. flg. 1) found a worm .n Tadorna p ^^^^^^^ ^^^

scribed as a new "'^''^''^ -J-J]^^' than those of the type
hooks on this worm were """^^ large, th ^^^ ^^ ^^^^

specimen, a vacation wh.chLonnbergexp^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^
influence. Lonnberg (1890, PP. iv, ou;

Mergus serrator (= Merganser serratort- ^^^^^^^,^ ^,^,.

von Llnstow (1872A. PP. 535-53^ f""«^^ ^ flu^■iatilis).

anng 0.14 by 0.09- in intestine of a p rch JP^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^

which he looked upon as the young crustaceans

larva has also been found m cer^am ^e^l^ ^^^, ^hus

which probably represent ^''^'.^^'^''f counted slide of Can-
Scott (1891. P. 314) »'>"'^^* '^^ ?.''^''\l\he Bdinburg district;
donarostrata Brady & f °~'Jf^7„ed'' gooffs preparation

Blanchard (1891A. PP. =">^f "^^r^* '" eful comparison of the
from candona rostrata, and af er a c^^^^J" ^ l^^,^ ^..^^^^

hooks of the cysticercoid <=o"^ "J^'^^^^'f^^ii^^ von UnstoWs
,n the life cycle of Taenia gracd.s He e»P ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^

linding this same larva In a P^'^f ^^ t^e formula-the

had eaten some ostra^odes. "^^•"^■^^^/^^j,, j,„oks. using it
,ength=a-c. the *>ase=a--b In ^l^J^^ "^j^^^^^j, (igsi, p. 128)
as follows: For T ^J^^^^^^^^^^^^:^ and Cyclops vlri.is
?l;V :.rMolz" am. ; 2^) mentions It from Cypria oph-
thalmica from China.

Th, larva referred to i» In all probaMl"!' ""■ !""■
,arva on",, specie,, b,„ «. l„(er,i„n>, Lave a. vet been

made.

r

b. Rostellum with 10 hooks,
n. ORKPANTOOTA^NIX ANATINA (Krabbe. «9> RaU.M. .«.X
0S«!', Taenia anatinu Kiabbe.)
[PI. IX. figs. 100-111; PI. X. figs. 112-115.1

.. X ^ or\ainm to 300^"™ in length ana
Diagnosis: ^'^-^^^''"^^^^^^^^^ length has about

2inm to Smm in breadth, N\orm oi

I' (

%

002

650 segments; nuimber of segments in longest worms probably
reaches 2,000. Head with a simple crown of 10 hooks 65 /z-72
u long. Neck long. Fully matured segments half as thick as
broad. Genital pores unilateral; copulation begins with about
the five hundredth segment, uterus appears ca. 70 segments
later. Male organs: Testicles .3 in num.ber, one on pore side,
two on aporose side of segment; cirrus pouch dorsal of vagina,
elongate, extending to or slightly beyond the longituidinal
canals, and possessing vesicula seminalis in its proximal por-
tion; vas deferens swollen to an elongate vesicula seminalis
near the pore-side testicle. Female organs: Vagina slightly
longer than cirrus pouch, swelling into an enormous recepta-
culum seminis ventral of pore-side testicle; ovary large, about
in median line; vitellogene gland distal of ovary; shell gland
very small, dorso^proximal of vitellogene gland; uterus trans-
verse, extending beyond longitudinal canals into the lateral
field. Ova very characteristic; elongate 125 /z-175 /^ by 90 //
with 3 shells; external shell thin and transparent, inner shell
slightly constricted at lateral borders of the oncosphere; on-
cosphere elongate. 50 fi-60 //, hooks 10 //-ll fi Dorsal canal
small, dorsal of ventral canal; genital canals pass dorsallv
of dorsal and ventral canals.

Larval stage: Cysticercoid develops in small mussel crabs
(Cypris incongruens Ramd.; Cypris ovata; Cypris compressa)
and consists of three portions: (1) Scolex with (a) armed ros-
tellum and 2 rostellum sacs, (b) fou-r suckers provided with very
mmute cuticular booklets (Schmidt), and (c) long, narrow neck
provided with 30-40 calcareous corpuscles; (2) a hollow cyst or
sac. composed of three layers; (3) a long, thin tail, in which the
6 hooks of the oncosphere are visible. The excretory system
can be traced from the suckers to the end of the tail, where
it ends in a terminal vesicle. Extended, the entire body mav
measure ca. 2mm, the tail being 31^ to 4 times as long as the
cyst. The scolex is contracted into the cyst, which then meas-
ures 0.19mm to 0.20mm by 0.21mm to 0.23mm, tail 0.7mm to 0 8mm

Host: Domesticated duck (Anas boschas dom.); mallard (a'
boschas); pintail (Dafila acuta).

^^^.^^'^^^^'T ^^^^^^"^^«"^ Pomerania. by Creplin; Zealand
DenTnark). by Gad and Krabbe; Schles^ig, by FHis; France
by Moniez; Germany, by Schmidt. No epidemics recorded

con't ''T '^'- ""'''''' '"""^ ^^'"^ ^^^--« ircreplfn's
collection under the label Taenia larvis Bloch. collected from

tame ducks. These worms agreed with others orcrep, n"

collection labeled sinuosa. from the .same host, and with a third

lot Of worms from Gurlfs collection labeled -'Taenia porposa"

603

Anas boschas fera," ^he latter be^ng in a b^
Which appeared to be l^^^^^^^^ /,, and Krabbe found
worm in wild ducks ^^^^^^^^'^^^^ ^^rm was found three
it in tame d-^%^\f "^^^ J^^^^

times in 100 tame ducks ^^^^f V^^,^^^^^ i874 in Anas ax^uta
fessor Reinhart found this ^f^^^^"^

t_Dama acutal ^a^^en in Zealand^ eysticercoid which he

Mrazek (1891. .^^^^^^^'^'^^ ^n^^^^^ and Cypris compressa

found in Bohemia ^^^^^f "^^^.^''eypria ophthaimica); the larva
Baird (according to ^^^^ ank b^^^ lO^^ooks 65 /. long; the
.measured 0.40mm to 0-^3-, and^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^ ^^^^^^

tail was very 1^^^' ^"^^7,^^^^ the same larva in Cypns in-
^,,,,, P. ^«> ff^feTrance an'd that the species T. anatina is
congruens at L^le, F^^^^^'^ ^^^ domesticate<i ducks of that
the most common tapeworm

country.

It is to J. E. Sairaidt (189-1) (hat we owe our chief
, LlJot this worm and the experimental demon-
knowledge of th s w^^ Schmidt infected numev-

strat,ou ot .ts hfe hi^o^^^^ fre«h-water crustacean.

:;r V ;; wltlthe e.g. of adult animals taken
;r ducks, and followed the development m all .«

stLes He found that the ova are eaten bj Cypns
stages. xi«- ^ passes mto the

the embryo escapes from its ^^^ 's an p
hodv cavitv of the intermediate host, heu u yi

develops «,e ™^°»r,°X°;:'; ^li »» .».« >">"
tho orcans are lormea, iiu lai va

T:,1. in ,„n„ne,. ,he «»«'-/;« 7^" in, '^
,.v«ticer™i<i liisl« bat two weeKs. rtile in

'"^;er„r:r-icon,. mtecte. .,v »-"->- "-
mussel crabs.

t

< . . I

ti

Tf^^

n

r

604

14. DREPANIDOTAENIA SINUOSA (Zeder. 1800) Rallllet. 1893.
(1782, Taenia collari nigro Bloch— vide Hud., 1»10; ii6J. T. infun-
dibuliformis (Anserum) Goeze— vide Dies., 1850; 1786. T. col-
laris Batsch— vide Rud., 1810; 1790. T. torquata Gmelin-vide
Rud., 1810; 1800, Alyselminthus sinuosus Zeder; 1800, Taenia
breviarticulata Goeze; 1803, Halysis sinuosa (Zeder, 1800)
Zeder; 1803, H. torquata (Gmelin, 1790) Zeder— vide Rud., 1810;
1858, Hymenolepis (Lepidotrias )sinuosa (Zeder, 1800) Wein-
land).

[PI. X, figs. 116-124; PI. xr, figs. 125-139; PI. XII. figs. 140-146-

PI. XIII, fig. 153.-|

Diagnosis: 50mm to 160mm long by 1mm to 2mm broad. Head
almost globular, rostellum armed with a simple row of 10
hooks 51 // to 61 fi long. Neck very long. Anterior segments
of variable breadth and length; the following segments trape-
zoidal; posterior segments rounded. Genital unilateral, sit-
uate toward the anterior third of the lateral margin; in each
pore is found a globular sac, armed with spines, and appear-
ing as a black point; this punctate line allows an immediate
determination of the species. Eggs with 3 envelopes, the ex-
terior 42 f£ to a fi hooks of oncosphere 7 fi to 8 //.

Development: Cercocystis Dr. sinuosae found in Gammarus
pulex by Hamann and von Linstow; in Cyclops viridis Fisch.
C. agilis Koch and C. lucidulus Koch, by Mrazek.

Host: Tame ducks (Anas boschas dom.); mallard duck (\
bosohas); Brazilian teal (A. braziliensis); tame goose (Anser
anser dom.); graylag goose (A. anser); pintail (Dafila acuta)-
tufted duck (Aythya fuligula).

Geographical distribution: France. Germany, Italy. Sweden
and Bohemia.

The species sinuosa as at present adopteci bv authors
stands on a most peculiar footing.

Gooze left a description and figures of this worm, with the
MS. name Taenia breviarticulata, from Anas fusca, which were
later published by Zeder OSOO, pp. 295-298) under Alyselmin-
thus smuosus. According to Krabbe (1869, p. 298) Rudolphi de-
termined as sinuosa form.s which differ greatly from one
another. Dujardin (1845) p. 573) then gave a more exact de-
^ription of a form which he determined as T. sinuosa (Zeder)
Rud.. taken from Anas acuta, adopting Rudolphi's svnonvmy
in all essentials. Krabbe (1869. pp. 298-299) adopted Dujardin's

605

=.T.: ::.^ £- -o.a . «; ^^
oHgina. Sinuosa .r no . -J^ J^" "^^^ ^,,, ,„, ,e.ree of cer-

whom ^^'«^^" ^/^/^„'^^;^,^y £o„ow Krabbe in accepting Du ar-
tainty. Authors genei any ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^„ ^^

din's determination of Zeaei s sinuuoc

present to adopt this plan^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^p„„

The views <=°"=^'«'"f„f t.' ^^ei," a„d von Linstow. Hamann
°rrrr7 Taf r"ounT:omVcysticercoids in Gammarus
(1889, pp. 1-7. lat. i> i«^ ,..^inP.d as the young of T. sinu-

ZoJ^^^oZ: e oncospiieric -f ^ -^^JS^-TtTi ;
Le pair at end, one in ".d.ie -^ °- ^ •^-'.^ieoid 50

tail O.Smm, body with tail i.i"'" lui's. „ c „ in riinm-

lA • .„,^hpr- ralcareous bodies numerous, 6 /* in dlam

a long, 10 in number calcareou Bohemia, 0.23mn.

eter, oval. Mrazek found a '^^^icercoid

,o„g; tail --i--^^'>'„;°"5/rdTnE\hTs liVanism with Ha-
ous corpuscles ^Jl^^^^^'llfXtlror. Cyclops virdis Flsch,
Ta'gi i Ko^l. an"' C. lucidulus Koch. So far as I can learn
no infections were made with these parasites.

,5 DREPANIDOTAENIA SETIGERA (Frollcb, IW Uallll.t, mZ.
a,S., Taenia seUgera Froiich ISO. A.yse^.nthus^^setige,-us

(Frolich, 1789) Zeder; 1803. Halysis setige y .^ _^icie

zeder; 1819, "Taenia sinuosa ^"f-, ,^^^\!' °' """j giebold; 1858.

Krabbe. 1869; 1848, "T. setigera ^'^'''"^^■^''l^'^Zler^rvo.

T. fasciata Rud.," 1810, of Feuereisen. 1869, T. setiger

lich" of Krabbe.)

[PI. XII. figs. 147-150; PI. XIII, figs. 154-164.1

o. v,:i„ •MV.mm Ion" by imm to Jmro broad. Head
Diagnosis: Strobila ^O*"" '°"°J/ ^^^^^, rostellum

subglobular. 0.24n,m long by 0^2S-.n o 0^33 ^^ ^ ^^^

""L^'2ri%"n7"roo\ ^r; Ipait. after ^Feuereisen); ventral

^ shon'^.nd P^ump. dorsad root longer^ «"f --^rt^^vT;
eUiptical. Neck. 0.59.«m long by 1.16mm broa^^ (Segments very
short 10 times as broad as long. Feuereisen.) Anterior s^
nS« very^hort, the following slightly longer, tunnel shaped^
Mh verv Drominent posterior angles; chain traversed by a
, . ^i«n i>and Pores unilateral, small, situated toword
rnlerioTa^gle of tte Tegment, freauently with extruding penis.

606

Genital organs begrin with eight hundred and thirtieth seg-
ments; emibryos begin with one thousand Ave hundredth seg-
ment. Calcareous bodies less numeix^us than in Dr. fasciata.
Male organs: Male maturity is reached about the one thou-
sand and thirtieth segment and is continued about lOQ seg-
ments. Testicles three, 13 fi in diameter, posterior; an uncer-
tain body (probably vesicula seminalis) lateral but near median
line; vag deferens parellel and near anterior margin; cirrus
pouch 0.35mni long, more than half as broad as the younger
segments, parallel to and near anterior margin, 39 fi (median
portion) 19 ft (lateral portion) broad; broadest part is 160 ^ to
190 fi long and contains a vesicula seminalis 0.1mm to 0.15miu
long by 30 fM broad; penis covered with minute spines. Female
•organs: Very imperfectly understood. A bddy appears on
aporose side of median line, develops and divides into two
pyriform bodies, which remain connected ( — ovary?); from
their point of juncture a canal runs toward the genital pore,
and shows two swellings, a median (? receptaculum seminis)
and a lateral ( ? receptaculum seminis); an oval body (— ?
ovary) appears in the extreme aporose side of the segment, and
from this extends another body (uterus) toward the median
line, increasing in size as the (?) ovaries decreix^e. Oncospheres
19/", hooks 7.9 /z.

Development: Cercoeystis Dr. setigerae in Cyclops brevicau-
datus Claus, found by Schmeil,

Hosts: Tame goose (Anser anser dom.); white-fronted goo.se
(A. albifrone); bean goose (A. fabalis); barnacle goose (Branta
leucopsis); tame swan (Olor cygnus dom.) cited by von Lin-
stow, but Railliet believes this ' erroneous; whooping swan
(Olor cygnus).

Geographical distribution: Germany, France, Denmark
Sweden and Ireland. Lucet found it producing a serious epi-
demic among the young geese I>olret (Railliet, 1893, p. 301).

The name Taenia setigera was proposed by Frolieh (1789 pp
106-111) for a worm 3 feet long and 3 lines broad, with unilateral
genital pores, which he found in pastured geese He states
that the rostellum is unarmed; the form is, like many earlier
species, not well de.srribed, and the figures are poor, so that
\t i.s not possible to tell with absolute certainty what species
Frol.ch examined. Rellingham nS44. p. 320) records it for Ire-

ilTJ^ \7 ^" '^^ rostellum. There is no way of proving
that Siebolds worm was Frolichs .^etigera; at the same time
as there is no way of disproving it. we may as well accept

G07

von Siebold's statement regarding ''^^.J''^^^^^^^

gera accordingly would rest upon this ^^^^ ^^^^ tapeworm.

^1868. PP. 190-200) a-n^;^^- ^rmcrpolse^sseriO hooks and
determined as T. fasciata Rud ^mc P ^^^^.^^

is probably ^^^-''^-'1''";,^^ vT^^^^^ ''' ^^^^^

in 1865 and 1868 Krabbe (1869. PP' ^^^ ^ J ^^^ another

and found T. lance^ata P^-^^^^^^^^ ,, ^he rostellum;

tapeworm 9 times which possessea ^^ setigera. Krabbe

This latter worm ^^^^^^f^^^^^o^^^^^^^ <-^ ^^^^

also examined specimens ^-m Rudolph ^^^ determined

1819. p. 700) collected by ^^^^/^^ '^ ^^^^ ^ere "undoubtedly
Uy Rudolphl as T. slnuosa; ^^^^^^^J^^/"!' 7' g) records this

identical with" T. setigera. ^-;;^^^[f .^''S,,"une^^^ he also
.pecies for Anser segetum (^ew host) in Knst^ ^^^^ ^^^

includes the -^^^-/-.^^^^^^^^^^.^trTt/ Ra Uet 1893. p. 301)
ho^ts. but does - ^^^^f^^^^^ von Unstow

placed T. setigera in his genus urep ^^ ^^ cy-

(1892B. PP. 503-504) state. '^^\^J^J^^^^^^ in diameter.

^r "t^r rr^ litt rsr ;: :;. o. the rostenum.

with a thm, long v^-^* / "^ » ^* rp cptie-pra No

W..C. von Unstow .aentjfle. a. t.e .oun.^o. T.^ seU.er ^^ ^^

infections were made. Trie ^^^^ "^
therefore, theoretical though probable.

,6 TAENIA KRABBEI KowalewsKi. 1895 (nee Monlez. 1879). (Sp. dub.)
(1894. Taenia Kmbbel Kowalewski [nomen nudum].)

[PI. XII, figs. 151-152.1

hooks, as wen as th. head, bore a great ;««^-'"^^^^^;';^^ "^o
anldotaenla tenulrostrls. He also found ^ few heads w

r reafrTeotu:: f tH ■ lan^ua'^. menUoned th,s worm a« a
to read necau. e ul rr„«r,io TCraV>l>^l In a s^^cond

r.

'ft."

i

^

Vir^.tiii

ms

Is proposed as a new species (Taenia Krabbei) and its external
characters aie discussed."

The status of this species can not be judged at present, but
the slig-ht variation in the form of the hooks is not, in my
opinion, sufficient to establish the form. As Kowalewski has
unfortunately written in a language which is not understood
by many authors, it is difficult to judge his work, and as it
is now necessary for an investigating helminthologist to learn
no less than ten languages in order to keep up with his branch,
it is to be hoped that Kowalewski will in the future give full
translations of his scientific articles in German, French, Eng-
lish, Italian, or some other language better known than his
own.

Whatever may prove to be the status of this species, th^-
name T. Krabbei can not be retained for it, as this name has
always been used by Moniez for another form.

17. DRlcrANlDOTAENIA TKNUIROSTRIS (RudolphI, 1819) Rallliet. 189:;

(1819, Taenia tenuirostrta Hudolphi.)

[PI. XIV. figs. 165-172.-]

Diagnosis: 100mm to 126mm long, 1mm to 3mm broad. Head
subglobular; rostellum delicate, subclaviform, armed with a
single crown of 10 hooks 20 fi to 23 /ilong; suckers round. Neck
rather long. Anterior segments straight and short, the follow-
ing longer, with sharp prominent posterior angles, like the
teeth of a saw. Genital pores unilateral. Egg cylindrical, 85
"^ long. Hooks of oncosphere 7 fi.

Development: Cercocystis Dr. tenuirostris in Gammarus
pulex. found by Hamann and von Linstow; in Cyclops agilis
and C. pulchellus found by Mrazek.

Hosts: Tame goose (Anser anser dom.); European scaup
duck (Aythya marila); tufted duck (Aythya cristata);
goosander (Merganser merganser); red-breasted merganser (M.
serrator); smew or nun (Mergus albellus); Greenland eider
(Somateria mollissima); velvet scoter (Oidemia fusca)- kit-
tiwake (Rissa tridactyla).

Geographical distribution: Denmark. France. Germany, and
Bohemia. No epidemics recorded.

Krabbe (1869. pp. 291-292) examined Rudolphi's types and
found hooks upon the rotellum. although they had escaped
Rudolph, s attention. The original specimens were collected by
Hremser from Merganser morgan.ser: von Siebold also found
this species in th. .ame h..st in Havaria and Krabbe found tliP.

609

in Avthva marila. It is also reported from other
same worm in Aythya mania. Aythya cristata as

wild birds. Belllngham (1844, p. 320) gives Ayxny
V, of Knt does not state his authority.

"-'-' r:n;rsL" rt\?tL^L" ratrrt^e o„,y

rra e so far as Hamann Knows) which visits the water
rwW^h this larval stage was found, this tapeworm .s a^so
IZi in domesticated ducks. An argument ^^^^J^'^JZ
,dn science only In order to place us on our guaid foi the
:: asl e but U would be going altogether too far to accep
Ws worm as a parasite of domesticated ducks until it .s
olndTnThat host Hamann made no Infections with his la -
val ?orm and accordingly the demonstration that this cyst-
lex cold represents the larval stage of Dr. tenuirostns is stil
acktng Hamann describes the larva as lying in a cyst
astened to the intestine of the crustacean, and possessing a
X:!sh tall and gray.sh-whlte body; ^^^^^^ ;-'-2Xr^^
1(1 tn number, 23 A long; calcareous bodies oval 6 /«. oncosphenc
oKs 9 ; von Unstow a892A. pp. 338-339) observed t.e^samo
larva in the same host, and Mrazek (1891, pp. 101-103. m-129)
describes it from Cyclops aglUs and Cycl. pulchellus in Bohe-
mfa His specimens were very small 0.10mm to O.Umm; lo hooks
21 ^ to 23 It: tail long; oncospheric hooks 8 /t

v.. Genital pores irregularly alternate.

„. DREPANIDOTAENIA INFUNDmULIFORMlS (Ooe«. 17M) Rami.t.

UTT.. Globus stereoreus ^-poii-vUe Parona ^^ij;^^^^
infundibulum Bloch-vide Goeze. 1782, "^^•^- *''', ,j,.

-vide Goeze, 1782; 1782, T. articuli« convldels Bloch-^.d.
n,,^ ISIO- 178> T infundlbuliformis Goeze; 1786. T. cuneaia
Bats;h n;c Unstow, 18721-vide Rud., 1810; 1788. T. conoidea
Schrlnk-vide Rud.. 1810; 1794. T. serrata Rosa [nee Goeze.
n821-v^de Parona. 1894; 1800. Alyselminthus infundlbuliformis
Icoeze) Zeder; 1803. Halysls infundlbuliformis (Goeze) Zeder.

[PI. XIV. figs. 173-186; PI. XV. flgs. 187-193.1
Diagnosis: 20mm to 130mm, rarely 230mm long. Head globular,
ra^i^r depressed; rostellum elongate, cylindrical, or hem s
pherlcal. swollen at summit, armed with a single row of 16-

rnnf suckers rather small. Neck very short. Anterior seg-
meiisve4 Short, the following funnel shaped, the anterior

no TT

•4.'

' A

5 vi

610

border being much narrower than the posterior border; pos-
terio«r &egrments almost as long as broad. Genital pores ir-
regularly alternate. Penis thick, covered with few spines.
Hooks of embryo 12 ^ to 17 fi (See also diagnosis given below,
p. Gil.)

DevelO'pment: Acording to Grassi & Rovelli the cysticercoid
develops in the ordinary house fly.

Host: Chickens (Gallus damesticus) ; migratory quail (Cotur-
nix coturnix); ? pheasants (Phasianus colchicus); mallard
(Anas boschais); tame duck (Anas boschas dom.); ? crowned
pigeon (GouTa sip.); ? domesticated pigeon (Columba livia dom.);
sparrow (Fringilla domestica).

Geographical distribution: France, Italy, Ireland, Zealand
(Denmark) (Kra;bbe), Pomerania (Creplin), and Saxony (Kuch-
enmeister). No epidemics.

The earlier decriptions of Dr. infundibuliformis are
exceedingly unsatisfactory, and in many cases it is
Impossible to recognize what species an author had
before him when he determined it as infundibuliformis.

Krabbe (1869, pp. 339-341) examined Rudolphi's (1810) speci-
mens and determined the forms from chickens as "undoubtedly
identical" with specimen® which he collected in Zealand, and
with specimens from Creplin's and Kuchenmeister's collections.
Rudolphi's (1810, p. 124) sipecimens from Otis tarda, however,
Krabbe determined as different from the specimens from chick-
ens.

This seems to be the earliest exact reference to this species,
which, therefore, rests upon Krabbe's (1869) study of the mater-
ial which Rudoliphi (1810, pp. 123-126) determined as Goeze (1782,
pp. 386-390) Taenia infundibuliformis. Unless original speci-
mens of authors l)efore Rudolphi can be studied again, and un-
less it can be shown by this means that Rudolphi's (1810) speci-
mens were not really identical with Goeze's infundibuliformis,
this specific name may at present be applied to the parasites
as determined by Krabbe. It is useless to revert to the names
prior to infundibuliformis, 1782, unless the originals upon which
those names were based can be -restudied. Bellingham (1844,
p. 319) records this species for Anas boschas, A. boschas dom.,
and Fringilla domestica. The form which Dujardin (1845, p.
586) determined as infundibuliformis is referred to Davainea
oasticlllus. Krabbe found this worm (Dr. inf.) In 26 out of 200
chickens in the region of Copenhagen. Magnin (1881 A, pp. 33-

611

35) states that he found T. infundibuliformis in large number^
in the epidemics of syngamosis among pheasants, but it is evl
lent that the form he referred to was his T. agama. Bremse
a so records it from pheasants, but his observation should be
confined. Megnin records it for pigeons and in Goura, but
hose observations also need confirmation, for Megnin remarks
Tt the specimen from Goura had three rows of hooks .pon
the suckers, ( ? Davainea cestlcillus, q. v. p. 48). Plana (1882
n 392) found this parasite the most common tapeworm of
chickens Grassi& Rovelli (1&89. p. 404; 1892, pp. 33-34, 89) state
that they found the larval stage in the house fly (Musca domes
tica), but they did not prove their point exi>erlmentally. Crety
(1890 'PP 5-8) records Coturnix communis as a new host, ana
'remarks' upon the anatomy of the parasite. Unfortunately the
figures are unsatisfactory, and the description is, therefore,
not of such value as it otherwise would be; from his descrip-
tion the following characters are taken:

Diagnosis: (T. infundibuliformis) Strobila to 100mm. Head
very small, spheroidal, 0.387mm broad; rostellum armed with
90 hooks upon its cupola-like extremity; length of rostellum
0137mm. breath 62 ^ to 75 //; hooks 23 // long; suckers 0.215mm
by 0156mm. Neck very short, 0.313mm in length; middle seg-
ments 0.48mm long, posterior segments 0.901mm long. Genital

pores Male genitalia: Testicles 16 to 20 in num-ber, 29

. to 44 // in diameter, situated in median field; vas deferens
begins about the middle of the segment, first portion slightly
sinuous, lateral portion very tortuous; cirrus pouch globose 71
a in diameter; cirrus armed with numerous small spines. Fe-
male genitalia: Receptaculum seminis 106 /x by 39 /., situated
near the ovary; ovary globose, near anterior margin, occa-
sionally irregularly divided into two halves; oviduct runs from
ovary in median line, dis-tally; vitellogene gland In about the
proglottid Is globose, occasionally irregularly divided into two
portions, vitello-duct runs cephalad from Its median portion;
shell gland very small, between ovary and vitellogene gland;
uterus forms very quickly, in the mature proglottid it oc-
cupies the entire median field and is composed of a large cav-
ity imperfectly divided into numerous small cells {—e^^ cap-
sules?). Ova 55 ^i by 46 ft, with 3 shells; oncosphere 33 /i,
hooks 17 fi Krabbe: hooks 12 fi to 17 H.)

rnsqimlo flSOO, p. 0(M)) records the worm for chick-
ens in Massowah. Ralliet (1893, p. 302) well remarks

612

that the generic positian of this species is doubtful.
(See addendum, p. 037.)

I refrain from discussing this form further, except
to remark that practically nothing is definitely known
aboit the species. Orety's description is the only one
which can be given the dignity of a diagnosis, and yet
that was not based upon originals. The earlier de-
scriptions, which take no account of the internal ana-
tomy of the segments, are almost useless so far as
zoological descriptions are concerned. Were it not for
the fact that the original host (chickens) is known, 1
have the most serious doubt whether it would ever be
possible to recognize this form; and whether even the
numerous specimens recorded from chickens as T. in-
fundibuliformis are to be considered as such is, in my
opinion, an open question. I have specimens of worms
from pigeons (Columba domestica) and from turkeys
(Meleagns gallopavo mexicana), which I should like
to determine as Dr. infundibulifomiis, but it seems
to me that this specific name, like Taenia expansa of
older authors, is only a Latinized form of expressing
one's doubts or ignorance as to what species is in the
hands of a given worker, while as for the supposed
life history, with the fly as interaiediate host, although
I am not willing to deny the correctness of the hypo-
thesis, I do insist that it is only an hypothesis, with
little back of it, and that it is now time to call a halt
on such speculative work and to distinguish between
what is shown experimentally to be fact, and what
might possibly be shown to be fact. (S^ al»o Taenia
niprropiiTictnta.)

613

T^avftinea Echinocotyle. and
B. suckers a.rm^-- genera Davainea,

Ophryocoytle. «oiuiet 1891-

ae.us DAVAINEA B. Blanchard & RaiU et
( V 1893, Ch£.pmania MonticelU.)
^ * . p (Head rounded,

Diagnosis: Worms of small o>^ ^^f J .^ ^ depression, but
..unmounted by a roste.lum - ^^^^f^^ ^„, numerous small
,'armed in either case with ^^"^^ ^ ^^^ dorsal root shor .
„,oks possessing ^, ^P<^'^ '"""t^e^ the form of a hammer)
ventral root very long. f^'ll^J''^^,,,^^ ,.o>ws of small hooks
suckers rounded, bordered with ^^J generally un-

wMch are instable -,^^7'^" arly aUernate; in the former
ilateral but occasional y "^^^^Jl^.^ g.^^rally arranged in
case (unilateral pores) the ov a g ^^^.^,^^^ j„,„

r^Lu^'egg? aC isori mattered through the paren-
rymtrmbr^o^s wit-ut pyrUorm -d. ^^^^^,

•^°H:b:tat me^ln. of birds and mammals.

u A nsoiP. UD 428-440) recognizes fourteen

Blanchard (18911., pp. * J ^^^^^ ^^^^ ,p

species as belonging to h. enus,^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^

rrr^r/orL Bll^^ai. U.es here are weii

Monticelh (ia)3 PP^ 10 ) ^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^,,

""ZiTZ ifnorid^^tica, .itii Davainea. H. diag-
nosis reads as follows

,1 with a protractile anterior sucker
Head rounded, small, \Mtn a , ^^ ^^^^ ^.^^^j^

armed on its -*-"": ""T^'^^e unarmed. Proglottid^ cam-
hooklets. suckers rath- large,^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^,„^,^ ^..^y

panulate- Genital pores

bUobed, dendritic.

Montioelli tool. Zsc-hoUUe's (188S, P--^^ ^^^^^^
Tail argentina as basis for his genns, and .onsulered

i

<

'L

614

this species identical with Chapman's Taenia tauricol.
lis. In this latter point Monticelli is probably in
error, while as for the genus, it certainly rests upon
too weak characters to be recognized at present. The
-anterior sucker'' is, of course, the invaginated rostel
I urn and sac; the only valuable character remaining
is the single testicle. The bilobed dendritic ovar^
the form of the segments, etc., must all be rejected as
generic characters.

The exact status of the genus and the ? one or ?
two species, (tauiicollis and argentina) must be left
undecided for the present.

'Genital pores alternate «

Oenital pores generally uniiateral,

occasionally alternate r rostellum

with about 200 hooks 6 /z long d tetraeona n nio

I Genital pores unilateral .....^'4

Segments not over 5 in number;
strobila 1.5mm long or less; rostel-
lum with about 80 hooks 7 u long-
found in chickens -nw , . .
, Segments nj^raus/ " and ' •.trobna' ^ ^- f""fi^>""i"<''. PS' '
I much longer than 1.5mm ^

f Rostellum with about 100 hooks 8 /z
long; found in chickens and (?)

3. < RSSm wiih 208 hooks'?' /i'to's'/z^' echinobothrida. p. 618
^ l".L^.L^^"_"lJ^-h^^^^^^^^ •• .... D. cesticillus, p. 617

1.

2.

Rostellum with about 800 hooks ll' li
I. long; found in quails j^

4.

Rostellum with 150 hooks 12.8 ti long-
found in pheasants

circumvallata. p. 615

\ RostTlhim wiTh ^a?"60 ' hooks ' 'u "u'^' ^^^^^^^^^e^^^^' P- ^2i
long; .found in p-igeons and. (•>)

I ducks ^ "^ ^

-D- crassula, p. 62^)

a. Genital pores Irregularly alternate

19. DAVAINEA PROGLOTTINA (Davalne. ,860) R. nianchard. ,S9,.

(I860. Taenia proglattlna Davaine; 1881, "T. proglottidina Dav."

of Piana.)
[PI. XV, figs. m-lDS; PI. XVT, figs. 199-202 1

He'^TrfL "•'""" '" '•''""" '^"« •'^ ^-l^-"™ t" O-*-- broad
Head club shape to quadrangular, HO a to '^O a lrn<. hv iw ,

e«0 . broad, rather rounded ,n front Tnd ZZVZifj !:

(>15

about 80-95 booklets measuring 6^5/^ ^ ^^^ ^^ hooklets
tar. «man (25 ^ to 35 ^,. ^r^m'^^J'^^^,: 'g" ^oblla composed of
« )i), with rather large, ^^'^^f^-^^^^f ^^ M long, the following
"-5 segments, first ^egn^-^ °n'y J^ou^ 56 /. ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^

segments increasing in length ^"^ J ^„gie. The second

o-ularly aHernate. situated at ^he ant" ^^^ ^^,^gg„

Li nnssesses well-developed male orgai ^i^les are

TfTh: o'^rorgans. In the ^^'[^^/^^ri r vitelurium. two
: rophied. the female ^^^^^^^^^ i::^lU but no uteres
ovaries, reoept. sem., ^•'»='"^>^^'" , the genital glands are
present. In the fourth ^^^^^'J^ ^U-h numerous isolated
atrophied, and the segment '*""". hooks of oncosphere

--\z irthr"-- r 'Sw:r2^. ion. .. .—

bZToarger than the entire worn.)- ^^^^^^ ^^^^^

Development: Larval ^.^^^V,, Tnd develops from the oncos-
is agrestis, and L. ^-"ff,^^;.^^ to chickens, the cysticer-
C^lcoTs rit^r- S--t the e..d Of eight days.

^'hos'" Chickens (OaHus ^o-^^f ;^,„„es ,^ ^„,,.,>„,, in
Geographical I'^tr.but.on. F ance (^^^^ ^^ i„are-et-Loire by -

le Nord by Davame. in I^"^; J ^^^^^111.

R. Blanchard. and Italy ^-V «^^^^'^^^^ ,pi,ootic enteritis in

,r;s«."- '-"""'• '»■'''" "■•"""■ ""■ " '-'

demonstrate, on. «» -^U'^lVSwetv we,,
fosvls which can be saiu t
Unown from a scientific standpoint.

'^' .ofio T circumvallata Krabbc

(1S19 Taenia Unae Rud.. pars; ^^^\l' ^'^ .
^^^'^' ^g^O^ T. pluriuncinata Creiy.;

[PI. XVI. figs. 203-211.1

1 nc Head pyrlform
--"T^srrg ri.-'-o^O.J™ b.ad. UosteUum

H

f

(ilG

arm«] with a double row of about 800 minute booklets, of two

different s.zes. the larger and smaller alternating, th^ larJIr

hooks n ^ (Krabbe). 16 /. (Crety); smaller hooks 8 /. (Krabbe)

12 J (Crety). In the earlier stages (see below T. pluriunclnata;

hZuT^'I ^'■' ^'■'"^ "^'"^ *-^ "concentric rows of instable
hooks which vary In size, but of similar form. Soickers small
«.186m. to 0.196- in diameter. Neck present. tWn Ant^Ho
segnients 0.195mm broad by 0.40mm long (after Crety, 1890 p °

InLrr' t""'" """^"I't^^'^'y be reversed): middle segment's
2mn. to 3m,„ broad by 1mm long; posterior segments LSm^io" '

tte Z T: '^"'"^' P°''^ irregularly alternate in abou!
the m,dd e of the lateral margin. Male genitalia: In posted

Z .h" °?^^'"^"*= ^^^"'^■^^ lS-20 'n number, 45 ^ in dlmeier
dtetrlbuted regularly In median fleld: the common vas de^eren;
takes origin n about the middle of the segment, medium por
tlon more or less simple, lateral portion convoluted; upon^n^e

ZZ T"l 'T' " "^^"^ '"'° ^ -«'-'- seminars 53 ,
long by 39 a broad, distinct only 1„ the younger segments- cir

.us covered with extremely minute spines, visible onrywithtn

nnmersion lense. Female genitalia: In anterior portion of seg

iTthe ^,7"'' '"''"^" "'^' ^"*'^'°'- '"^'•^'"- ^t first transverse
In the older segments it becomes globose and occasionallv ir'
regularly divided into two lateral halves, conne"^ by 1 m "
dlan portion which leads into the oviduct; in middle proglottTds
transverse diameter of ovary 0.186mm; oviduct short rui^sdis
lallj ; v.tellogene gland distal of ovary, m younges segments
appears as a globular sac next to ovary, in older ^gmems

Tmal^^'^et ^,"n/""' """ '?"'^" "' ^•"«'>°^'^ne gland prox^
ima y, shell gland very small, situated between ovarv an,!

; b^'T; rr'ur-^ '^'"^ -^^ ^ -eptaculmrmTm:"
I ; , ^ "'■'"■''= "*'''■"« '»■■"« rapidly suppresses

o 4 ^(Crerv, "[ oncosphere U ^ to 17 ^ (Krabbe), 3 m

lo ^ fi (Crety), oncosphere 11 fi, '• ^

Type specimen; Berlin museum.
Life history: Unknown.

<-rety, (C. dactylisonans) by Ninnl [Stossichi

^Geographical distribution: Italy, by Rudoiphi. Crety. and

Rlanchard (1891B. p. 434) looks upon CretVs Taenia n.„.-
c nata as .synonymou., with D. circumval.au' Jret .'s descHn'
tlon of T. plurlunoinata is as follows: '""

617

inF.mm lone Head very small

Diagnosis: Strobila up to '^""l^^^^^o^^,^ ^ow of aH.M-

0.313mm broad. Rostellum arrned with a^'o« ^^^ ^^^„^,

„ately larger and smaller ^^^^^^'''^'^^l'^ I circumvallala :
5 , long, in ^-m very slmilarjo hose ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^_^

suckers very small, '' J '^J;^^^^,^^ ^ size, but of similar
trie rows of hooks, the latter :'*™ t^ 0.323mm broa<l

form. Neck 2.5mm long, ''^'''■J°^^%ZT^rr,n. broad; poster-
by 0.2mm long; middle ^^^^ ^^;„Xtrt;apezoid. 3mm broad,

,or segments ^-^"'^^r.^lXT^ byTm" long. Genital pores ir-
posterior segments 2mm broad by sufficiently de-

regularly alternate; genital ^^^^^^'^l^^O V, ova In egg cap-
scribed); cirrus pouch f "f^^'";, ^.^.''^^^Jete^' of ova 22 M by
sules same as In T. ciroumvallata, diametei

1ft w oncosphere 9 /*. .

n'ost: Migratory auall ^^'ZlVZ'^Ln can be deter-
Whether Blanchard is correct »« " ^ |„ ^he mean-

mined only by ---P«,'rT°itT punctata can ha-Mly
time one Is bound to admit «^*t J" P^" " a,^g„osls.
be admitted as a species upon Its present a

^ DAVAINEA CESnCILl-US (MollB. MM) R. B,«icbard, 1«1.

nln.)

[PI. XVII, figs. 212-216.1

. T „th 0mm to 45mm (according to Molln), 100mm
Diagnosis: length 9mm to 45 J ^ ^^^ ^^ ^ „„„

to 130mm (-co^^^^^^^^V/J'" J' bemispherical, not prominent,
broad; rostellum convex or ^ ^^ ^^

0.28mm to O-^^mmbroad^ armed -^t^ -bou^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^_,^

". 'TanTaTonVvenTral roTt; suckers 10. to 11 , not prom-
tZ N^k very short (DuJ.) neck absent (RallUet) Anter-
ment. Neck ve y ^^^ ^^^^^ broader than the

r rTut very sh't the following segments Increasing grad-
head, but very snuit, ti ^ , „^ i^^^^ «« hroacl borders

■ „al,y in size -d becoming -"'J'J /^^Itr Eggs elUp-
overlapping. Genital pores irreguiai y (RailUet) 18

tical 75 II to 85 .; hooks or oncosphere 16 /. to 17 /« (Raui
u to 23 ft (Dujardln). Development unknown.

Hosts: Chickens. Dujardln); Italy (by

Mrn^G^'I^T^reVl) Snm^aTTby'Krabbl); Turkestan (by
TJ^JJ^^^oy. Abyssinia (by Pasnuale). Kpldemics: None re-
corded.

39« n

I

i

618

Dujardin (1845, pp. 586, 609, PI. IX, fig. H, 1-2) erroneously do--
termined this worm as T. infundibuliformis; Molin (1858, p. 139)
described it as T. cesticillus. Krabbe (1869, pp. 342-343) found
it in 16 out of 200 chickens in Denmark, and mentions a some-
what similar worm from Siebold's collection, taken in Egypt
by Bilharz. Plana (1882) records T. cesticillus in Italy and Pas-
quale (1890) says it is the most common form at Massowah
(Abyssinia), where he in one instance took about 300 from one
chicken. Grassi & Rovelli (1892, p. 88) suspect tha-t the inter-
mediate host is a lepidopteron (butterfly) or a coleopteron
(beetle), but this is wild speculation. Stossich (1890A, p. 39;
1890B, p. 53) records the same sipecies in two differemt publica-
tions, once as being collected in Venice by Ninni, and a second
time as being rather rare in chickens in Trieste. Blanohard
(1891B, p. 434) looks upon part of Megnin's T. infundibuliformis
as belonging here; the worm in question has, according to
Megnin (1881 A, pp. 27-44) 3 rows of hooks on the suckers.

For Neumann's (1888 and 1892) combination T. cesticillus var.
phasianorum which he attributes to Megnin (1887, p. 828), vidJ
p. 53 (Taenia infundibuliformis var. phasianorum Megnin,' 1887
p. 825 fp., under T. Fried bergeri).

22, DAVAINEA ECHINOBOTHRIDA (Megnin, 1881) R. Blanchard. 1891.
(1880, Taenia infundibuliformis of Megnin (pars); 1880, T
echinobothrida Megnin, nomen nudum; 1881, T. echinoboth-
rida Megnin.)

[PI. XVII, figs. 217-218.-|
Diagnosis: 50mm to 100mm long, 1mm to 4mm broad Head
small, cuboid, its summit presenting an infundibulum armed
with about 100 hooks, 8 fi long, arranged in a doiible row.
Suckers large, armed with 7 circular rows of hooks, the hooks
of the middle row being the largest; with age these hooks fall
and the suckers gradually become indistinct. Neck nil An-
terior segments very thin, 50 times broader than thick; fol-
<nvmg segments increasing gradually in size, the posterior

seTr«7/''^''^'''''"5' '"^ '''^' '^" "^^'^^'^ "^ ^^^ ^'^^"^'^'^ appears
serrate. Eggs ^herical, 90 ^ in diameter, arranged in groups

of 6-7 in roundish e^^ capsules. Development unknown.

Hosts: Chickens (Megnin). ? pigeons (Megnin-possibl.
another species of worm according to Railliet), and -> pheas-
ants (see Blanchard). * ^ ^^

Geographical distribution: France by Megnin. Epidemics-
Megnin states that this did not produce any serious effect i" its

619

The types of this species should be compared ^^^\^ ^f ^^
gona and'^T. bothrioplitis, as the worms ar. very sim Ur i
not identical. The character of the ^-^^^ ^ ^^^ ^s us-
difference I can hardly admit for this ^^^^"^^, f ,\f ^.^ks of
sion under D. tetragona.) Megmn states that the no
the middle rows of the suckers are the largest ^^^. ^^^^'J^^'
obseTmtion is confirmed, would separate th. species fiom T.
bothrioplitis.

b Genital pores unilateral, occasionally alternate.

23. DAVAINEA TETRAGONA (MoUn, 18B8) R. Blanchard, 1891.

,1858 Taenia tetragona Molin; 1881. T. bothrioplites Plana
' (n^men nudum); 1882. T. bothrioplitis P.ana.)

[PI. XVII. figs. 219-227; PL XVIII. flgs. 228-235.1 -

Dlasrnosls- 12mm to 90mm long (Molin) or to 200mm (Piana) or
to 4Xm Krib.be). W 1.6mm to 3mm broad. Head smaU tetra-
gonal; retractile rotellum armed with a double row of abou
m h;oks. 6 ;. long. Suckers cLrcular. -^"^-\^^^^\^^%:,\
Pla-ht concentric rows of hooks o£ varying size. Neck very

ng Ant^Hor segments very short; the following su^uaa-
ranLlar the posterior edges overlapping. Genital Pores un.

ateral o" '-gularly aiternate. situated in or about 'he m.dd e
of the margin. Eggs arranged Irregularly m groups of »

'Ve^Xmen" According to Piana. the larval stage (Mono-
ce^us Da'Leae tetragonae) develops in snails (Helix earth-
usianella or H. maculosa).

OeCrapMl2 m^trlbutlon: Itaiy (by Molin, Plana). Turkestan '
(by Fedtschenko). Abyssinia (Pasquale). America (Washing-

"KpS;mi;s':^trt Piana; Washington. D. C, by Moore.

I include T. bothnoplitis in the species U. tetragona
•ind retain D. echinobothrida as a distinct species,
chiefly in deference to the opinion of my friends R.
Blanchard and Railliet. Personally I do not see why
the species D. tetragona should be recognized or why
two of these forms should be united while ihe third
is kept distinct, for the descriptions of all three forms

I*'

|L

620

are incomplete, and, as will be shown in the following
historical review, any airangement of the three worms
can be looked upon at present only as provisional.
The historical review is given in detail, as these three
(or one?) species represent yevj important parasites.
Molin (1858, p. 139) first described as Taenia tetra-
gona some tapewoi-ms which he found in chickens in
Padua in December, 1857, as follows:

Caput tetrag-onum, minimum, acetabulis quatuor angularibus,
alveolo ad basim rostelli excavatum; rostellum inerme, brevis-
simum. obtuso-conicum, in alveolum retractile; collum breve;
articuli supremi brevissimi; postremi subquadrati, imbricati;
aperturae genitaleF? marg-inales, secundae, in apice papillae
prominulae. Longrit. 0.012-0.090; lat. ad 0.002.

Habitaculum. Phasianus Gallus: in intestine tenui, Decembri,
Patavii (Molin).

Like most of Molin's descriptions, this diagnosis g-ives us but
little information concerning- the parasite he had before him.
It should be noticed, however, that he (probably erroneously)
describes the rostellum as unarmed, the neck as short (a char-
acter of little or no value), the posterior seg-ments subquadrate
and imbricate, the genital pores as unilateral, the length of the
worm as 12mni to 90mm, breath as 2nim. in other words, there
is neither a single dis-tinctive character nor a collection of char-
acters given in this diagnosis. In his second paper (1860, pp.
254-255; Taf. VTT, 5-8) Molin repeats this diagnosis, gives four
figures of the worm which are almost useless, except fig". 7, in
which the genital pores are fig"ured in the middle of the lateral
imargin, and in which some irregularly-shaped masses are
drawn, which evidently represent eg^ capsules. He also adds
three observations to the effect that he collected 42 specimens
from one chicken, of which number only 2 were mature, the
others being very small. He describes a mosaic structure of
the segment caused by egg capsules, each of which contains
from 5 to 20 ova. Although the rostellum is unarmed, the form
differs in organization from the other unarmed forms. These
are all of the characters ever given by Molin to the species,
and It must, indeed, be admitted that they are not sufficient
to determine any worm with certainty. Molin's diagnosis,
without the type specimens, is therefore useless.

621

^. far as any original observaUons - J--ed^ ^^^^^^^^^^^
species T. tetragona then ^estea ^^^.inobothrida as a

in 1880 Megnin (1880 P. 119) ^^^^^^^^^^ very similar

nomen nudum. In ^^ ^ r trr^gona were described as new.
to if not Identical with T- tet^agona^ w ^^ ^^^ ^^^^.^^

Megnin described and ^S^^^/^'/'J^g^osls above (p. 618.) A
with the characters given In the dmgnosl ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^

careful study of both figures and de-en ^ ,,nsldered are the

most important characters ^t Present ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^.^ g

hooks upon the rostellum, said to ^- ^^^ ^7 rows), those of

, long, the --\^^.^7f,r,^:^e ^% Pores Irregularly al-

:L'n"r.»"vr.' "»"'- "-»'• """" " '■""••

plate) presented a paper ^^ll^'^'J^Z^^^^^ T. bothrlop-

Bologna. In which ^^^^^^^'f/^^^^^/^enous damage to poul-
Utls. a cestode which he ^-^^^/f ^^'^^ ^he chief zoological
try. producing tubercles ^^ ^^^ ^^Jf^;^:;,, ,re as follows:
characters taken as a basis ^^J^ ^^\j^f ^^^^^ rostellum

Head 0.35mm in diameter; ^^^f ^f^^/^^^, evidently ca. 200.
armed with f^^^ ^^ sUe -"with ^ or eight concen-

f orm shown In drawmg) . ^""""l^^ Z:\ns) hooks not all of same
tHc rows of hooks (form -J^^^^^^^ ,,,^,3cles;

Size; neck ^^^l^^l"^^^^^^^^ below (dlstally) the

egg saos. Delprato (In Ornitojatrla. 1880,

Piana «»-'- f^f,,^^ ,t to" e) p^e^ture the head of a cestode
T. I., f. 5a-not accessible to «> P .^^^^^-.^^ of a chicken,

which produced similar nodu es m ^ ^^.jhu-

Plana found 2 -=y-"cercoids in He'.x (wh ^^^^ ^^^^^

sianella or H. -^^^"'^ '^ "°' trJsi e found in chickens; no
closely with the ^^f .^^ J^^J^^^.'^.te that this, cysticercoid

-TThe date of publication of the -'unie for l^^^l |s .iv^n up^^n
the cover as 1882, but a Preliminary notice of ^^^ J ^^^,^^

peared In the R«"^'^°"V'i '" J,l>lete to hold should the ques-
however, is altogether too >"^°^gP'^J^egnin-s T. echinobothrida
tion of priority b« raised between Meg ^^^^^ ^^^^^ Megnln's
and Piana's T. bothrioplitM. ^ur"i^ . ^^^ prece-

|?ttcle m the final PaPer. Megn^^ ^"^^^^ identical. Plana's T.
dence. si?""!-! .t';||f ^^o aTlnt?nts and Purposes a nomen
bothrlopl.tes Of m 18 to a^^^^^ .^^uld be dated 1882.

(522

identity Is assumed from their similarity. Piana was ac
quainted with MeKnin's pai.er, but separated his form from
Megnln's species chiefly on account of the form of the hooks
on the suckers, the number of hooks on the rostellum, and the
arrangement of the genital pores. Krabbe (18S2, pp 361.364
Tab. H. figs. 55-60) published as Taenia tetragona Molin, some
cestodes which Fedschenko had found in chickens In Turke
Stan. He admits the total inadequacy of Molin's figures and
descriptions, but determines hl« specimens as T. tetragona on
Tows""* "^ *"* ^^^ capsules. The characters given are as fol-

lonrfM" 'T'"' "'■"*'''''• '•*'""• posterior segments, 1.2.nm
long by 1.6mm broad. Head provided with a short and broad
retractile rostellum, surrounded by about 200 hook« arranged
n a double row; hooks measured 6 /x long from the apex of
the prong to the end of the dorsal root; ventral root 11 /long
suckers surrounded by several rows of similar instable hooks'
Of different form from those of T. australis. Genital pores
unilateral: cirrus smooth, 21 a long by 8 ^ thick. Eggs I !

a se:l:"t'^^ '"''• ''■'' °^" '" ^ ^-P' ^0 '° -• «« ^-"PS in
Since Krabbes paper authors have as a rule accepted T tet-

tetragonf fMn^ . ^^^ ^' * '"'""^' ^P^'^'^s' recogni.ed D.

onym Of n .e'"^ "' "^'"'' ^""^ "'^"^ '^- *><"hrioplltis a syn-
onym of D. tetragona. Grass! & Rovelli (1892, p 84) claim to
have recognized both T. tetragona Molin and T bothSit 3
Plana and state that they have found both forms TZno
bothrida Megnin they did not find, but they think it Ispossi"

z r ^or B^ianTa;?;^^'^"^- "^""^^ -^' - --
nairtet?rgorr £ =ru":ir r 0^=,: r;:
rr^ogrbir^iirut ^ti tpr r '"- r - " '^^'" ^

tained upon the ground ttt ^^^ Jos's!^ e'tr^h^ th'lt T

ST:;r tiraXVo: '^^"''- -- "-a^a
I hope the types m« v hi ^"PPressing the name, as

T. tetrag:nalrhXd,;rTarn1nto'':^'':;r ''^^^^"^"°" °^
question, as there is no^hW f u «°"sideratlon In this

Identical with Molin s ^orm, . "" "^^^ '"^ specimens are

useiessness of ri^n.^re^iprn^^n^r^r'-S ^ '^^ "^
between the species described by tr^.JZeTJtl^'ZZT:.

623

Plana, and Krabbe) -^--^^^Xien^/o" m:te?iL."^d E
be explained by contraction. ^^^^^'^^^^ ° ^ ,^^ 3„ckers of T.
o£ details. The description ^j^^f J^°°^„\^ ^ Relieve, be taken
echlnobothrida (as bemg so «'"«'1^> ^^^ „ ' ^^^ are not easily
with reserve. The hooks are very small a ^ j^.

studied. The fact that the S^"'^^^^. ^^Xtera, by Plana and
.egu^arly alternate by Megn.n -f --^^^'^^^^^^^^ [„ ,,i. genus.
Krabbe is not, In my opinion, a se"°"f ° ^ ^ „ the fol-

This opinion, radical as it may appear. Is based up

lowing observations: producing a nodular dis-

The worms which ^r. Moor^ «°« J pathological conditions

ease in chickens give rise to '^^Jt"^ ^^ ^ith Plana's species

a. the ^or^.^X^-Z^Jy^ P ana and agree w^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^

L-oori^^ortleTstellurn and

other character mentioned ^/J'a- ^^^/^^^^ ,,, ,„tirely
m different specimens. In s^jn^^P ^^^ ^ay be on

unilateral; in other ^P^"™^"^,^'' ^"'"^^ °ften necessary to
the same side of the J^'^^^'j/tt \s posst^ e to find an ai-
mount the entire « -'>^ ^^f 4"::,^';„': the pores are extremely
tematlng pore; '-^'^^f;-^^ „^^,arly alternate genital
irregular. The SP^^"^^ ^^ j^r as I can see, with

lZl-:7o:J." TheTufy diffUce between -e speciniens
and Hegnin-s description appears to^^^^(l>^ the ^nun. ^^^^^
hooks upon the rostellum Vivieg ^^^

1«,, the Am--ican forms possess ca^ ^^-'^inZrLuon as the
r'^^Thc^L Sn'desSbes IS otherwise unknown in this

form of '>'^'';„^^^f "'" angement of the hooks on the suckers
group); and (3) ^he arrangem ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ,^

on Megnln-s form the larger ho ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^,

the ^■^™";f ^^;°7pl"t':f'di«erence should not be given too

\ r,lh as Megnin evidently made no microtome sections,

Tdthr point could hardly be established definitely otherwise.

T„ short incline to the belief that tetragona. echmobothrida,

and bothr'ioplitis all represent one and the same species.

1^

624

c Genital pores unilateral.

24. DAVAINEA FRIEDBERGERI (von Linstow. 1878) R. Blancha.d. im.

(1878, Taenia Friedbergrerl von Llnstow [May my. ? 1878, Taenia
a^ama Megmin [Augrustl; ? 1878, T. Infundibulifonmis vai
Phasianorum Megrnin [September]; 1888. T. cesticillus var*
pnasianorum Neumann.)

[PI. XVIII, figs. 236-242.]
widl^^Heid ''^^^ ^"^ '^ '''"^" ^^^ '"^^^ '--^ ^y 2m«. to 3mn.
supers ehntt I "T ^' ^^^^^' '' ^" ^^^ ^^^' 12 a long-

Hosts: Pheasants (Phasianus colchlcus).
Geographical distribution: Germany and Prance.

Epidemics: Fiiedberger (1877, pp. 99-112) gives quite
an extensive account of an outbreak of disease among
pUonsants which lie attributed to the presence of the
arge number of tapeworms. A remarkable difference
Ir , '^t^^'^'^'"*'"* ^f ^he youiig pheasants was
noticed. Many of them became sick. The appetite
-ma.ned good for the most part, but the animals grew
dull and their feathers became ruffled. Suddenh the
animals would «ake up. run around, and take 'food:

flnallv d^"" '""' '^•'"° '"'"'"' ''''' ^h*^"- ^^^«- ^^^

Several post-mortems were made, and in all cases
'...merous tapeworms were found in the intestine. A

625

purulent, desquamative, intestinal catarrh and general
anjipmic condition were constant.

InTugust 1878, Mfegnin (1878A, p. 825) described
as a twspeeies '(T. agama, afterwards (September,
1878B D 927) proposing to make it a variety (1. m
dlufoil w. phasianorum), a tapeworm whic
he found creating considerable trouble ^-^^J^^^
antries near Paris and Fontainebleau. He ga^e
following characters:

.ot over 60.. Ion. head ..aU, ^^^^^^^^ S^^^:^;
variable, long and filiform "'^ ^*'°'*-,"7^,"e„tire posterior half
body imm to 3mm broad. O^"^-;^"" ^'^^^ OT^nt; segments
of the body without being loca -ed ^^-^^^ ^^!" ^^^ ^.^^^ to
aetach themselves a, round d.^ . rather ^ ^^ ^^^^^^^_ ^^^^^
2mm m diameter, filled with eggs^ ^^_^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^

7 eggg being present m each s^ ana intermediate

segment. Megnin suggests that ants form

host.

The parasites injured their hosts by «t«PP^"f "? *^;,^
bolels' but good results in treatment resulted ro^.

administering powdered Kamala ^^^^^^^^^^ ^velTre
Tn the second note M(5gnin states that the pores are

unilateral.

MCQQ r. i^V 1892 A P 471; 1892B, p. 485) erronoously

Neumann (1888. P^/^^' '^^^^^^ var. phasianorum

attributes ^^^--^^^.V^^ .iven by Neumann

to Megnin (1887, p. 828) ims ggS

Should unaouhtedly read m.. p. 9^. a« there^w^^^^ ^^^ ^^^

pages m the Recueil of 1887 and M^ ^^^^ ^^^^

publish u,.on thsspec.es in 1887^1. eso^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^,^ ^^^,

to trace). R*'"^' ^'^fa^:„^,^-«, ,vith the worm described by

Mf^e-nin's species is ideniicai >\ilii

Priedberg^r 0877) and named by von Unstow (18.8).

M

u

40-11

wl

626

2o. DAVAINEA CRASSULA (Rudolphl, 1819) Rallllet, 1893.

(1819. "T. sphenocephala Rud.," 1810 of Rudolphi; 1819. T.

crassula Rud.,

(?1789, Taenia serpent if ormis i. T. turturis Gmelin; 7 1800,
Alyselminthus Columbae Zeder; ? ;1803, Halysis Columbae
(Zeder, 1800) Zeder; ? 1810, Taenia sphenocephala Rud.; ?
1891, Davainea Columbae (Ze-der, 1800) R. Bl.)

[PI. XVIII. figs. 243-246.]

Diagnosis: 200mm to 400min long by 4mm broad. Head oval,
rostellum obtuse, armed with about 60 hooks 10 fJt to 11 ft long.
Suckers rounded, armed with spine®. Neck rather long. An-
terior segments very short, the following segments a little
longer and very wide, the posterior segments infundibuliform.
Genita/1 pores unilateral. Eggs united in groups of 10-12 in
capsule. Development urknown.

Hosts: Domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica); Eu-ropean
rock pigeon (Columba livia); turtle dove (Turtur turtur); rock
partridge (CaccaJbis saxitiliis); ? tame duck (Anas bo'schas
dom.); parroquet (Psittacus erithax^us) [perhaps D. leptosoma?!.
Epidemics: None recorded.

Little more is known of this worm than the actual
fact that the parasites described under the synonymy
above are found in pigeons.

Zeder (1800, pp. 281-282) found a worm in the turtle dove which
he named Alyselminthus columbae, changing the name three
years later to Halysis columbae. This worm Rudolphi (1810, pp.
94-95) renamed Taenia sphenocephala, so there is evidently no
doubt that these three terms are synonymous. Rudolphi in-
cludes in his literature a worm which Goeze (1782, p. 394) men-
tioned in a footnote as having been found in the turtle dove
and which Gmelin (1790. p. 3070) quoted from Goeze as Tenia
turturis under T. serpentiformis. It is entirely an assumption
that Goeze's form is identical with Zeder's worm, although
Gmelin's name refers to Goeze's species. Rudolphi (1819. pp.
154. 506-508) described as T. sphenocephala, evidently consider-
ing them identical with his sphenocephala of 1810, some worms
obtained by Bremser; these were preserved in the Berlin
Museum, were restudied by Krabbe and pronounced identical
with Rudolphi's supposed new species (1819, pp. 702-704) Taenia
crassula, types of which Krabbe also examined.

627

V, 1 T?nd 1819 and crassula Rud., 1819, are evi-
T. sphenocephala Rud., 1819 ana ^^^ ^^^ ^ith

• ;*,r T «i>henocephala should stand, Dui ds iiidi.
priority T. spnenoceij.ia. Roilliet has already used

certain earlier synonym, and as Kaiii.ei
orlssula. I retain the latter name for the present.

There are certain other species which must be cou^
J'r in conaoctica with this ^en- but a.^<.^ o
which are but little Imowa at present, ihe fo lowing
Iha'acters are taken from Krabbe (18G9) and Blan-
chard (1891, pp. 434-438):

A. Avian parasites: isss^—Syn. 1810. Taenia

Davainea struthlonis (Parona, ^f^\^^^ strutWonis

struthlo camell Ru^^o;^:' ^--;" TutConls Rud;iphl, n.men
^"•^-'P^\"r'r"strthlon; parona; 1893, T. (Davainea)
rth";;nir:onVsr:) Paron- descn.tlon o. this para-
site from ostriches Is not accessible to ^e. ^^.^
Davainea Insl^nis f teudener, ^7) K^ B^, ^^^^^^^^^
Taenia Inslgnls Studener) 100"- toJW ^^^^ ^^^^^
armed with double crown of "»"";\^°°^;;3 „f the rostellum.
With gyrlniform hooK«, ^"^f ^^ J'^^^ J^r'oeeanlca. (Original
roflVrrposaTfaur frrK%.anch.rd, 18.1, PP. .3.

^^Davamea australis (Krabbe 1869) ^^„-'- ^^f ,^1" broad'';

. f^iie TCrabbe). Strobila 400^"^ long, i.^

Taenia australis Krab^eV ^^^^ ^^ ^ to 14 /« long:

rostellu™ -"h- ^f ^^'; 77,, ^ ,ong.. genital pores unilateral;
suckers with hooKS, o '*„'"/: ^

host: Dromaius Novae-Hollandiae. ^^^^^

Davainea urogalli (Modeer, 1790) R. Bl._^ l«»i- ^ J
Tw leea n 'Hi- 1846, Taenia tumens Mehlis, 1850, i mi
Krabbe 186^ P^ j^^^ Lg; rostellum with double crown of
crops), f f »^/,*^" ,°^5.' genital Pores unilateral; hosts:
^etrio" urgauut TefraoT^rl^x; Cacabls saxatUis; Centrocerus
urophasianus; Tetra.>ganus Wmalayanus. ^^^^^

^''ZTTJ'''C\TrTJZl ?udo,phi,^Ls; 184.
Krabbe, 1869. 18 0. Tae ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^.

^lad sTo rbroad rSum 126 , surrounded by a double cro.Mn
rabout 300 "ooKs 8 , long; suckers 140 , in diameter, armed

'ii

'<\

I

628

with a large number of small hooks; genital pores unilateral;
hosts: Oriolus galbula, Picus virldis, ? P. major.

Davainea circumclnota (Krabbe, 1869) R. Bl.. 1891. (1869.
Taenia circumcincta Kralbbe)- Strobila 120mm long by 2mni
broad; rostellum armed with a double crown of about 300 hooks
11 ^ to 12 ^ long; nuckers armed; genital pores ? ; eggs in egg
sacs; host: Ardea garzetta.

Davainea leptosoma (Diesing, 1850) R. Bl., 1891. (1850, Taenia
leptosoma Diesing.) Strobila 160mm long by 2mm broad; ros-
tellum with a double (?) crown of hooks 11 fi to 13 fi' long-
hooks on suckers?; genital pores unilateral; host: Psittacus
eritha;cus.)

B. Mammalian parasites '

Bavainea -madagascariensis (Davaine, 1870) R. Bl.. 1891. (1869.
Taenia madagascariensls (Davaine), found in man.

Davainea Salmoni Stiles, 1895. found in Lepus svlvaticus and
Lepus melanotis.

Davainea retractili^ Stiles, 18%, found in I^pus arizonae
Davainea contorta Zschokke, 18%, found ni Manis pentadao-
tyla.

Gtenus ECHINOCOTTLB R. Blanchard. 1891.

Diagnosis: Body short and thin. Head elliptical or subspheri-
cal, provided with a long rostellum capable of being comipletely
retracted, and armed with a single row of 10 hooks; dorsal
root much longer than feeble ventral root. Suckers armed
with three series of hooks, whose prongs point posteriorly one
series situated in the longitudinal axis of the sucker, one series
on the borders of each side. Type species. E. Rosseteri R Bl
1891.

Development: Cysticercoid (Cercocystis) in the cavity of
Ostracodes.

Host«: Domestic ducks (Anas boschas dom.); Bengal ducks.
2«. ECHINOCOTTLB ROSSETERI. R. Blanchard. 1891.

(1891. "Taenia lanceolata Goeze" of Rosseter.)
[PI. XIX, figs. 247-251.1
Diagnosis: Strobila (young specimens) 1.5mm long with 26 seg-
ments present; breadth. 0.18mm. Head subspherical, 85 fi to 156
^ long by 75 fi to 105 fi broad; rostellum long, with single crown
of 10 hooks on extremity, hooks measure 31 fi to SS fi long-
suckers oblong. 67 |i to 90 ^ by 27 u to .'^2 ;u ; muscular wall

620

Mtv nearly effaced and visible only on
n.uch reduced, concavity nearly e ^^^^^^ ^.^^ ^^^^

account of the hooks; 100-130 hooK^^^ ^^ ^^ ^ ^^ ,,

7 u to 8 ,, --"-. J/,^4:^^^^^ Tegment 153 , long by 1%

one specimen with 20 ^^^'^^'^^;..^ ^^..^er of segment; cirrus
^ broad. Genital pores near an euor cox ^^^ ^^^^^^^

Uh large, extending^ o^^^^^ ^o^et- Collection Stiles.
Type specimens: ^^^^^^^^'^^^^ cinera Brady.

Rosseter. rvrP=ented a communication to the

Rosseter (1891A.; p. 438) I'^^;^";^^^^^^^ ^e had infected ducks
Royal Microscopical ^-'^^^^^f^^S Taenia lanceolata. There
with a cysticercus and ^-^us ra^^*;^, ^ead. A fuller account
^ere from 180-200 -'""^^^^^^f °J^ Z,^ Rosseter (1891B.. PP-
is given in his second P^P^^- '^^ cypridae of a pond near
224-228) states that he -^^"^'"^^f ^^^i that Cyprls cinera .
canterbury for cysticercoids, J"* "° °^ ^ne was the larval
Brady contained two ^'^f^XilrlZ^^r.i. coronula); a less
form of Taenia coronula (-^;^:*"^ ^ „, those examined,
common form occurred in -^°^^^2j>7 "^^n'^Horly and provided
The latter form is °^^\ ™'"*,t ,3 „ot fenestrated. While
with a long caudal ^PPen<l^ee, cyst is no contractions,

I Uloping, its -^,«t- V"a -^^^t where H can be tra«s-
hut when f""^'*^;: -^f ,,':,iraulescent; rostellum Invag-
mitted to vertebrates " jemam Q ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^_

inated, ^-^■''"^^'^rThe dorsal root; ventral .oot rather trun-
fifths are occupied by he dm sal ro . ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^

^^"= r f r hooTl ts "al^Igersymmetrlcally around the
with about 132 hooKiei , . ^out 5 M long,

suckers: the hooks are -'-^J''l'l'^;^^,J^\ a duck daily from
A large numtoer of <='-"^*^"^"" J "Vlhe duck a considerable
February 19 to March ^1;^^ UP- « the same characters as
number of tapeworms which sh-^ed ^^ ^^^ ^_^^„

the cysticercoid, were found l^J^^^^^'\^l ^..^ter number of
intestine. The largest was 1.27m™ lo^g t g ^^^^ ^^_

specimens possessed 17 ^^^j^^f^^^lVvisible. Kosseter be-
SlhaTtradTparir: J-he had thus developed was

Taenia '— J^^^ f ^^^ ,,,.,^, fi^.. 1-2) examined some of

Blanchard (1881B. PP^ ^^^ i^ed that this form was not

rri\rriareo,ata.n.e compared It with al, the

I

^ y,

m\

630

other species recorded for ducks, and with other avian tape-
worms possessing: 10 hooks on the head an-d unilateral genital
pores, and concluded that Rosseter's cestode represented the
type (E. Rosseteri R. Bl.) of a new genus (Echinocotyle R, Bl.).
He added that Rosseter had recently informed him that he
had sometime previous to the discovery of the cysticercoid
placed some ducks imported from Calcutta on the pond in
which he had discovered the parasites; upon making an au-
topsy on one of these ducks Rosseter found it infested with
Echinocotyle. Blanchard concluded from this that the Bengal
ducks imported the parasites with them and infected the pond
in question. Blanchard discusses the adult worm, and from
this description the specific diagnosis given above is written.
Ro«seter (1892. pp. 361-366. Pis. XXII-XXIII) again discusses
this species and figures it.

Regarding the supposed introduction of this parasite into
England by ducks from Calcutta, the idea advanced by Blan-
chard seems very plausible. At the same time however. Blan-
chard states (p. 424) that neither he nor Rosseter have been
able to examine any adult specimens. Now, had the Bengal
ducks brought the parasites with them, would not the duck
exammed by Rosseter have been infested, in all probability
with the adult form, although they unquestionably could also
have become infected with a new generation from the crusta-
ceans? I hardly see why the fax^t that two Bengal ducks were
placed upon this pond a short time before Rosseter discovered

more than a

notiM^H . ^ crustaceans bears anything ,..„.. „.«,. ,

possible (but not necessary or probable) connection with the
presence of this species In England; the parasite has not yet
been recorded from Bengal.

Genus OrHRTOCOTTLB Frils, 1S«.
[PI. XIX, flgs. 352-265.1

Diagnosis. Head enlarged anterlorily. without rostellum but
u h several Infundibula whose borde,^ are armed withT very
arge number of small hooks; suckers armed with ^v,lZ
U-ansverse row« of hooks; genital pores Irregularly altrrnate

H:,t:'^B::is'*- •^■""'^"^ '''■"^- ''''■ ^-^'-p-ent 'unkL;:::'"

No m(>n.he.-s of tlu.s genns are known f.am ,]onie«-
<'«".ted birds or from very closely allied wild birds,

631

K ,t two suecies C pi'oteus Friis, 18fi9 (Syn. 1875 O
JlSi vK Id O. iuBiguis Lonnberg, are descnbed

from wild birds.

, tnfundlbulu,m divided Into l^-J^-^X''^':^^^^
to 25mm long, with a*°"y_» segm . ^^

suckers arranged In three row . ^,(4,^53

^ arenaria, Larus c,^^^? ' ^ ^ j^s order undu-
infiindibulum not divid^.^u^ ^^^^ ^^^^,

lated ; ; strobila ^Omm to ^'^^ ^^^^^ O. insignis.

foun|d in Haematopus ostreaiegu^

GENUS INCERT. TAENIA S. L.

K number of other tapeworms bave been described
A nnmoei o generic position

from domesticated fowls, Dnt men h i

can not be determined with the data at hand.

27. TAENIA CANTANIANA Polonlo, I860.
[PI. XX. flg. 256.1 ,

Polonio (18G0, pp. 21-22) describes a supposed new
species of tapeworm as follows:

, X. Cantanlana Polon'.o. Caput f^^^^^J;^::fZZ''":rZ
tum: acetabulis cruciatim -^^"'^J^^J^^ti^Z.rn artlculls
,um; coHum nullum ;co^rpus -^--",'^^/ campanaeformlbus

rbH^Usr^dtrrenurrgenltales marglnales. .ong.

"■"iabitaculum: Meleagr.s Gallopavo. in Intestina. Octobrl
Patavl (Polonlo). 5^ ^^^3 and is

colchicus, but does not glvo his ^"thoritj^

AU subsequent ^^'"^'•'^^ "'^ J m91BPP 439-440) thinks

TZrZ f^llowl^ng c--ter« from P^lonlo. ngure^^^^^^^

^"•='"^'Xt'fos;:ufm;%Sy^eTLtlIe. The neck Is
Zte :::. dtincCeparate^d from the head. Segments num-

^ A

632

ber about 60. Genital pores unilateral; cirrus pouch visible in
twenty-sixth to forty-fifth segrments; forty-sixth to sixtieth seg-
ments are gravid. The eggs, so far as can be judged from the
tigure, are scattered and isolated as in D. proglottina.

I cuii not see that Polonio^s description and figure
are sufficient to compel or even to allow the recogni-
tion of this specific name. If the types can be obtained
and restudied, it would of course be proper to rede-
scribe them under the specific name cantaniana, but
until those types can be found it is useless to waste
time speculating as to the possible generic or specific
relations of the parasite. I propose to ignore the
species entirely, on the ground that the specific name
has not been accompanied by a recognizable descrip-
tion or figure.

28. Taenia Delafondl Raflllet. IMS.

(1891, "Taenia sphenocephala Rud.," 1810. of Megnin.)

[PI. XX, figs. 257-2«2.1

Diagnosis: Strobila 7cm to 13cm long, 3mm to 4mm broad
Head hemispherical, rostellum and hooks absent Suckers
large. Neck 0.5mm or more long, at first as broad as head en-
larging distally. Proximal segments very short, following 'seg-
ments slightly longer and very broad, lateral margins convex
Genital pores Irregularly alternate, situated near the anterior
quarter of the lateral border; two lateral ramefied uteri visible
as two longitudinal rows of opaque spots; another submedian
series formed by recaptaculum seminis; testicles rather num-
erous. Ova globular 62 ;* to G5 ^ hooks of oncosphere 11 u
long. Development: Unknown.

Type specimens: In Alfort collection.

Hosts: Domestic pigeons (Colmnba livia domestica) by Del-

tHh^, il'*' ^''^"'"' "^^ ^^'^ ^^'^^^^^^^ Geographical dis-
trlbution: France and Germany.

This appears to be a very peculiar form. Its syste-
matic position, as well as its synonymy and Rnatomv.
seem (o me extremely uncertain.

29. TAENIA EXILIS Uujardin. 18»5.

Dajaidiu proposed this name for a tapeworm fouml
in chickens, but the description is so msufflcient tha
the species should be ignored entirely. The original
description reads :

..Je proposerai d^ nammer Taenia exlMs un autre tae^nla de
,. pou,e, ^>en ^^^^^ ^f ^<^tZ^ a (^ l.; t

sont Usses, assez longs, larges ae u.u.o f
ample vesloule seminale, rempUe des spermatozoldes ^n eche
t-Taut e. oeufs. pre^ue glcbuleux. ont trois enveloppe^.
l>xterne longue de 0.056-m a 0.0«5n.m; la moyenne de 0.(>54mm.
r;nt.rne ^032--; Vemlbryon. long de 0.«25mm. a des crochets
long de 0.0125mm."

\irlong (1875, pp. 427-431) claims to have found the
same worm, although it is not at all evident wh.v he
should think his form identical with l)n.iardin s
species. He gives the following characters:

Head is 0.48mm long by 0.60mm broad, suckers orbicular 0.20mm
dilmeter rostellum short 43 ^ in diameter, with a simple crown
aiameiei, * o 15mni broad; segments

of 60 hooks 8 fi long; neck 5mm long by u.io

much broader than long; anterior ^^^"^^";;^;-';"^,^',3 7Lni
K, AQ II to ^0 a then l^m by 0.12mni; middle sogmenis i.o
by 49 ;* to 5U H. men i :> unrrJpr^ bv 0 6mm. Genital

(anterior border) to 1.8mm (posterior b^^^^^> /^^ ^ -^e u by 6
pores unilateral in anterior third -%-^'"7;-,/7 ^^^ ^J^!
a Eggs globular, outer memtorane 58 ft to 64 /.. mner mem
hrane 30 (i to n2 fi: hooks of oncosphere 16 //.

M. TAENIA IMBUTIFORMIS Polonlo. I860.
(1893. Mesocestoides Imbutiformis (Polonlo. 1860) Raiiru-t.)

[PI. XX, figr. 263.1

sent. Posterior portion f,,r^r^9\ shaped; posterior seg-

surfaces of the segment-. Development: lnkno«n.

l!i

t /,

r

G34

Hosts: Wild geese (Anser anser) by Polonio, 1860; von Lin-
stow (1878, p. 155) records it in doniesticated ducks (Anas
boschas dom.)» but I can not trace his authority.

Geographical distribution: Padua (by Polonio). Polonio is
apparently the only author who has seen this worm.

Polonio (ISeOA, p. 22) gives the following as original
diagnosis:

o. T. imbutiformis Polonio. Corpus retrorsum incrassatum;
caput minimum; acetabulis orbicularibus anticls; coUuni
nullum; articuU supreml lineares, posteriores campanulato- im-
butiformes, ultimi campanulati, aperturae genitales laterah-s
ellipticae. Long, 0.01.

Habitaculum: Anser ferus, in intestinis, Octob. et Nov.
Patavii (Polonio).

Polonio (1860B, p. 121) simply mentions the parasite in his
list, and gives a very unsatisfactory figure of the worm. In
this figure a prominent body near the lateral margin is looked
upon as the genital pore. This body has much moTe the ap-
pearance of a testicle, cirrus pouch, or of a receptaculum
semlnis than it has of a genital pore. I am therefore inclined
to doubt very much whether this species is correctly placed by
Railliet (1893. pp. 313-314) in the genus Mesocestoides. Further-
more, the form is altogether too insufficiently described to be
recognizable. The figure shows extreme contraction near the
head.

31. TAENIA MEGALOPS Nitzsch, 1829.

(1825, Taenia anatis marila Creplin.)

[PI. XX, figs. 264-267.1

Diagnosis: Strobila up to 52mm long by 0.5»"rn broad proxl-
mally, and 0.75mm broad distally. Head very large, rather tet-
ragonal, 1.4mm broad; suckers 0.57m.m to 0.64mm in diameter;
rostellum absent (?) or not prominent and (?) without hooks.'
Anterior segments very short, 12 times as broad as long; pos-
terior segments twice as broad as long, "narrowed at the ba.se.
spread in form of a bell," colored yellowish by small longi-
tudinal lines. Genital po^es unilateral. Penis smooth, tubu-
lar, 70 fi hy 23 fi "situated on a very prominent and swollen
tubercle." Ova globular with 2 membranes; outer membrane
47 fi. inner 38 u in diameter; oncosphere .32 //. hooks 15 //; the

635

eggs are scattered through the median portion of the segments.
Development: Unknown.

Hosts- Tame duck (Anas boschas dom.); Brazilian teal (A.

Hosts, lame uu „-r<H'ca.t- clntall (DaWa acuta);

brazlliensis) ; Kuropean teal (A. crecca), Pi"'^^

white-headed duck (Erlsmatura '^"^^f ^^'"> "^^ *^ "\,,^,ean
(Aythya £ulif?ula); European scaup duck (A. mania). Alrican

teal (A. nyroea).

The cMef character for this worm is the large head,
but it seems extremely doubtful whether this should
be taken as the basis of a species. The parasite cer-
tainly can not be recognized with certainty from thft
present description, and should be considered as a
doubtful species until some of the original specimens
can be restudied.

32. TAENIA NIQROPUNCTATA Crety. 1890.

[Pi. XX, figs. 268-270.1

Diagnosis; Stroblla to 140mm in length. Head ^-^'l^^^f^^^;

hroadi (?) rostellum and hooks -^-"'•,,^^'^^J UrToung
OaSTmrn. Neck shorty .lH>ut same breadth - J.-d-^ J ^J_

see-ments rectangular, O.&mm long vy x ^ ^. ^otnrp

ments almost quadrangular, 2mm long by ^;^-^^^^^^'^^X
segments 2 5mm to 3m™ long by 1mm broad. Genital PO^es ir
Sarly alternate, slightly posterior to the middle o the ma^-
l^r M^le genitalia- in posterior portion of segment, testicles
f ",n nutbeTrmeter 58 .. equally ^^f^^^^f^f^TZ ^
uterus; vas def^^ns convoluted In its a^eralpri^on^^^^^^^^

flated to vesicula «<^'"1"'^"« »-''«7„f„V„ ^y 0137mm. Female
pouch; cirrus pouch pyrlform. O-^^"'"'"' ^^^ /"' ,, „_,eHor
Lnitalla- Ovary vUellogene gland, shell gland? At anterior
borS of fhe^gment a spot is observed in the median line;
ToTml a median stem runs distally and is divided near the
he^ht of the pore Into two portions; the posterior portion, at
St represents the uterus. Ova 62 ,. with 3 shells; oncos-
phere +6 /* by 40 /x; hooks 15 /*.
Host: Migratory quail (Coturnix coturnix).

33. TAENIA »p. Conard. MS.
[PI. XXI. figs. 275-276.1

Mr HenrN^ S. Conard (Haverford College) has re-
cently studied some tapeworms from chickens, evi

I

it

636

deutly tindiug more thau one si>ecies. He has kindly
placed the fallowing abstract of his work upon one
of these forms at my disposal, prior to the publication
of his article.

Head round-conical, somewhat four-angled, broader than
long- (0.09«mhi to 0.130mm long; 0.11mm to 0.192mm broad). Aceta-
bula round to elliptical, 0.06mm in diameter, directed slightly
forward. Neck distinct, terete, 0.5cm long. Proglottides trape-
zoidal, broader than long. Genital apertures marginal, alway.s
on the right-hand side of the segment, slightly in front of the
middle. The male organs comprise a tostis; vesicula semina-
lis, cirrus sac and cirrus, Vesicula and cirrus being the most
prominent cngans of the whole segment. Cirrus very short,
roughened with minute prickles about perpendicular to its sur-
face. Female organs consist of a narrow vagina, large recep-
taculm seminis, and a common ovary and uterus (See von Lin-
stow. 1893). Vagina and cirrus sac are in the same trans-
verse plane and pass dorsal to both longitudinal canals
Length 35mm; breadth 0.046mm to 0.47mm; thickness 0.046mm to
0.113mm. Number of segments about 600, becoming as much as
0.39mm long. Egg about 0.026mm in diameter; embryos ellip-
soidal, 0.016mm in diameter; embryo ellipsoidal, 0.016mm by
0.0225mm; hooks about 0.008mm long.

Hab: In small intestine of common fowl, shortly back of
ffizzard.

Mr. Conard looks upon this form as a species of
Uavainea "with unilateral pores/' althon-h he lias
not as yet found any liooks upon the head. Final de-
cision reo-arding the form must be reserved until the
appearance of Mr. Conard's paper.

FIMBRIARIA Frollch, 1802.

1892, Kpision Linton.)

[PI. XXT. fig. 271.]

This genus was proposed first by Frolich, and later
by Linton, for tapeworm with an rnterior hammer-like
extremity. The scolex is generally f ? always) wanting.
Three species F. malleus (Ooeze, 1782) Frolicli, F. mi

637

„,tUo.'8 inrf'"!' "'«"»"" ""triook upon a« a patholo
gical cond,t.on "««' *;°„,„aea Irom a large num-

literature.)

IDIOGENB3 Krabbe, 1868.
[PI. XXI. ngs. 272^274.1

T^io.rene8 with the type aud ouly species
Tlie geuus Id.ogenes wit ^^^ ^ tapeworm m

127. PI. in^ figs- ^^"^'^■\. not vet been recorded from
This avian tapeworm had not >ei d

l>oviltry.

ADDENDUM.

,,„a.lt« mentioned In «t»;''J^^';„Man.ily, Cy.toi
Dipvlidilnac: Tbe »»■"', "*^„;; Thi, change U
.,„«niae. ts ''-"^f J°2'n' '.tnlt Code and ,bo»,d

■;:::d:;r::Jwo;.d:":eve,....ng"u.enDip,u.

'"cLn„..en,.: EaUUet p.opo«. « "-/r-'oC-
Taenia intandibnllforaia aoe7,e as type,

ing words:

\A

■y*

.,«^''

^

638

Le Taenia infundlbuliformis Geoeze, que j'avais place prov
sonement da„« le genre Drepanldotaenia. s'en m.tingue pa."
e grand nombre des testioules. et d'une maniere genefale pa
la constitution de I'appareil reproducteur (Cretv^ H memo
cionc do devenir le type d'un nouveau genre ChoarotaenrVd
(P m) '"'""""' •"'• '"^-'^'*"'"-"-. intestin de la" out

Although I recognized the great difference in organ-
ization between T. infundibuiiformis (as described by
Orety) and the other species of Taenia which have been
placed in Drepanldotaenia, and am inclined to consider
It generically distinct from these worms (see p 612)
and although I have the highest regard for the opin-
ion of my colleague and for his keen foresight, parti-
cularly in systematic questions, I prefer to reserve
judgment upon his new genus until its type species
and a few allied forms are more thoroughly under-
stood, especially as it appears to me that T/lnfundi-
buliformis, as determined by various authors, is rather
a heterogenous and collective species.

Dlcranotaenia spheuoides: Railliet correctly sui.-
presses^the specific name cuneata Linstow nee Batch

EXPLANATION OF CHART.

In the following chart I have given the records of
the tapeworms found in the domesticated poultrv and
m the allied wild bird... The siirn C signifies that the
parasite is recorded only for domesticated birds >< for
wild birds. O both domestb-flted and wild birds

The names of the hosts are given at the left, those
of the parasites at the top. The first row of numbers
refers to the numbers in the A. O. TJ. check list of
North American birds, the second column of numbers

/

639

,. Jeorresponding uumbers ni v^i Linstow's Com-
pendium of Helmmtho 0^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^„,,,,,, ,.
F(H- the revision ct the ho»i ^ Ornithology.
Drs. Fisher and Palmer, ^^^^f^^^^y'^^elminthologists

-^^ ™7 1,t m^r iV^^^^^^^ these gentle-
are not used by modern ^^ ^^^ ^.^^^ ^„

men have traced out the P>-«P^^ helminthologi-

question from the ho«t names given in

cal articles. ^ narasites under the various

In noting the species of Parasites ^^^,

,osts, it has been extreme^ ^^cuU to de ^^^^^^ ^^

records should be ^^'^f^^^fj^, records are based
.ejected. As nearly -" «^ \^;^;^^^^ i„«tead of in-

„p„n ^-'^^^^^'iZxZeTJZo has come when we
ternal anatomy, I believe the n ^^

should begin an entirely new series

hosts.^ ^vppnt in the case of type

All reeoids of tapeworms^- P^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^,,
specimens where tbe determin ^^ ^^^^^^

solelv upon external form, should. I belie ,
onVas'pproximate and provisional.

TZT^e accomplished If helmintho^|istsjin^<ieB-

iThis can easily oe "-^v" ^v ^_ wnv In the J^^^v* ",^ oiarv
l^n^t'e' all new records in some :„^^-A«iedAn>mals and also

Adult Cestodes of cattle, ^,^,^ .^^gna,. I have com ^^

'" Py '■f5i"L^^°o^ host determinations for the pa^^^ ^^^^^

ioie on' Fasclola magna. 1 parasites of

'" t;", "„7w"serie8 of host determinations lor jj^g ^n^er

such .a new_ser^e8^^^^^^^ ^l^^'Jfve examined the species

such a new sene« u_^ ■■— - gjarring C) the .^^tlie species

'"'WTjTntto^^e^ where I ^^^^.^^/^.^I^'^lnare'ril? ^aid
rpa?^tes"from the host in l^-t on^(or^f-m ^^^ ^^^^^„^,.

To have come from ^t host a^^^^ erroneous.)
This latter record is, in my

I

I .

i _v.

V

s

%L. h

640

DE8CK1PT10K OP PLATES.

if

Plate I. Figs. 1-11.— Cotugnia digonopoia.
Fig. 1. Head and neck. x8.

Fig. 2. Head and neck in press preparation. Zeiss 2. A.
iMg. 3. View Of armed rostellum, enface, press preparation;
irj . . f^^'' ^ S-landular cells of rostellum. Zeiss 3, C.
lis:. 4. View of hooks on rostellum. Zeiss 2. 1-12
I-ig:. 5. Side view of isolated hook. Zeiss 3, 1-12.
Pig. 6. Four young segments with genital' anlagen. x8.
tis. 7. Ihree young segments: d.. vas deferens; ov.. ovary
Zeiss, 1, a3.

Fig. S. Segments from middle of strobila with organs more
completely developed: d., vas deferens; t.. testicles-
tp., cirrus pouch; ov., ovary. Zeiss I a3

l^.g. 9. Stin older segments In which the "ovaric capsules"
(-egg sacs) are developing: ag., genital pore; co

ovarlc capsules"=egg sacs; d.. vas deferens; ov"
ovw; p.. cirrus; tp.. cirrus pouch; v.. vagina. Zeiss
i, a3.

Fir 10. End segments with oncosphere: ag.. genital pore; co

eggs. ' •<:. ^."..

FiS. 11. Longitudinal section of mature segment: co., "ovarlc
capsules„=egg sacs; em., oncosphere; le, eggshell- g
eggshell; pr., parenchyma. Zeiss 2 l-l^
All figures from Pasquale, 1890, figs. l-ll.

Plate II, Figs. l:;-29.-Cotugnla-bifa.ria and Amabilia lamelli-

grera.

[Figs. 12-17. Cotugnia bifaria, after Monticelli. 1891, Taf. VIII

figs. 8-13.]

^'^- '-'• "t'^irflVs.'"""' ""^"""'"' ^'"^*'^ '"'^'^^- -^*°"-

Fig. 13. Young .segments, enlarged on same scale. Montlcelll,
Fig. U. Mi<|,n,.^segments .„,arg.d „n .^a.ne scale. Monticlli,
Fig. 1.-.. Knd segments, enlarged ,.n sa„„> seal.. Mo,.,lc.ll,,

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HOSTS.

fkJiiitTiric Namis.

COM MOM MAUmf

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T4I* DromaiuB noviMholUndim .... ■m«. . . .

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40 M6 Ai««a tridoclyla KtUIWAl*.

ANSEIUBSi
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900 M9r9UM A:b4Hu$ Bmtw. or •» ••«-•...

901 Jtf«r9an«4^ ar#ryaiM#r aoo«*nd»r, /• • . •

IIQ gos MfTator Bod-broatiod mtrtAlMTil « . . •

Itt LophodyttB cucitlUttM, Uoodod niorgaBMr. .• •

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ob»eura Black daek, .

Btnptra Uadwail, . .

pen^lopf WldfOOB. . .

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I4S Ml fpAlMlaelypMU B^Suablil aaok

I66« ThtnchntU, AttMrallAD abtfrBlldr

\a MS Di^fUm meutM Ptaiall.

144 IS4 AU «poii««. Wood dt«k,

t6< Cmirino mo*<hatu MB*fiOv*da«k,

M7 Tkutoma tadorna CoBouB tholdrak*

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/•rina Pookftrd,

marila. ■■rop«BB tcaap dBBk,

Tufknm iUd-«rB«tod Bochord,

Juligula TufUd dnok

•iMtrall Whit* oytddsck, . .

nprocm Afrloaa IbbI

ViMnUmtttM mltK4tlM Ba|B«b«Bd

aUuelonettn rtnnfful* iBropBBB ffOMBBtf*

CiMmguUhprmalU Old •qaaw

m»trUmi€u» hUtrionUus iUrloqala da«k,. . .

(MmpUUtmu* lmkrad0rim», . . . . .Labrador dack. . . .

I?»4am«ir« »UtUH, Bullar'a daek

ArttomtttaJUkfri d»#«Uol«d aldar. . .

SomaUrU m'dUttimm bor^mlU.. . . Oraaaland Bldar. . .

drfstmri Amarlaaa aidar. . .

gptetuHUs KiBf aldar

OtdtmU fMMta Valval Mour, . . • •

dtgiandi Wklla-wlBfad

nigrm Baropaaa TaUal

mnammturm rubida Haddy duak

inMoMBbala Wbttabaadaddaalu

Mvmon^t dttminieuB Ilaakad daak. . . •

BM«ra Utkmu Aastrallaa aaat d

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Iftl tt) QIaueionettn ctnngula Burop«*ii gold«»«f»

m IM CUtngulm hwemuHt Old tqaaw

IM ttt iii*trionU%i$ hittrionieut ll«rl*q«iln diMfc

Okm^loUtmua Imhrad^rima, .... Labrador dack

EniconOta tUlUri, BulUr'i dock

ArttontttaJUheri HpacUolad aldar

8omaUria m«4l(««iviMi bor—tu.. . . Oraaoland aldar, . . »

drf»mri Aio»rl«ao aidar

•fMcfabiito KiDf aldar ,......

Oidtmia fuMca V«W«t MoUr

lUgUndi Wlilla-wlnttd MtM**

nigrm Iloropaan ▼•!▼•% MtMr,

Mritmaturm ruMda, Kaddy duek •

ln*coc«pkola WhUa-haitdaddiak.

JfumonvJ^ dittninicuM Maskad daok

Bi^ura lobmiu AurtralUn nntk dMfe,

CMn ktP«r*or#a . .^ L«M«r •now f ••••.

AnMT •lbifrQu$ WhlU-fronUd goOM* ......

•HMT «r»f IM fooad. . . . «

ai^ser iUtm*MtUu9 I>oniia«lloaiad fooat,

fabalit ••»« to®^

BrmnU eanad9n*ia Caaadagaoaa

19UCOVBU Sarnaaiafooaa

PhlUuf eanagiCA ■mpaior gooaa

D0ndrvcw9nm /ulr* raUoutiraadaofc

Cv9f»o|Mi« evviM/UlM •*•» «<>•••

Vvgnusgibkus Mala twan

I» m (Korewgnu* Whoopini swaB.. .....,..•

cyrniM aomr«(le«M DomatUoaUd •wa«..

Vh0novU airatn Black iwaa. .

ODONTOOLOSMJE I

piiatmdoPTBBOiiK-

m PkmHieopUru»rvtlf0r Amarloan damlafa. .

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Mt TIM OWinua virgittimnug Bob whita

Otworiyx pieCiM Mououln pattrtdf a

Vollipfpla sgiMimaCa, daa.ad parirldta.

Oyrkmujv monU9wmm Maitaaa paruldga. . ,

TM r«fra« totris, Black aook •* •

m iMrofallu« Caparcalllla

HMtfro^apiM otMCunM Dvaky groata

100 Bonaca iftm5«lliM Ballad grooca

IM TWra«l«t honatia Birth grouta

Ml Lagopmlagofw^ Willow pUrmlgaa

til MoClcMt Bad grooca

IM IVmpaaucka* am«ricaiitM Pralria ban

4M lbdioo«rt«« pJUMlanclliM tfbarp-Ullad grovaa

MO Oaiaroc«rcua aropiUMianiM, .... Baga grouM

rUASlAMIDAt-

TlTa l^frao^olltM kimolapaaiM Bnow oock

TI74-ri7* UmeeobU taxatilU Rock partrldga,

flT,» pttrotm Kad-la«gad partrtdga

711 P0r4ix ptrdix Common gray partrMga

tit Ootumbt eotumis Migrator/ qaatl.. • •

daetiili§iHUM§, ••.••••.•

710 PkatUtnu* colchUtu Phaatant,

7M QaUuB AttmestleuB Chicken *.

711 Pavo crUtalut Taaoock

71ta Numtda ptilork^HCha Uulnaa fowl

no 7t4 M^^ngrU gnlUfpavo Turkaj | •

llOa mtxioana. . , Turkay. doniaatlcatad | •

OKAOID^A—

til OrUIlt V tulft matctilH Uhaohftlaca

PTEUUGUETKBi

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7IM PUroclf* alcfctitrt PInUllad Miid gruoaa. . . .

CX>LUMllJKi

OOVHIDM-

Oouru §p Crowned pigeons, ...•••

COLUMBIDiK-

7W ColMtntNa tlria Kurupean rock picaon. . . .

OW fir<«i dnnuBtUa UomeiiilCMted pigeon

Ill fa»cUita B«nd lulled pigeon

TOId arguiitrix

lit Setopintf mtgratoriua . . I'aese

PHOTOCOPY OF ORIGINAL

tlO Mtlop^lUt UucopUnt White winged dofe, .

7M Turtur turtur Turtle dote

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pkliaeUeanagtm ■nip«ror foo«»

DMMlrocvftM /Wn* rulTOU* »••«•••

Vwnop9i» ew^^oidf $mmn gooM. .

Vtgnuatfi^kua **•*• •*•"• • • •

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Itl Phemie<fpUnu rubtr Amorlowi ••mliig», . *

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Tile (Minut virginimnua Bob wblto •

Or«ortys pielu§, Mountain pMUldfl«

VaUip0pla »quammlat Aon.od partridge

0^kmu» *mml4awmm MMsonn pnruldgo, . . *

Tttrao Utriai, Blnokoook **•

iKOfallu* Cnporcnllllo

II#i»dro9apiM obceunM Onsky groato,

BqfUMa MinMliM, Ballad grooM.

TMrotlM bonaaia Blr«b groato.

Lagopu$ lagopu* , Willow ptarmlgaB* • • •

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m O0ntroe0rtu§ «ropiU«laAiM, .... Bngo grouao.

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TK« TilraogolliM lktmal<«iraii«M, Bnow oock •...*

TIT-f-TIf* iMoeobU taxaiill* Hook partridgo,

UU pttro*^ Hod-loggod partrldgo,

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Ootwmtx cotumlx Migratory qaall

daelvfUonaiif. •.••••

Pha$ianu$ colchUuB Pheasant

OallM* fiontfjUcufl Chicken *

Pavo crUtatu» Teaoock, . . .

TSQa Numlda pUlorhMncha liulnea fowl

SlO W4 MfttngriM ynUitpavo, Turkey

IIO0 m«xioana. . . Turkey, doiueellcatod. . . .

OVLAOIDM—

III Ortalla v tuin tnaeoiUi Uhachalaca

l*TEllOCLJCTKS 1

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111* PUrvclf aUkitta . . PIntalled saud grooM. . .

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Ooura $p Crowned pigeons. . . . • •

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700 Volumbu UrUt Kurupeaii rock pUeon. I . •

aw Hri4i danuMtUa, l>ome«ilo»ted pigeon | • •

fatcUtU Band tailed pigeon

704d arqu4itrix

KetopMft mlgratoriuB Passenger pigeon, . . .

Zenaiduru maeroura Mourning dove

ZtnaUla scnuid^t SCenalda dove, . . .

LtpUtiilti /ufHr^nlris braehtpUra, Whlt«*frontod,dove

Jif«f(rp«/ia l«ucopl«ra Whito winged dote.^ ._. . . .

70ft TVirtur furlur Turtle dove

Oof umbiyadlfMi paMfNna (^rr«t(r(t.(] round dove

704 lalpaorilf TalpacotI dove

ScardtufeUa innt Inca dove

Ototrygnn martinica Key Went quail dove

Starnmnna cyancophtia Illuw-hpaded quail dove. . . .

TBBRONIDA-

704ft Carpi'phagit tPCT'tnica

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PHOTOCOPY OF ORIGINAL

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PHOTOCOPY OF ORIGINAL

641

..,. 16. segment n^ounted in glycerine and acetic acm.;;;-'-

genital organs; ag.. f^f^l^l'^^.^X testicles; v.,

ov ovary; rse., vesicula semlnalis t.,
a^ina. Greatly enlarged. Mont.ce^ «^- !-•
KIK 17. .Arme<1 cirrus, greatly enlarged. MonfcUl.,
[P.«. XS-20. An.ai,i.la lan^eillgera. Owen's (1335) original
^ figures.!

P,g. 18. Adult stroblla.^ natural sU. -^-"^^^ «,^;, ^^o^,„., ng.
Fig. 19. "Four segments of the same

^- • *, « ^f -i Dosterlor segments, show-

,.,. --ongitu-a,^-- o.^3 post^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^_ „

Owen's fig. 23.
„T p-i« 21 36 -Dicranotaenla coronula, Dioranotaenia
^'teauLurnilno-nla furcigera. and Taenia conica.

- - — ii;ir^ar^rng.tt rr^rstird

p., ... IsSd hooK. xm A«er Kral>.e. 1S6,, Tat,. VXU, ng.
p.g ,3.Is!^ate<l ovu. With oncosphere. x2.0. AUer Kral>l>e,

''"'•7>,"'u''x92?' iner Krabbe, 1869. Tab. VIH. flg.
K>,.4. Isola^ted^ooK. ^x92C. Mter^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^,„^^„

eye (Glauclonetta clangula).

[Figs. 25-28. Cysticercoids from Cypris ovum and C. com-
• pressfl..

In the cyet, anu n <= o „„tirip- pu? "pores

hnnko- ex excretory system: h.. cuticie. cu . i
Tf^: cu icle" oi- ? muscles; hp., hypodermls; p..
of the cuticle or ^^leareovs corpuscle.,

rarenchyma or necK. wn..
After Mrazek, 1890. Tab. V. fig. H-
K,g. 26. Another view of a cysticercoid. After Mra.eK. 1S90.

Kig. 27. a-riso7ateThc^..s. After MrazeU. 1890. Tab. V. flg.
ISa-c.

41 n

i!«ii

in';

>■' !

I

ill

f-'l)]]

i

T

Lt)|

642

Pig. 28a-c. Oncospheric hooks. After Mrazek, 1890. Tab. V. fig.
14a-c. . ' ^

[Fig-s. 29-30. Dicranotaenia aequabilis.l

Fig. 29. Five hooks from the rostellum. x240. After Krabbe,

1869, Tab. VIII, fig. 212, from Rudolphl's original ma-

• •*^ terlal in the Berlin Museum.

Fig. 30. Isolated hook from the rostellum. x920. After Krabbe.

. 1869, Tab. VIII, fig. 213, from specimen in Creplins

collection. -

[Figs. 31-34. Dicranotaenia furcigei<t.l

Fig. 31. Isolate-d hook from the rostellum. x20. After Dujar-
din, 1845, PI. IX. Fig. A. Host: Wild duck.

Fig. 32. Isolated hook from the rostellum. x920. After Krabbo,
1869, Tab. VIII, fig. 206, from Nitzsch's original ma-
terial. (See Rudolphi, 1819, p. 528.) Host: Mallard.

Fig. 33. Ovum with oncosphere. x240. After Krabbe, 1869. Tab.
A'lII, fig. 207, from Nitzsch's original material.

Fig. 34. Ten hooks on rostellum. x240. After Krabbe, 1869.
Tab. VIII, fig. 206, from material collected In Iceland
In 1863. Host: Mallard.

Fig. 35-36. Taenia conlca— ? Dicranotaenia furclgera.)

Fig. 35. Natural size: a, head; b, rostellum; c, body. After

Molln, Tab. VII. fig. 1.
Fig. 36. Enlarged. After Molin, 1861, Tab. VII, fig. 2.

Plate IV, Figs. 37-53.— Dicranotaenia sphenoides and Dropani-

dotaenla lanceolata.

Figs. 37-42. Dicranotaenia sphenoldes.

Fig. 37. Stroblla, natural size. After von Unstow, 1872, Taf.

III. fig. 9a, of Taenia cuneata.
Fig. 38. Scolex and anterior segments, enlarged. After von

Llnstow. 1872, Taf. Ill, fig. 9, of T. cuneata.
Fig. 39. Isolated hook from the rostellum. After von Llnstow,

1872, Taf. Ill, fig. 10, T. cuneata.
Fig. 40. Cystlcercold from an earthworm. Korltska, oc. 3, obj.

4. After Grasel & Rovelll, 1892, Tav. IV, fig. 12.
Fig. 41. Transverse section of the same: cav., "cavity of the

gastrula;" els., cysit; par. est., external wall; par. Int..

Internal wall; ros.. rofftellum: ven., sucker. Korltska.

or. 3. obj. 7. After Orossl Rovelli, 1S92. Tav. IV, fig.

11.

G43

larged. After Grassl & Rovelll, 1892. Tax. IV. flg. 13.
fFlgs. 43-53. Drepanidotaenia lanceolata.l

A ct^r. Tilnph 1782. Tab. I. tig. •>.
Fig. 43. original type figure- After Bloch. 1^8A ^^^ ^^

Fig. 44. Anterior portion, enlarged. Aftei Biocn.

^^* ^* ' Mafiirnl Size After Goeze, 1782.

Fig. 45. Worm from a goose. Natural size.

Tab. XXIX, fig. 3.
Fig 46 The eight hooks upon the rostellum. x240. Att.

Krabbe, 1869, Tab. VI fig. H3.
Fig. 47. TWO isolated hooks. x920. After Krabbe, 1869. lab.

"VT fl B* 144

Pi^. 48. Extrud^ clr'rus. After FeuereLen !«««• J^^^^^^^^J
^ 1- j*u />it.*<iifi After Feuerelsen, 1od», lai.

Fig. 49. Cirrus pouch with ciirus. Aiier

X fig 9 ^"^

me r>0 Isolated segment: a, cirrus pouch; c. te«t'<^|^; ;
vltellogene gland: k. ovary; m, re<=eptaculum seminls
and vagina. After Feuerelsen. 1868, Taf. X, ng. 17.
Some misinterpretations have undouutedly been made
m th:s figure. The genital systenl must be '■estud led.
Fig 51. Head and anterior segments. xlOO. After Rallllet.

1886 fig 163A; also Rallllet, 1893, flg. 195A.
Pig 52. Ovum with oncosphere. x300. After Rallllet, 1886, flg.

163B; also Rallllet 1893, fig. 195 B.
Fig. 53. H*ad and anterior segments. xlOO. After Megnln,

1881, PI. IV. flg. 3.
Plate V, Figs. r.4-66.-Drepanldotaenia lanreolata and Drepan-

Idoteanla fasclata.

[Figs'. 54-55. Drepanidotaenia lanceolata.l
Fig. 54. Transverse section of segment. x20. After Megnln.

1881 PI IV fig. 6.
Fig. 55. isolated cirrus. x50. After Megnln. 1881, PI. IV. fig. 7.

[Figs. 56-66. Drepanidotaenia fasclata.1
Fig. 56. Rostellum with 5 of the 8 hooks. x240. After Krabbe,
18€9. Tab. VII, fig. 156. ^ ^ ^. ^ttt ««.

Fig. 57. isolated hook. x920. After Krabbe, 1869, Tab. VII. fig.

Fig. 58. Head with extended rostellum P-;«^««^"^ \Xl'^^''
After Feuerelsen ,1868, Taf. X. fig. 1. ( T. setlgera

r=Drep. fasclata.)

\\

ilH)

«. * •

644

Fig. 59. Isalated hook. After Feuereisen, 1868, Taf. X, fig. 2.
C'T. setigera"=Drep. fasciata.)

Fig. 60. Cirrus pouch. After Feuereisen, 186S, Taf. X, tig. 4.
("T. setigera"=Drep. fasciata.)

Figs 61-62. Cirrus from above and from the sidle. After
Feuereisen, 1868, Figs. 5, 6. ("T. setigera';=Drep.
fasciata.)

Figs. 63-66. Isolated segments: a, cirrus pouch; b, genital pore;
c, testicles; d, cirrus; e, vas deferens and vesicula
seminalis; g, vagina; h, genital cloaca; i, vitellogene
glands; k, ovary; m, receptaculum seminls; n, uterus
(?). After Feuereisen, 1868, Taf. X, figs. 10-13. Feuer-
eisen has probably misintenpreted some of these
organs and they should be restudied.

Plate VI, Figs. 67-76.— Drepanidotaenia fasciata.

Fig. 67. Body of Cyclops agilis, containing a larval tapeworm.

. After Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, fig. 1.
Fig. 68. Larval tapeworm, with enormously long tall, isolated
from the crustacean. After M-razek, 1890, Tab. V.

flff. 2.
Fig. 69. ( ? Side view.)After Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, fig. 3.
Fig. 70. Cysticercoid, with anterior portion of the tail. After

Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, fig. 5.
I'^gB.71-72. Hooks fro-mi rostellum), greatly magnified. After

Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, figs. 7-8.
Figs. 73-75. Hooks as seen in position on the Tostellum. After

Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, figs, 6 and 9a-b.
Fig. 76. After Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V, fig. 10.

Plate VII, Figs. 77-91.— Drepanidotaenia fasciata and Drepani-
dotaenia gracilis.

[Figs. 77-79. Drepanidotaenia fasciata.]

Fig. 77. Cysticercoid with anterior portion of tail. After

Mrazek, 1890, Tab. V ,flg. 4.
Fig. 78. Cysticercoid with extended head; the oncospherlc hooks

are still visible In the tall. After Mrazek, 1891. Tab.

V. fig. 1.
Fig. 79. Isolated hook fro>m rostellum. After Mrazek, 1891,

Tab. V, fig. 2.

[Figs. 80-91. Drepanidotaenia giacllis.]

Fig 80. "Taenia collo longissimo." After Bloch. 1872, Taf. TTl,
fig. .''.. Is perhaps identical with Drep. gracilis.

(;45

1 vo-^M After Hl«K'h. ITS2. Tal*. HI.
Fig, 81. Head of ^ame, enlarged. Aim

^S- ^' ' ^ A ov.n.«;Vnff the arrangement

F,g. 82. Anterior- portion '^\^^f-^XTJ^Mter Kvabbe.
of the hooks upon the rosteiium.

1S69, T^b. VIII. fig. 154. ^ ^^ ^^^

Fig. S3, isolated hook. ''';^'- J^'^^^^^^ ^^^ unstow, 1872A,
Vis 84 Strobila, natural size. After von
I^ig. »*. ^»-'^ ' Host- Goosander.

Fig. 86. Isolated hook. x500. After von

XXI, fiff. 2. ^i.rrns xl50. After

F^. 87. End Of proglottid with extrude^ c™
von Unatow. 1872A Taf. XXI. fig. 4^^

Flg. 88. Head of Taenia -lff:,::ZJ:^J^,er.. 18S9.
sheldrake (Tadorna tadorna).

^'- ^' "f ^' ,^ .n the nerch (Perca fluvlatllls). x350.
Fig. 8». Free cysticercoid in the percn tt-e

„.: .. jf ;r, :„?.i.s »='■.■;.. ...... ..... -

V, fig. 17- Zels« 3, F.
Plate VIII. Figp. 92-99.-l>nepa.nldotaenla gracUte.

„.,i i„ nrnr^'ss ot development. A differen-

Kig. 92. A ^y«"<^f^°"^, " r;X the body and the tail, and a
tlatlon Is noticed Into tne oouy _._„mity The

small knob Is noticed on the anterior ^^^^^^-
6 oncospheric hooks are present in the tall.

""T;^' t?.e oTt^e^cysUcefcold. An Invagination is

of the body Is occupied by a ^^^^^^^ " act 9fi
fu«ne After Mrazek. 1891, Tab. VI, fig. 26.

rrr r '«;. r v„:-.r™v..;-.. •■

7elc8 3 D After Mrazek, 1891. Tab. V. fig. 13.
. Zeiss d, i^. ^; ypiss 3 F After Mrazek. 1891,

Fig 95. Normal form of hook. Zeiss 6, t . j^

After Mrazek, 1891, Tab. VI, fig. 18.

li

P '!• li

n

'^■•- ill

Hi.

Vl(

'I'l^iiliJ

1^ \

^ 1,

I* j '1

IMi

Ml

1^1

. k

(Hi]

Plate IX, Figrs. 100-111.— Drepanidotaenla anatina. ^..

Fig. 100 Rostellum with 5 of the 10 hooks. x240. After Krabbe,
1869, Tab. VI, fig. 114. ^ ,- ..... .4 *:

Fig. 101. Isolated hook. x920. After Krabbe, 1869, Tab. VI, fig.

115. ' ' •' ■ • •

Fig. 102. Ovu»m. x240. After Krabbe, 1869, Tab. VI, fig. 116.
Fig. 103. Transverse section of a portion of one segment, to
iV^ show the anatomy: h., testicles; vd., vas deferens;

Ni^ ;bk., fertilization canal; ut., uterus; Im., longitudinal

muscles; s. bl., vesicula seminalis; gz., ganglion cells;
p. s., praeputial sac; c, cirrus; cb., cirrus pouch; 1.
ki, longitudinal canals; (small dorsal canal; large
ventral canal); r. sem., receptaculum seminis; ov.,
ovary; eig., oviduct; d. st., vitellogene gland; d. g.,
vitello-duct; sch. dr., shell gland; af., canal of same.
After Schmidt, 1894, Taf. VI, Fig. C.
Fig. 104. Ovum with oncosphere. After Schmidt, 1894, Taf. VI,

Fig. 105. The oncosphere has developed into a round mass in
which a cavity appears. After Schmidt, 1894, Taf.
VI, fig. 2.

Fig. 106. Stage in which the round mass has become elongate;
©bl., terminal vesicle. After Schtnldt, 1894, Taf. VI,
fig. 3.

Fig. 107. Stage with anlage of the rosteHum and suckers; the
body has become constricted into the scolex, cyst,
and tail; the excretory system is partly developed.
After Schmidt, 1894, Taf. VI, fig. 4.

Fig. 108. Transverse section in the second period of develop-
ment. After Schmidt, 1894, Taf. VI, Fig. a.

Fig. 109. Longitudinal section of a later stage of the second
period of development. After Schmidt, 1894, Taf. VI,
Fig. b.

Fig. 110. Extended cysticercoid; s., anterior point of rostellum;
r., rostellum; ex., excretory organ; h. r., posterior
rostellum sac, ebl., terminal vesicle. After Schmidt,
1894, Taf. VI, Fig. B.

Fig. 111. Two isolated hooks from the rostellum. After Mrazek,
1891. Tab. VI, fig. 20.

G47

P,ate X. .i.. nM...-Drepa„>.o.ae„>a anaUna ana Orepan.-
dotaenia sinuosa. ♦ \ ■. .

[Figs. 112-115. Drepanidotaenia anatlna.1

.A ub anter'or portion of the tall: rm..

1894. Tat. VI. FlS. A. _ ^ ^i-

K...113. Cysticr^oid with - -;-^P; r«lu'ar fl.>ers; peri-
pheral 1-y-;, ''"•• J^^'^'t.;;' Second layer of fibers;
paranohymatlc '^-y^"^' '' ^ .. ,,j,y„ (=neck) with
peh2., interr^al ParanehymaUc layer C ^ ^^^^^,
. . calcareous corpuscles (v).e ex ^^ ^^^ ^^^^.

. . pr.. caudal appendage. J., nuclei Mrazek.

he. hooks of oncosphere. Zeiss 3, D.

1891, Tab. VI. flK. 19- ^^ .g^^^ Tab. VI.

Fig. 114. Isolated young hook. Alter

"S- ^^" i^i. ^„tiir>o nt cvst of cystlcer-

After Mrazek. 1891, Tab. VI. fig. 2-
■■ [Figs 116-mb. Drepanidotaenia sinuosa. 1

P,, U7 DSaffn'of a young wo.m enlarged, a. b. two knobs.
^■^- "'• After Zed.r. 1800. Tab. HI. fiS^ • .,^,.

Fig. 118. An adult worm, natural size. After Zeder,

III, fig. '7. Kf^^r. -/P^er 1800. Tab. Ill,

Fig. 119. Short segments enlarged. After Zeder,

^^' ^' 1 cxpri. f the long rostellum with hooks; c
Fig. 120. scolex enlarged, f. the long ^^^^^ ^^^

c, d d, suckers; a a, b b, necK. ^

Tab. Ill, fig. 9. ^. o n h b the "verml-

Fig. 121. TWO .a.ge B----;,-'-^ posUor r<;rners of the
form sacs;* c c, cirri, u, y^

*o AftPr Zeder, 1800, Tab. Ill, Ag. 1»-
- segments. After zeaer, . ^^^ ^^^

t^ig. 122. Isolated eggs, enlarged. After Zeder,

^^- ^^' i ,«-« v9An After Krabbe, 1869,

Fig 123. Rostellum of Drep. sinuosa x240.

Tab. VII, fig. 151.

If..

11!

I .

m

»i

I' ii

' 'I

648

•Fig. 124. Two isolated hooks. x92C. a, from a parasite in the
. domesticated dueli; b, from a parasite in the mal-

lard. After Krabbe, 18G9, Tab. VII, fig. 152a-b.

Plate XI, Pigs. 125-lo9.— Drepanldotaenia sinuosa.

Fig. 12:5. Segment with genital organs and extruded cirrus.

x35. After Krabbe, 1869. Tab. VII, flg. 153.
Fig. 126. Bloch's priginal figure of "Taenia coUari nigro," from

the domesticated duck; possibly identical with Drep.

sinuosa. After Bloch, 1782, Taf. IV, fig. 11.
Fig. 127. Anterior portion of the same, enlarged. After Bloch,

1782, Taf. IV, fig. 12.
Pig. 128. Segments from the middle of the same, enlarged.

After Bloch, 1782, Taf. IV, fig. 13.
Fig. 129. Cirrus. x210. After Dujardin, 1845, PI. 9, Pig. D.

Host: Goose.
Pig. 130. A Cyclops viridis containing 3 cystlcercolds of Drep.

sinuosa: vc, eggs. Zeiss 3, A. After Mrazek, 1891.

Tab. V, fig. 7.
Pig. 131. Isolated cystlcercoid, to show the proportional sizes

of the cyst and the tall. Zeiss 3, A. After Mrazek,

1891, Tab. V, fig. 8.
Pig. 132. Isolated hook, greatly enlarged. Zeiss 3, P. Aiter

Mrazek, 1891, Tab. V. fig. 10.
Pig. 133a-c. Young stages of hooks. Zeiss 3, P. After Mrazek.

1891, Tab. V, fig. 11.
Pig. 134. Two isolated hooks of a cystlcercoid which otherwise

corresponds in form to Drep. sinuosa. The form and

size (35 u) of these hooks resemble those of Drep.

setigera. Zeiss 3, P. After Mrazek, 1891, Tab. V, fig.

12.
Pig. 135. Cystlcercoid with anterior portion. of tall, drawn from

life. Zeiss 3, D. After Mrazek. 1891, Tab. V, fig. 9.
Fig. 136. Two isolated hooks from fully developed scolex of

cystlcercoid. Zeiss 3, P. After Hamann, 1889, Taf.

I. flg. 9.
Fig. 137. The 10 hooks of the rostellum In position. Zeiss 3, P.

After Hamann, 1889, Taf. I, fig. 10.
Flg. 138. Calcareous corpuscles from the parenchyma of the

scolex. Zeiss 3, P. After Hamann, 1889, Taf I

fig. 11.
Flg. 139. A hook of the oncosphere from the tall of a cystlcer-
,,. cold. After Hamann, 1889. Taf. I, flg. 12.

: dotaenla setigera, and Taema Kr

Moniez. - • „ t

, [Figs 140-146. Drepanldotaenia smuo.a.l

A. After Hamann l';-^^\^;J^^ , ,tage nearly

Kg. 144. Median '''lff'"^'^,T\e'.ss 4. 4. After Hamann,
corresponding to ng. i**- ^

1889, Taf. I. fig- 8. cnrrounded by its tall.

.>,. 145. ruuy .eveloPe^ ^^^^f ^'^^^r Hamann, 1SS«.
. , s, and a cyst n. ^

^' ^^- ^' ^„r,r>inff cvst. Zeiss 3, A.

TT-io- 146 The same witnoui. »"^
] . ; After Hamann, 1889, Tat. 1, flS- 3.

[Figs 147-150. Drepanldotaenia setlgera.l

uv, 6 of the 10 hooks. X240. After Kra^bb.,
Fig. 147. Scolex with « "' J"^ j. Domesticated goose.

1869, Tab. VI, flg- 1"- H°«^ Krabbe. 1869.

Flg. 148. isolated hook of «am«. x920. After

Tab. VI, flg. 118- „,, 700B, "Taenia

F g 149. isolated hook from Rudolph, s 1819, p.

Tab. VI. flg. 120- Krabbe. 1869,

slnuosa"=I>rep. ^^^^ev^^ x920. After ^^^

^oAf\ After Krabbe, 1869, lao. \ i. »&
Flg. 150. Cirrus. x240. Aiier xv

r. '^. TCrabbel Kowalewskl nee Monlez.l
[Figs. 151-152. Taenia Krabbei ^ . xyh

P,,. 151. TWO isolated hooks ^^^^^^^^^^^^

(1869, p. 290) found in «; ^^^^^^"^ described as T.
setigera?;" this form has since been ^^^^^ ^^^^^^

Krabbei by Kowalewskl, 1895.

1869, Tab. VI, fig. 121. Kowalewskl. 1895

-- ^,^^- ^I„rr:n1errmrx-0."lner Kowalewskl, 18*.

Tab. VIIT. fig. 27.
Plate XIII, Figs 15S-164.-Drepanldotaen.a sinuosa and Drep-
anldotaenia setigera. ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
Fig. 153. Drepanldotaenia sinuosa^ af layers o. the cuticle.
Ce°"n: pre a^atlon. V.elss I, D. After Hamann,
S Tat. I. «S- '- "-'^ Clammarus ..u.ex.

t !.l

i"i

■ V'

* \'-

Inl

• ^

650

- [Pi^{, 154-164. Drepanidotaenia setigera.] -^
Fig. 154. Adult woT-m, natural size. After Frolich, 1789, Tab.

IV, flg. 1. , . >-. ;

Fig. 1'55. Head of same, enlarged, with (a) ros-telluan and (b)

suckers. After Frolich, 1789, Tab. iV, flg. 2.
Fig. .156. Three young segments of same, greatly enlarged.

After Frolich, 1789. Tab. IV, fig. 3.

Fig. 157. Six segments from posterior end, enlarged, with (a)
extruded or (b) partly extruded cirri. After Frolich,
1789, Tato. IV, fig. 4.

Figs. 158-160. Three isolated segments with genital organs: a,
cirrus pouch; c, testicles; e, vas deferens with vesi-
cula seminalis; g, vagina; i, vitellogene gland; k,
ovary; m, receptaeulum seminis. After Feuereisen,
1868, Taf, X, figs. 14. 15, 16, of "Taenia fasciata."

Fig. 161. Hook from scolex. After Feuereisen, 1868, Taf. X,
flg. 3. . .

Fig. 162. Transverse section of segment: p.. oi-rrus; v., vagina;
1. m., longitudinal muscles; k., excretory (longitu-
dinal) canals; ov., ovary. Hartnack2. 2. After
Lonnberg, 1889, Taf. I, fig. 7.

Fig. 163. Cystlcercoid. with very long tail, from Cyclops brevi-
raudatus. After von Tiinstow. 1892B, fig. 1.

Fig. 164. Hook from the Fame. After von IJnstow, 1892. fig. 2.

Plate XIV, Figs. 165-186.— Drepanidotaenia tenuirostris and

Drepanidotaenia infundibuliformis.

[Figs. 165-172. Drepanidotaenia tenuirostris."!

Fig. 165. Cysticercoid with tail. x325. iUter Hamann, 1889.

. Fig. A. From the body cavity of Gammarus pulex.

Fig. 166. Calcareous corpuscles of same. x890. After Hamann,

• ' 1889, Fig. B. - . -.

Fig. 167. Hooks from the rostellum. x800. After Hamann,

1889, Fig. C. •- :• .r - .

Flg. 168. Cysticercoid with long tail. Zeiss 3, A. After Mrazek,

• . 1891, Tab. V, fig. 3.

Fig. 169. Cysticercoid with anterior portion of tail. Zeiss 3, D.

After Mrazek, 1891, Tab. V, fig. 4.
Fig. 170. Two hooks of same. ZeiFs 3, F. After Mrazek. 1891,
• ' Tab. V, fig. 5. • -

Fig. 171. The same, greatly magnified. After Mrazek, 1891,

Tab. V, fig. 6.
Fig. 172. Very young stage of cysticercoid of Drep. tenuirostris
'>iy' (?). The oncospheric hooks are preserved. After
• Mrazek, 1891, Tab. VI, fig. 24.

(Figs 17:-186. Drepanldotaen,a infundibuliformis. |

.,, n. Ooeze. ordinal «.ure - ^T. l"""^" "^^' ^^^
Goeze, 1782, Tab. XXXI, A, «». i- . suckers.

I.,,. „4. Head Of san,e, en^r.ed sbow^ .^nooKs a

.,. ... Po"r.or;.enfs; :Z... A-r Ooeze, m. Tab.

XXXI, A. fig. 3. ^^r-a-^A After Goeze,

Fig 176. posterior segments with eggs, enlarged. After

1782, Tab. XXXI, A, flg. 4. ^

Fig. 177. Eggs, enlarged. Aft^r Goeze, 1782, Tab.

^^- ^' 1-, 1 ««'o <TitP«*tlne with numer-

Flg;i78. An inverted piece ocbl^Ken^ln^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^

ous tapeworms attacnea. Aitci

XXXI, A, fig. 6. Kratobe, 1869, Tab.

Fig. 179. Scolex with hooks. x240. After Krao

X, fig. 287. .J.Q from Kuch-

1869, PI. LXIII. flg. 25. .
Flg 184. Rostellum. After Crety, 189». «»• ^
F g. 85. isolated hooKs. After O-^V- 18«0. ««• «•
Fig 186. Mature egg. After Crety, 1890, flg. 8.
Plate VX. Figs l87-198.-Drepanidotaenla infundibuliformis and

Davainea proglottina.
[Figs 187-193. Drepanidotaenia inf undibullformls.1
Flg. 187. Bloch-s "Taenia artlcuUs convidels." After Blocb.
1782, Tab. in, fig. 1- „g2 ^ab. HI,

F'.g 188. Head of same, enlarged. After Blocn,

Klg. 189. Transverse section of mature proglottid. After Crety,

^ 1890, fig. 15- * ♦u.Q larvftl stage from

Flg. 190. part of a '--'-^^f "f f ^"""J 'XZl^ oTL gas-

After Grassl & Rovelll, 1892, Tav. IV. tig. 16.

>ti'ii

i

.

•>»

i' '!

H

"fi

<

«■

'^^p

()52

Fig. 11)2. Anterior extremity (^f tig:. 101. Koritski. :i, S. Afttr

Grassi & Rovelli, 1892, fig. 16.
Fig. 193. Segrments from Rudolphi's specimen of "Taenia in-

fundibuliformis" in Otis tarda. After Krabbe, 1868,
. . Tab. Ill, fig. 5. See text p. 44.

[Figs. 194-198. Davainea proglottina.]

Fig. 194. Adult worm: g-., ovary; p., cirrus pouch; r., recepta-
culum seminis; t., testicle; v., vagina; vi., vitello-
gene gland. x95. After R. Blanchard, 189B, fig. 4.

Fig. 195. Head of same with extended rostellum and one partly
detached segment. After R. Blanchard, 1891B, fig. 5.

Fig. 196. Head with retracted rostellum; the first segment is
forming from the neck. After R. Blanchard, 1891B,
ifig. 6.

Fig. 197a-b. Three isolated hooks: a, from rostellum; b, suckers.
After R. Blanchard, 1891B, fig. 7.

Fig. 198. Isolated egg. After R. Blanchard, 1891B, fig. 8.

Plate XVI, Figs. 199-211. — Davainea proglottina and Davainea

circumvallata.

[Figs. 199-202. Davainea proglottina.l

Fig. 199. Cysticercoid, in which the oncospheric hooks are still

visible: ros., rostellum; ven., suckers; Kbritska 3, 8.

After Grassi & Rovelli, 1892, Tav. IV, fig. 7. (Freph

specimen.)
Fig. 200. The same, preserved: boc, opening of the cysticercoid;

cav., "cavity of the gastrula;" lac, "primitive

lacune;" sco., scolex. Koritska, 3, 8. After Grassi

& Rovelli, 1892, Tav. IV, fig. 8.
Fig. 201. Longitudinal section: boc, opening of cysticercoid;

cav., "cavity of the gastrula;" sco., scolex. Hart-

nack, 2, 7. After Grassi & Rovelli, 1892, Tav. IV,

fig. 9.
Fig. 202. Young cysticercoid: ven., sucker; cod., tall. Koritska,

3, 5. After Grassi & Rovelli, 1892, Tav. IV, fig. 10.

[Figs. 203-211. Davainea circumvallata.]

Fig. 203. Ovum. x240. After Krabbe, 1869, Tab. X, fig. 295.
Fig. 204. Head and neck: pr., rostellum; r, line of hooks; v,

sucker; c, neck. After Crety, 1890, fig. 9.
Fig. 205. Hook from rostellum. After Crety, 1890, fig. 10.
Fig. 206. Ovum. After Crety. 1890, fig. 11.

653

sule; c granular content, ov ,

1890, fig. 13. , ,o .. V ca 50. a, hook from

Ki.. ,09. Sco,.x o, ..T. plurlunc^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^,^„,., ,.

- TcSrs: headr; nL.. A«er Crety 1890. «. 4.

Ki.. m. ovum Of --- ^^f^-J^tJf IZI ventral cana>;
Fig. 211. Frontal section "f ^^^'^^^^ ^^,, ;^ner Crety. 1890,
•ct., transversecanal , ur.. egg »a^

fig. 14.
P,ate XVn, Figs, ^-.27.- Davainea oestiemu. mvainea
echinobothrida, and Davainea tetagona.
[Figs. 212-216. Davainea cestlclllus.l

Fig. 212. Strobila. After ^""^^'Jf ,„^'Jo''posteHor segments

Fig. 213. Anterior portion «' J^"^;^"^ „„,tted): A, head; b,

(middle portion of worm n rostellum; d.

ring surrounding the '^'f r;,;„,„7ed body; ft.
sucker; E, anterior portion °' «^!,'^'" posteiror
dotted line of omitted -gments Ga two P
segments; h. extruded pen s; 1, vulva.
1861, PI. VI, flg- 11- T^„4»r/HT,'s "T Infundibuli-

^'^- "■ ^" . „ ^ ,020 After Krabbe. 1869, Tab.
Fig. 215. Hook from rostellum. x920. Atter

X, flg. 293. . y. flg 294.

Fig. 216. ovum. x240. After Krabbe. 1869. Tab. X.

[Figs. 217-218. Davainea echinobothrlrta.l
Fig. 2,7. Strobila. natural size. After Megn.n. 188,A. PI. V.
flPf- 1- ^ o Kpnd an'rl neck; 1^-

Flg. 21Sa-d. H,ea,. -"^X^Thook from sucker; d. hook
rerm.°i«erMegnln, 1S81A. PL V, flg. 2. •

[Figs 219-227. Davainea tetragona.]

fig. 6.

m

><i 1

t

. i\

::'J

liiti

V'

ji^f!

>i

IHI

f

V 'I;

' V?-

I

M

\..

'»»

m

654

Fig. 220. Three posterior segrments A, showing- genital pores (c)
and egg: sacs (b). England. After Molin, 1861, TaV.
VII, flff. 7.

Fig. 221. Isolated egg sac with (a) transparent membrane; b,
granular substance; c, embryo in ovum (d). En-
larged. After Molin, 1861, Tab. VII, fig. 8.

Figs. 222-223, Head and neck showing armed rostellum and
armed suckers. x35. After Krabbe, 1882, Tab. 1 1,
tigs. 55, 56. From material collected by Fedtschenko
in Turkestan.

Fig. 224. Hook from rostellum of same. x920. After Krabbe,
1882, Tab. II, fig. 59.

Fig. 225. A segment showing two longitudinal canals, several
testicles, vas deferens cirrus pouch and genital pore.
x36. After Krabbe, 1882, Tab. II, fig. 57.

Fig. 226. Posterior s^gmemt, showing genitl pore and egg sacs.
x35. After Krabbe, 1882, Tab. II, fig. 58.

Fig. 227. Female genital organs: vg., vagina; r s., receptaculum
semlnis; bd trsv., transverse collecting canal; cl. ov.,
opening of the ovarian tubules; c. s., seminal carial;
ovd., disc, descending oviduct; glv., vitellogene
gland; vt. Id., vltello-duct; ovd. asc, ascending ovi-
duct; sb. ovd., opening of the ascending oviduct; «bc.
vtld., opening of the vitello-duct; ootp., ootyp with
shell gland. After Diamare, 1893, fig. 4.

Plate XVIII, Figs. 228-246.— Davainea tetragona, Davainea
Friedbergeri and Davainea crassula.

[Figs. 228-235. Davainea tetragona.j

Figs. 228-229. Su;ppo»ed larvae of "Taenia bothrioplitis" (=Da-
vainea tetragona) from a snail (Helix). Treated
with acetic acid. After Piana 1882, Figs. F, 8, A.,
and F, 8, B, reduced.

Fig. 230. Piece of the intestine of a fowl showing the nodules
(reduced one-third). After Moore, 1895, fig. la.

Fig. 231. The mucosa of the Intestine showing ulcerated areas;
also several small and one largrer tapeworm attached
to the intestine (reduced one-third). After Moore,
1895, fig. lb.

Pig. 232. A cross section of the Intestine Illustrating the thick-
ening of the wall, due to a parge numiber of the
nodules; also a portion of a tapeworm which has

^ penetrated the mucoi""^ membran*^ (enlarged). After

Moore, 1885, fig. \c

655

,.,. .33. A .0. .eouon ^1:^::^^-:::^:^^::^^

-'• '-' :rrt"ror:r~Ur wan not a«ec^^^^^

, .. .,, After Moare. ^«^J ^^.^'^^^^ ^„d a necrotic mass

Fig. 234. A section showing a ^^^^''"'^ j^„„,,e_ 1895. fig. 2b.

within the m— - j;;;^„ tf the intestine showing

Fig. 235. A portion of a cross ^^''"""^ "^ '''^i^^ „,^,ele and one

. - tl^- ^^-\ o^ '^ ir :»,! wiTh its head resting on the
• lying between the villi wun its irnlareed

basement membrane of the mucosa. Enlarged.

: '., , After Moore, 1895, fig. 2c.

[Figs. 236-242. Davainea Friedbergeri.]

*^n,,rr, \fter Friedberger, 1877. tigl-
Fig. 236. Hook from ^^^^^^^^^^^'^^f ""^.^er Friedberger, 1877,
Fig. 237. Hooks from the suckeis. After

K:g. 238. H^o^K^f oncosphere. After ^^-^^^Zl^J^-^ll' %
,,,.,. -■ jnfun.bu.i.rm. ^ -.^rjrg^r Natural si.e.

AftPr Megnin, 1878, PI. IV, fig. 1-
F:g. 2.0. vfew ^f'ead of .ame. en -ee showing a^medros.^^
lu.m and 4 armed suckers. xl20. After Megn

Fig. 241. Ho^k f7om' rostellum of same. x725. After Megnin,

1878, PI. IV, fig. 4. Megnin. 1878,

Fig. 242. Segments of same species. x20. After M g
PI. IV, fig. 4.

[Figs. 243-246. Davainea crassula-l

r,«ifi^^ After Hudoli)hl, 18i'».
Fig. 243."Eggs" (=Egg sacs) magnified. After

Tab. III. fie- 19- Krablbe. 1869. Tab.

Fig. 2«. H--^^-- --rrnud'^hl-s original specimens.

-• -• — lv"x^3rA;:rKrrbr?.rs^n%^g.^:^

suckers. x35. Arier ^ n-^irkestan by Fedts-

From material collected in Turkestan oy

chenko. After Krabbe,

Fig. 246. Hook from rostellum of same. x920. After

1869, Tab. IT. fig- 67.
., t XIX Figs 247-255.-F.hinocotyle Rosseteri and Ophryo-
Plate XIX, Figs. ^^^^^^ proteus.

[Figs 247-261. Fchinocotyle Rosseteri.l

Kn xr>0 After H. Blanchard, 1S91B. fig- i-
Fig. 247. Strobila. xi.i«- -^^'^^

'W

I

li^

[i\

656

Pig. 248. Head with extended rostellum. x50C. After R. Blan-

chard, 1891B, fig. 2. ,

Fig. 249a-b. Hooks: a, from rostellum, x400; b, from sucker,

x2,500. After R. Blanchard, 1819B, fig. 3.
Fig. 260. Isolated segment: 1, evaginated cirrus with spines; 2,

genital tubercle; 3, orifice of same with sphincter;

4, cirrus rouch, with ring of minute sharp spines;

5, seminal canal; 6, mass of spermatozoa. x600.
After Rosseter, 1892, PI. XXIII, fig. 8.

Fig. 251. Cysticercoid taken from the body cavity of Cypris
clnerea; a hooks on rostellum; b, hooks on suckers.
x360. After Rosseter, 1892, PI. XXII, fig. 1.

Figs. 252-255. Ophryocotyle proteus. After Friis, 1869, taken
from R. Blanchard, 1891B, fig. 20.

Fig. 252. Strobila.

Fig. 253. Head and neck with retracted infundibulum.

Fig. 254. Head and neck with extended infundibulum.

Fig. 255. Sucker with armature.

Plate XX, Figs. 256-269.— Taenia cantanian. Taenia Delafondi,
Taenia imbutiformis. Taenia megalops, and Taenia nigrop-
unctata.

Fig. 256. Taenia cantania: a, head; b, suckers; c, organ taken
by Polonio for the "genital pore?"; d, well-developed
eggs. After Polonio, 1860, Tav. VII fig. 2.

[Figs. 257-262.— Megnln's (1891, Figs. A-F.) figures of "Taenia
sphenocephala"=:Railliet's Taenia Delafondi.]

Fig. 267. Strobila natural size.

Fig. 258. Head and neck. x60.

Fig. 259. Three sexually segments. xl4.

Fig. 260. Eggs. x37o.

Fig. 261. Isolated oncosphere.

Fig. 262. Segmenting egg.

Fig. ^63. Taenia imbutiformis: a, suckers; b., middle portion;

c, caudal portion; d. "genital pores* (?). After

Polonio, 1860, Tav. VII, fig. 3.

[Fig. 264-267.— Taenia megalops from Brazilian teal (Anas
brazillensis). Coll. Vienna Museum.]

Fig. 264. Strobfla natural size. Original.

Figs. 265-267. Three views of head, enlarged. Origiml.

PLATE I.

rff/

y

11.

I- II.

COTUGNIA DIGONOPORA

I •

W

> "'

I

ifl;

\ • -y

^1 1

%

■ If

i

COLOR PLATE

plate:

V.

PLATE V.

^^- ^^,

''J

37-42. DICRANOT/ENIA SPHENOIDES
43-53, DREPANIDOT/ENIA IIaNCEOLATA

\\

h 'il

54-55, DREPANIDOT^NIA LANCEOLATE
56-66. DREPANIDOT/ENIA FASCIAIA.

COLOR PLATE

■l''

PLATE VI

67-76, DREPANIDOT/ENIA FASCIATA.^

r.

^,.1

ll..„J

ii.

tMI

>. -«

-t,

1?' .

1

11

PLATE X

PLATE I

X

100 -IN. DREPANIDOT/ENIA ANATINA

w

I

iif

COLOR PLATE

PLATE XI.

If

'■ i

m

125-139. DREPANIDOT/ENIA SINUOSA.

I

M

V

i 1*

hi A

i

U '

k-

t

n .' ::

COLOR PLATE

PLATE VIII

'1;

ir!.!l

■V

k I

92-99. DREPANIDOT/^NIA GRACILIS.

I*.

PLATE IN

PLATE VI

77-79. DREPANIDOT^NIA FA5CIATA 80-91, DREPANI DOT/ENI A GRACILIS

rr :

2,-28, DICRANOT^NIA C0R0NULA^3.-34,D.CRAN0T^N.A FURCJGERA
29-30, DICRANOT/ENIA /EQUABILIS. 35-36.T/ENIA LUNIL.

V I

M.I

V

il

«l 'I

I

I

i^i

plate:

18.

3^,

19.

i^

17).

-^ •

T*

IG.

m-

\sr

12-17. COTUGNIA BIFARIA. 18-20. AM AB I LI A LAMELLIGERA

PLATE XV,

^M).

i9a 19 1.

187-193. DREPANIDOT/ENIA I NFU N D I BU LI FORM 1 S .
194-198. DAVAINEA PROGLOTTINA.

I

I 4

I

: I'

vr

COLOR PLATE

If!

i

COLOR PLATE

PLATE XVI

,99-ZOZ.DAVA.NEAPR0GLOTT,NA.ZO3-Z...DAVA.NEAC,RCUMVALLATA.

ijli!

;'!ill

1)1

FOLATE X

PLATE XX

^')!)

I40-K6.DREPANIDOT/ENIA 5INU0SA. 147-150. DREPANIDOT/ENIA SETIGERA

151-152. T/ENIA KRABBEI KOWALEWSKI.

ae3 TCNiA -|"-„^°«/,',t .TROpJnJfr^A

ll

r

't M

^^

V-

i 1^

COLOR PLATE

0-

^

PLATE XXI.

'il\

ri:>

////r —

'lli:^

a?! FIMBRIARIA MALLEUS. 272-274. lOlOG ENE5 OTI D I S,

275-276. T/ENl A SR OF CONARD

'

■'i^Bn

1

■

HJ 'j^B^Bv;

1 'IBS'

li^B

J!

I 1

111

II

COLOR PLATE

»i

PLATE XV

II

2ia-2l6. DAVAINEA CESTICILLU5 21

219-227. DAVAIN

PLATE XVIII

•I*

•^(0.

228-235 DAVAINEA TETRAGONA 23^' 2^2^ DAVAINEA FRlEDBERGER

243-246, DAVAINEA CRAS5ULA.

I

!|

i

If

\' 1

COLOR PLATE

PLATE XII

PLAT E

XIX

flj v>
#« 'V'V > iS •

J

^')l

247-251. ECHINOCOTYLE R05SETERI. 252-255. OPHRYOCOTYLE PROTEUS

I53.DREPANID0T/ENIASINU0SA. I54-I64.DREPANID0T/ENIA SETIGERA

COLOR PLATE

r

PLATE

XlV

^ I

657

[Figs ^68-270. Taenia nigropunctata. After Crety, 1890.1
Kig. 268. Head: v. sucker; c. neck. After Crety, «»«; fl«-^;^._
Fig 269. Isolated segment: 1, eggs; m. ovary, P, gen

^' u uteras. After Crety, 1890, fig. I- „„ ^ „

Fig 270. Egg with oncosphere. After Crety, 1890, fig. 2.
P,a,e XXI, Figs. 271-274.-Taenia malleus, Idiogenes otidis and

Taenia »p. Conard, MS.
Fig 271. Taenia malleus, head and anterior segments. After
Goeze. 1782. Tab. XXX, fig. 3.

[Figs. 272-274. Idiogenes otidis.l

Fig 272. Pseudoscolex and anterior portion of strobUa. The
first four segments form the pseudoscolex. After
Zschokke, 1888, PI. HI, fig- 39-
Fig. 273. Segment with male and female organs: ^d- ^'^^^/"^
^ ens; c. e., vas efferens; ci.. cirrus; t., test^f «'/' ^•

V end of vagina (receptasulum seminis); gi. g..
ovary; gl. v., vitellogene gland; va.. vagina. After
Zschokke, 1888, PI. HI. fig- 42.
Fig. 274. Se^ient with developed uterus: cap. ut.. superior
^ uterine cavity; c. d., vas deferens; p. ^J" f ^^^

pouch; va.. vagina After Zschokke. 1888, Pi. III. fi^-

46.
[Figs. 275.276. Two diagrams of Taenia sp. from chickens.

After Conard, unpublished.l

Fig 275. Dorsal view; fig. 276, transverse section: n.. nerve; d.
c dorsal canal; v. c, ventral canal; t. c. transverse
canal; g. c, genital cloaca with pore; c. c'.rrus; c.
p cirrus pouch; v. s., vesicula seminalis; t.. trsticlo;
ut. "probably uterus" (or testicle?); v., vagina; r. s..
reoeptaoulum Peminip; ov.. probably ovary; p. g..
probablv shell .inland; 1. m.. long:tudiral mu^^cles.

42 11

.11

I

f

vi

165-172 DREPANIDOT/CNIA TEN U I ROSTR I S.
I73-I86.DREPANIDOT/ENIA INFUNDIBULIFORMIS.

COLOR PLATE

K l

658

CHAPTER VIII.

SOME EGGS.

The five accompanying' plates contain twenty-nine
fij^nres of eggs, natural size, of the following species,
all of which occur in Pennsylvania as natives:

Pr.ATK I.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

Barn Owl.

Screech Owl.

Great Horned Owl.

Sparrow Hawk.
PLATE II.

Marsh Hawk.

Red-Tailed Hawk.

Common Crow.
PLATE IIL

Cooper's Hawk.

Bakrkd Owl.

Blue Jay.

LoNu- Eared Owl.
PLATE IV.

Broad-Winged Hawk.

Goshawk.

Red-Shouldered Hawk.

Haw-Whet Owii.

PLATE V.
Turkey Buzzard.

Bald Eaolb.

Duck Hawk.

HI

BARN OWL

PLATE I.

PLATE

II

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK

MARSH HAWK

.■^5«r

SCREECH OWL

RED-TAILED HAWK

GREAT HORNED OWL

SPARROW HAWK

SPARROW HAWK

MARSH HAWK

REDTAILED HAWK

ii

AMERICAN CROW

AMERICAN CROW

COLOR PLATE

PLATE

n

4

^

V

U

COOPER'S HAWK

COOPERS HAWK

t'/tt:

BARRED OWL

BLUE JAY.

BLUE JAY

AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL

plate:

IV

SAW-WHET OWL

COLOR PLATE

PLATE

V.

i^ '^1

1

BALD EAGLE

DUCK HAWK

COLOR PLATE

. .1

m

1 1

659

•*>

The many changes of plumage which birds have are
fully explained in former chapters, and as there are,
with certain species, great variations in their eggs— a
nest will sometimes contain eggs wholly different in
markings— it has been deemed be«t to show how
marked these variations are with several of our com-
mon birds. The author is very greatly indebted to
^[essps. Ward, of Rochester, New York, for having
kindly selected and loaned from their collection the
specimens from which the accompanying illustrations
have been made.

i

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ii

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n

660

II

CHAPTER IX.

.V

tJ*

THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS.

This chapter contains several paj>ers which deal
with a number of subjects of especial interest. The
Bounty Records given here, although unfortunately
no't complete, are without doubt more accurate than
any which have been printed or ever can be published
in connection with the notorious bounty act of 1885.
This statement is made because in a number of coun-
ties the records were destroyed after the data given
in this chapter were compiled.

The scalp act of 1897, which allows premiums for
Wildcats, Foxes and Minks, is given in full. The au
thor of this Measure, Representative G. W. Campbell,
of Fayette county, prepared it with particular care,
and persons who may attempt to practice fraud under
it will likely get into a great deal of trouble.

Some of the best methods known to trappers and
hunters, of capturing and destroying wild animals
which commit so much damage in the poultry yard,
and to game and song birds, are quite fully explained.

The section devoted to Heads is one which, with thr
carefully prepared illustrations made fi-om specimens
on whirh bounties were paid, shows clearly the great
necessity of having somi* public document that will
enable officials and scalp-hunters to recognize one ani-
mal from another. It is ridiculous, to say the least,
that the taxi>ayers of any county in this Common

601

wealth should pay prenrunus for heads of game birds,
domesticated fowls, Shrikes, Whip-poor-wills, Sea
Gulls, etc., because local officials may, through igno-
rance, accept them as Hawks or Owls. House cats and
vnv dogs. Squirrels and other mammals should never
again be used to answer for Wildcats, Wolves, Minks

and Weasels.

The citizens of this State are, it appears, strongly
in favor of paying bounties, and while such a feeling
exists it is but proper that this work should be pre-
pared, not only to correct wrong impressions, which
are so widespread about many birds and mammals,
but, at the same time, show what species are chiefly
responsible for the enormous destruction of poultry,
oame and small song birds.

I

nt

m2

SOME BOUNTY RECORDS.

>' ' -

t

•••*f

The tabulated bouDty records which appear on suc-
ceeding pages were paid under the act of eTune 2;{,
1885, and the amended act of 1889 which repealed that
portion of the act of *85 that allowed bounties for
Hawks, Owls and Weasels. These laws caused an
(»normous expenditure of money. It is believed to be
a conservative estimate to state that fully $150,0{)()
were paid out in bounties, and considerably more than
half of this amount was exj)ended for birds of prey or
otlier kinds of feathered animals which were believed
to be Hawks and Owls. It has been absolutelv im
possible toi secure fromj a number of ,oounties any
^ records which would show the number of each species
of bird or mammal on which premiums were paid. In
the majoritv of cases this is due to the fact that countv
officers did not preserve the bounty certificates aftiM
their accounts were audited at the end of each vear.
Tlie writer has expended a great deal of time, consider
able money and experienced a lot of trouble to obtain
all the facts possible in connection with recent scalp
acts, and as a result the records which follow are un-
doubtedly the most complete that have ever been pub-
lished in connection with the scalp act of June 23, 1885.

.

THE BOUNTY ACT OF 1885.

The sc^lp act of June 23, 1885, under which so many
birds, etc., were slain reads as follows:

"An act for the destruction of Wolves, Wildcats, Foxes, Minks.
Hawks, Weasels and Owls in this Commonwealth

"Section 1. That for the benefit of agriculture and for the
protection of game within this Commonwealth, there is hereby
established the following premiums for the destruction of cer-
tain noxious animals and birds, to be paid by the respective

-.•^H.;

G()3

counties in which the same are slain, namely; for every Wild-
cat two dollars; for every Red or Gray" Fox, one doUar; for
everv Mink, fifty cents; for every Weasel, fifty cents; for every
Hawk fifty cents; and for every Owl. except the Arcadian,
BcTr^ech or Barn Owl, which is hereby exempted from the pro-
visions of this act, fifty cents."

-Section 2. It shall be the duty of any person having killed
any animal or bird mentioned in the first section of this act,
and who is desirous of avaUing himself of the premiums therem
provided, to produce such slain animal or bird before any mag-
istrate, alderman or justice of the peace of the county in which
ihe same was killed, and make affidavit of the time and place
of killing the same: Provided, That the pelt, if entire from the
tip of the nose of any such animal, may be produced In lieu of
the same when so preferred; and upon the reception of any
such animal or pelt, or bird. It shall be the duty of such mag-
istrate, alderman or justice of the peace. In the presence of
said person killing such animal or bird, and one elector of the
county, to cut off the ears of such animal or the head of such
bird, and In the presence of said persons burn the same.

"Section 3. Upon the destruction of the ears or heads as
aforesaid, the magistrate, alderman or justice of the peace
shall give to the person producing such animal or bird, a certi-
ficate"of compliance with the provisions of this act directed to
the commissioners of the county In which such animal or bird
was slain, which certificate shall contain the following facts:
the kind of animal or bird killed; when, where and by whom
knied, and the date by whom and In the presence of what elec-
tor the ears of said animal or head of said bird was destroyed,
and u:on the production of such certificate the said commis-
sioners shaU give an order upon the county treasurer for th?
payment of the premium or premiums provided by this act, and
it shall be the further duty of the magistrate, alderman or
justice of the peace taking the affidavit, provided In the second
section of this act, to file the same forthwith, or cause the
same to be filed In the office of the commissioners of the county,
and upon filing the Fame, the said magistrate, alderman or
justice of the peace shall receive from the county treasurer, the
sum of twenty cents, In full compensation for all services under
this act."

♦ ■ •

ff » *v.r WtTENTTFTC MEN PROTKSTKD.

Thisnnjnstand exi)ensive act had only been in force
a few months when naturalists and other scientific

!i

M

, ■It

064

gentlemen residing in the borough of West Chester be-
gan to oppose it most vigorously; ind.ed the first eit'orts
made to have the noxious "Scalp Act of 1885" repealed
were begun in Chester county, when early in 1880 the
members ot* th(^ West Chester MicrC'Scopical Society,
under the leadership of such prominent and able g(4i
tlemen as Dr. Jo<s. T. Rothrock, Dr. Jesse C. Green, Ex
congressman A\'ashington Townsend, Addison May. and
others called a special meeting, with the view of crea-
ting sentiment tobring about the repc^al of that portion
of the act which allowed premiums for the heads of
beneficial biids. This society published in February,
1880, a pam]»hlet containing strong resolutions con-
demning the act, witli numerous letters from some of
the most eminent ornithologists in the United States,
together with a brief description of the birds of prey
and their food habits. This report was widely circu-
latcKl throughout Pennsylvania, and as many of the
leading newsj)apers of the State quoted quite exten-
sivelv from it a sentiment was soon started in almost
everv count v of the Commonwealth in favor of, at legist,
the beneficial species of Hawks and Owls.

OTHERS IjABORDD TO REPEAL IT.

The members of the State Board of Agriculture,
through Secretary Thos. J. Edge, assisted by the writer,
who at that time had made dissections of over 1,000
stcmiachs of Hawks and Owls, labored most indus-
triously to show the economic value of the raptorial
birds, and secure the repeal of that part of the odious
measnie whicli prompted the destruction of certain
birds which were of the greatest value to farmers and
fruitgrowers. :, ..

665

, r THEIR EFFORTS WERE SXICCESSFUL.. ■ : •. • . .

These' CotKraendableeffortswhicU.aspreviousb- Staled,
originated among scientiflc men in West Chester, re^
suited in the abrogation, at the legislative session of
1887 after a most spirited contest, of that portion of
the act which related to Hawks and Owls. Secretary
Tho^ J. Edse and the writer corresponded with countx
commissioners, piM)Tninent farmers, naturalists and
sportsmen throughout the State, and a condensation

of this correspondence, both for and against the re-

peal, follows:

WHY IT SHOULD BE REPEALED.

We believe the act should be repealed on account of
the following reasons:

1 It causes a drain upon the treasuries of the respective
counties which is not warranted by the results Produced

2 Collectively considered the Hawks and Owls by the de-
struction ot injurious rodents and Insects, confer a benefl
which is much more than an offset for the poultry, game and
small wild birds, which certain of these birds of prey destroy^

3 The cooper's Hawlc, the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, the Gos-
hawk, the Duck Hawk, the Pigeon Hawk and the Great Horned
are detrimental, but If a bounty should be placed on the heads
of these birds all species of Hawks and Owls would be destroyed

by scalp-hunters.

4 The payment of all bounties should be discontinued until
officials can acquaint themselves with birds and mammals so
that premiums will not be paid for heads of Chickens Turkeys.
Pheasants. Robins. Sparrows, etc.. under the belief that they
are Hawks and Owls; and on the other iand officials should
know enough about mammals that the ears of Opossums, Red
Squirrels, house Cats, cur Dogs or pieces ot Buffalo skins. Mule
hides etc., should not be accepted by them for such detrimental
animals as Wolves, Wildcats, Foxes. Minks and Weasels.

5. Increased duties are imposed upon county officers for which
no additional compensation has been provided.

1^*

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■'.■ 6. In a number of cases county officials have been imposed
i on and bounties illegally drawn. - •- ^ - r -

7. It encourages a certain class to follow hunting as a means
of livelihood, and to the exclusion of other labor.

8. Self-interest would lead to the destruction of the detrimen-
tal birds and mammals.

9. Farmers and poultry-raisers need no bounty to induce
them to trap and kill birds and other wild animals which de-
stroy their poultry.

10. The repeal of the act will, by the increase of the birds of
prey, cause greater destruction to field mice, which do much
mischief on the farm.

11. The payment of bounties for any purpose is based upon
wrong principles and should be discouraged.

WHY THE ACT SHOULD NOT BE REPEALED.

We believe the act should not be repealed because:

1. This being the first year of its action, the total amount paid
will be greatly in excess of that of any subsequent year, and
owing to the increased scarcity each year, the amount annually
paid will every year be less.

2. By a repeal the good effects of bounties already paid would
be practically lost.

3. The destruction of these birds and other animals is a great
protection to game; Pheasants, Quail and Wild Turkeys, besides

. many kinds of Wild Ducks, Snipe and Woodcock, in the way
of feathered game, are destroyed by both Hawks and Owls and
many of these game birds are also killed by Foxes, Wildcats,
Minks and Weasels. Great numbers of Rabbits are annually
devoured by the Hawks, Owls and other animals for which
premiums are paid; the Wildcats destroy many Deer, and Squir-
rels are also killed by Hawks, Owls, Foxes, etc. Game of all
kinds would, no doubt, be much more plentiful if all Hawks,
Owls, Foxes, Minks, Wildcats and Weasels were killed.

4. If Hawks and- Owls do not disturb poultry and game, why
is it that all kinds of domesticated fowls. Pheasants, Quail,
Rabbits, etc., show signs of alarm and hurry to cover when a
Hawk or an Owl comes near them?

5. If Hawks and Owls are such great destroyers of insects and
Mice, why is it they will so readily abandon the pursuit of these
pests and get into traps ba'.ted with Chickens or small
birds? . . ,.

; ()(;7

6 Many experienced Quail and Pheasant hunters claim that
they onen And these game birds by watching for Pjaces where
Hawks are waiting, and in the majority of cases the covy of
Quat or Pheasants wlU be discovered in the vU^inity where
rwks are. Hawks will follow day after ^^^ -/-^^^^^^^^^^
and often, especially in severe snowy weather. kUl all the

"f Hawks, particularly the smaUer species, kill large numbers
of smaU song birds, which are va^able as Insect destroyers

8. All laws are liable to abuse and violation, and this one is
no exception to the general rule. ' ^ _

9 The effect of a c6ntinuance of the law as It now is will be
to increase the production of poultry and decrease Itg price.
WHERE SKUNKS WERE PAID FOR.

The records on succeeding pages indicate that in the
county of Clinton, bounties were paid in the year 1885,
imi and 1887 for 294 Skunks, and during the same
years premiums were allowed in Centre county for 3,370
Skunks. FKrm this it seems evident that both of these
counties had local laws in force which enabled the
count V commissioners to pay for these animals. The
rautlier. which is included among other animals paid
for in 1886 by Centre county, was, no doubt, another
species which was covered by a local scalp act or some
.'enei-al law which was repealed in 1889.

A FEIW WOLVES.

The Lackawanna county records show that four
Wolves we.v paid for in 1896. Dr. Isaiah F Everhart
and Mr Geo. P. Friant, two well informed naturalists,
of Scranton, Lackawanna county, have for many years
coihHjtpd specimens in this section and they are in-
clined to b(>licve there is some mistake about these ani-
mals, as neither of these gentlemen have heard of a
.rcnnine wild Wolf in that locality within the last
hventv years. Tioga c^.unty paid for th. e*. Wolves, but
as shown elsewhere in this work they had been brought
from the far west and liberated in Tioga and killed.

i

Is. 1 ,

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. CRAWFORDS ENORMOUS OUTLAY.

The county of Crawford leads all other counties in
the State in the amount of money expended under the
act of 1885. This county paid, it is said, between $10,-
000 and $12,000 in bounties and fees to local officials.
The incomplete records from Crawford show that
nearly 11,000 Hawks and Owls and over 10,500 Minks
and Weasels were paid for in about two years. The
members of the Senate and Housq of Representatives
from Crawford liave always, in recent years, vigorously
opposed all bounty measures which have been under
consideration in our General Assembly and one of the
chief arguments they used was that such legislation,
with the lack of popular knowledge of wild birds and
mammals, enabled designing persons to practice fraud
in numerous ways; Red Squirrels and Chipmunks were
killed for Weasels, Butcher-birds and other feathered
animals were called Hawks and Owls, and their heads
were often of as much value to scalp hunters as the
genuine heads.

PIKE AND LYCOMING COUNTIES.

Tike CH>unty is one of the best localities in Pennsyl-
vania for game of different kinds, but unfortunately
this county is infested with a number of market hun-
ters who are skilled in snaring and trapping game.
These poachers, together with Foxes, Wildcats, Minks,
Weasels and Hawks of the genus Accipitcr^with the
Great Honied Owl, have almost entirely extenninated
Ruffed Grouse during recent years in some parts of
Pike and neigliboring counties. From b(^st information
which can be obtained no efforts were made to practice
fraud in Pike county wheie under bounty laws since
1885, 1,1 1(» Fcixes (both species), 132 Wildcats and 297
Minks have been killed for premiums.

669

The members of the State Board of Game Commis-
sioners have given especial attention to the professional
snarers and market hunters in the Pike county district
and reports received show that this illegal work has
decreased during the past year. '

In the county of Lycoming, through the energetic ef-
forts of Game Commissioner Mr. E. B. Westfall, mar-
ket hunting and the illegal sale of game has been prac-
ticallv stopped. This is fortunate, and if the game-de^
vouring Foxes were thinned out Ruffed Grouse would
be much more plentiful and farmers would lose much
less poultrv. Lvcoming county has a large amount of
territory especially suited to Ruffed Grouse and if it was
not for Foxes, which Mr. Chas. H. Eldon, Taxidermist,
of William sport, says are increasing rapidly, these
birds, as well as other kinds of game and small wild
birds, would be much more abundant.

J.u-it.

ADAMS COUNTY.

r

i
1

•
CO

O

•

X
O

Minks.

1
Wildcats.

Weasels.

1885, ..

1886, ..

1887, ..

1889, ..

1890, ..

828
2.976
1,510

1
422
695

186
123
134

70
264
261
801
315
844

57

14

81

' 78

112

199

138

55

89

78

10

• • ,

8
4
2
7
6
2
4
4
3
1
25

10
319
194

1891, ..

1892, ..

1893, ..
1894

1895. ..

1896. . .

Total.

5,314

1118

2 057

854

66

523

111

I

During the first twelve months of act of 1885 Adams county
paid $:i,S00 In bounties. •-' ''••-"•

670

ALLDGHENY COUNTY.

This county paid but little bounty under the act of
1885. During sixteen months Allegheny county paid
out only f 53.00 in bounties.

'. . : ARMSTRONG COUNTY. ' • ' • -

Have not been able to get from this county records
but there is little doubt that a considerable amount
was spent for premiums. During the first thirteen
months of the act of 1885 Armistrong county expended
in bounties no less than |1, 255.30 for heads of Hawks,
Owls, Foxes, Minks and Weasels.

BEAVER COUNTY.

Commissioners' Office
Beaver, Pa., May 28, 1897.
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 27th inst. is just at
hand and in reply I would say: prior to the year 1889
I cannot give the information you ask for in detail, but
I give snch facts as our records show as follows:

1886, total amount paid for premium $15 75

1886, total amount paid for premium 234 25

1887, total amount paid for premium, 228 25

1888, total amount paid for premium, 50

1889, five minks and eleven foxes 12 25

1890, 40 minks and 183 foxes, 193 00

1891, 23 minks and 249 foxes, 254 75

1892, 46 minks and 262 foxes 273 50

1893, 80 minks and 133 foxes ._ 153 00

1894, 53 minks and 178 foxes 191 25

1896, 59 minks and 159 foxes 173 75

1896, 33 minks and 79 foxes, 87 2r>

Total sum paid, $1,817 50

FRANK A. JUDD,

Com missi oners' Clerk.

671

BERKS COUNTY.

Year.

1885,

1886,

1887.

1889.

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

' 4
• ■ ■

en

fa

Wildcats.

Wolves.

Weasels.

en

ClJ

0 •

48
50
35

76

4
10
3
1
5
2
4
1

" J

2
108
100

• • • •

vr

999
479

42

.....

68
86
95
102
72
56

612

22
1 40
41
80
51
58

• • • •

1.478

i' ' *
30

1

210

otal,

' 485

94

NO bounties were paid in Berks county according to records^
in 1888 or 1896. Eleven "Catamounts' paid for in 1885. 1886 and
1887 are Included in column under Wildcats. ;,. .-

* • ' BLAIR COUNTY.

Year.

CO

o

fa

en

X

en

4;
en

a*

V

en

d ■

o

^

*'

•

oo

X

•

^

09

a

?

W

o

1885

1886

1887

1888.

1889

1890

1891

'1892

1893,

1894, ....
1895

Total.

23
460
185

.]

293
307
250
169
216
96

4
74

28

7!

155
36
1

1

20
390

3

72
15

4
»5
37
41
36
41
41

341

198

""2
1

1

* i

• • • •

481

•017

90

• S

C72

c -'.

BRADPX)RD COUNTY.

«

•

CQ

n

Year.

o

o

0(9

•
93

U9

ft

•

^

1^

^

;S

ffi

o

1886,
1887.
1890,

1891;

1892,

Total 1,271

302
209
235
234
291

10

10

6

9

10

45

641

343

1

985

345
212
315
462
696

BUCKS COUNTY.

♦ M

No premiums paid.

841
144

2,029 i 925

232
117

349

■

r

•

J3

^

Year.

•

o

•

X

G

0)
CO

<x>

s

a

i iS

Iz.

P.

X

O

1886

19

69

111

654

68

1887

21

47

71

276

43

1888,*

1889

3

6

1890

16

9

1 1 . . •

1891

38

17

1892

47

52

1893

107

88

1 . . .

1894

117

69

1896

37

14

i , . , .

1896

60

73

|. . . .

Total

455

4r?4

IfiO

930

1A1

M.Oi,

1

VI

^ 673

. BUTLER COUNTY.

Year.

.- ^ . i

f « c

• *-^ -J*- '.r» • .- '

OQ

1891,

^ ^.A

• • • •

64
49
59
88
39
30

338

400

1892, •

1893, .

1894, .
1895,
1K96

219

• • • •

I 205

• • • •

180

120

. A„ 1

329

1,462

Tuia.1

•

The bounty records of previous years could not be found in
county commissioners- office. Butler paid from about Novem-
ber 1. 18»5, to November 1. 1886, $833.75 tor Hawks, Owls and
other animals.

CAMBRIA COUNTY.

ii

O

G

cn

cd

0)

VI

(d

o

1885, . . •

1886, . . <

1887, ..

1888, ..

1889, ..

1890, ..

1891, ..

1892, ..

1893, ..

1895, ..
Total,

286

793

373

9

32
490
541
438
124

11

207

136

2

20

188

132

120

28

9

180

84

2

3,086

843

31

47

11
3
6
4
4

11

12
6
2

12

62

44

2

3
98
81

3

275

T

136

■ • • • ■

120

185

In 1893 the county commissloneis declined to ray any boun-
ties on Foxes and Minks, claiming the act of 1889 to be un-
constitutional. A "case stated" was submitted to the court

43 II

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G74

for an opinion, and March 26, 1895, opinion of the court was
filed sustaining the county commissioners. No appeal having
been taken to a higher court this county has not paid any
bounties under act of 1889, except for Wildcats; no Wolves hav-
ing been killed in the county from 1885. to 1896, inclusive.

CAMERON COUNTY.

,

.

-■:•,

•

■♦->

■

•

a

Year.

?i

o

W3

•

4)

TJ

^

*

H

•^

c

^

^

s

1894

63
65
55

24

25

9

ffc/\

]895,

20

1896

30

3

Total

183

58

F n

53

The total amount of money paid in Cameron county for
Foxes, Minks and Wildcats from 1890 to 1896, inclusive, is given
as follows:

^^^ $129 82

^^^^ 160 50

^^^^ 173 15

^^^^ 17145

^^^^ 131 00

^^^^ 139 45

^^^«' __8450

Total sum paid "^989 87

These amounts include fees of Justice of peace.
After the act of 1885 was passed Cameron county paid to
November 1, 1886, at least $130 in premiums, and from Novem-
ber 1, 1886, to 1890, it is said, a considera^ble additional amount
was paid, but these certificates could not be found by commis-
sioners' clerk, Mr. Franklin Housler, who sent me the records
giv^n above.

Year.

.*>•

Year.

1885,

1886.

1887,*

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1896,

1896,

Total,

675

CENTRE COUNTY.

•

,

CO

Hi

*■>

•

CO

a;

en

(A

O

^

p:

CO

CO

in

o

u

1885

1886

1887

1888,

1889

I oHU, ••

1891

1892,

1893

1894

1895,

Total, ..

1.246

1,355

770

16

381

90

• • • • • •

56

42

2

• • • • •

872 265 252

3,370 1 487

100

• • • •

CHESTER COUNTY.

^•v

09

X
(A

X

CO

i
o

CO

X
o

CO

G

n

4)

m

0)

30
908
445

108
79

1

111

16

5

4

1

7

29

19

27

6
231
434

6

7
6

15
5

14

5

334
212

1,383 187 220 723

551

.» <

•January 1 to March 18 only, were bounties paid in 1887.
No bounties were paid in Chester county in 1888 and 1889.
above records include a small number of Nighthawks.

The

nil

I

676

CLARION COUNTY.

■

OQ

'

•M

- » ■ . . .• 4 X »

: .*

'."/ '.ft :

CO

Year.

2

» . ■ ; ;

-'•

o

OQ

3

I— <
0)
CO

CO

1885,

1886,

1887,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,*

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

1896,

Total,

1
6
2
5
5
4
9
3
4
4

43

21
286
146

57
269

11
143

62
1
7

54

4
299
106

1

7

440

38

778

278

410 I 485

en

i
O

3

K2
11

7G

♦Ceased paying all bounties except on Wildcats.
During the first twelve months of the act of 1885 Clarion
county paid $944 in bounties.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

Year.

Foxes.

Wildcats.

Minks.

1890,
1891,
1892,
1893,
1894,
1895,
1896,

Total,

17
143

817
404
466
298

2,141

37
83
74
98
96
42

430

5

31
118
89
98
87

428

Wildcats or Catamounts, as many call them, are very plenti-
ful in Clearfield county, and many complaints have come to
this Department about the great damage they d^ poultry,
game, etc.

^n*

677

AMOUNT a^ MONEY EXPENDED BY CLEARFIELD

^. , .BOUNTY. _

in consequence of the fact that the bounty certificates for the
vears 1885 to 1890, inclusive, were destroyed, it was Impossible to
s c^re the number of each Kind of animal for which premiums
weTgiven by Clearfield county, except for the years 1891 to 1895
•«oin«ive The total money expended is given below:

Tim 134405; 1886, $1,716.45; 1887, $874.86; 1888. $35.00; 1889,
$182.00 1890 $848.30; 1891. $1,090.36; 1892. $1,112.25; 1893. $730.25;
18<W $974 50; 1895, $748.75. Total, $8,656.75.

in consequence of a court decision declaring that certain
narts of the present bounty law were unconstitutional, no boun-
ces were paid in Clearfield county after January 15. 1896. except
on Wildcats for which $92.50 were expended from January 6 to
March 31, inclusive.

.'•'■■i

• ' CLINTON COUNTY.

1885,

1886,

1887,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893

1894,

1895.

1896,

Total, 1,586

• "

cc

(fj

■—>

•

m

CR

tfj

<n

X

X

•

.W4

3

•5

js

is

ffi

o

7

11
27
11
16
32
60
21
34
32
30
17

120

182

92

4

134

19

"'**26
12

•>•

1

1

396

157

37

1 n

it'!

678

079

COLrUMBTA COUNTY.

i Amount of money

Year. . paid for all ani-
mals.

1885 : $87 50

1886, 771 90

1887 413 60

] 888 4 00

1889 27 00

1890 240 65

1891 ^ 301 00

J Ov^f ««««•»«••••••••••••••••••••••••••••■•••••••«••••••••■■•• mxIO %j\/

1894 176 25

1895 114 00

Total sum paid $2,596 90

No bounties were paid in Columbia county in 1896, and records
are not in shape to show different kinds of animals on which
bounties were paid.

CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Year.

f

1

1

to

1— «

en

ei

Foxes,

•

to

X

•

09

i

O

1885,

101

4,093

1,021

2

1

122

4,183

1,060

3

2

25

225

20

221

7,896

1,976

5

4

58

530

103

1

1886

1887

1888,

1889

1891

1

1

Total

5,218

5,370

271

10,102

693

No bounties were paid in Crawford county after 1891. About
$12,000 were paid in this county, it is said, under this act of
1886; and it is reliably stated that after the act of June 23. 1885,
went into effect Red Squirrels and Chipmunks were as eagerly
hunted by some scalp hunters as were Minks and Weasels.

Year.

18:s5,

1886,'

1887,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

1

•

v.

III

-^

cu

'ji

73

c

is

o

•s

a.

o

1

2

10
3
4

1
2

152

102

69

• •••••••••••**'

1

'92
159
969
373
283
168
109

2

1 *>

Art

-^f q1

! 26

' 1,876

14
125

84

7

75
110
127
71
40
43

5

176
92

20
464
124

No bounties paid in 1896.

DAUPHIN COUNTY.

Year.

a>
X
O

fo

en

1885,

1886

1887,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

90
46
63

Total,

22
115
91
102
83
85
69

2

41
43

766

6
29
42
40
48
49
60

5

80
35

360

120

696 273 608

03
ClJ

o

2
3
1
5
1
4
1

2

2

til

15
694
161

21 870

9

71
60

140

(T.

o

3

36
60

99

111

f '1

680

ti • ■!•''>, V.'- X

1

DELAWARE COUNTY.

This was probably the only county in the State where
many of the alleged noxious animals — Foxes, Minks,
Weasels, Hawks and Owls — were of frequent occur-
rence, that the citizens showed little or no disposition
to kill these animals for bounty. The county of Dela-
ware has not, I am informed, paid out in bounties dur-
ing the last ten years much above fifty dollars. Dur
ing the first sixteen months of the act of 1885, Dela-
ware county only expended $10.20. Foxes are not at
all rare in some sections of Delaware county but
through the efforts of the members of the Rose Tree*
and other clubs these sly animals are well protected.

ELK COUNTY.

■^ V

During the latter part of 1885 and about ten months
in 188() Elk county paid upwards of $500 bounties,
chiefiy on Foxes, Wildcats, Minks and Weasels. All
of these animals, likewise birds of the genus ^ccipt^er,
are quite numerous in Elk county w^here they destroy
much poultry and game, as well as many species of
small wild birds. Wildcats and Foxes are both in-
creasing in this county, and as they increase Deer,
Grouse, Rabbits and song birds are decreasing.

i:lil

•

ERIE

COUNTY

- •

Year.

- 1

A

n

X

. G

X

•

OD

o

1885,

19

HI

51

30
334
526

58
231
371

18
827
116

*>o

1886,

10K

1887

hri

xvo

Total

181

890

660

961

231

681

PAYE3TTE COUNTT. .,

No records receiyed from this county. During the

first twelve months «f the 1885 act Payette county paid

about 1650 in bounties. From about January 1, 1880,

to July 1, 1886, Fayette county paid for 278 Hawks;

80 Owls; 82 Poxes; 24 Minks, and 6 Wildcats.

■f

■u. <•'

■•v"," >^ ■.

f;OREST COUNTY.

No records received from this county. During first
fourteen m<wit!h8 of act of 1885 Forest paid |350 in
bounties. Wildcats and Poxes are common in Forest
county and they destroy annually much poultry and
game, especially Pheasants and Rabbits. This county
,)aid in about six months from January 1, 1886, for 110
Foxes; 37 Hawks and 2 Owls.

FRANKLIN COUNTY.

[

Year.

m

X

Vi

O

en

(A

o

^3

en
o

X

c

CO

%

CO

m

1885,

1886

1887,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891.

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

1896,

22

268

595

1

2
49

77

Total,

886

14

8
11

5
10

8

9
14
15
22
29
51

210
247
296

67

60
109

9

30
62

128

106

71
423

408
407
326
320
2(H

2.912

6
88
66
162
135
95
46

834

102

48»-ll

Jl

Mi

682

FULTON C?OUNTT.

Year.

•

•

CO

tfi

•*-»

•

09

w

a;

O

S

a

O

3885,
1886,
1887,
1888,
1889.
1890,
1891,
1892,
1893,
18^,
1896,
1896,

Total,

15
152
103

50
295
261
213
150
163

70

11

80
85

32

160

155

101

80

90

40

18
82
63

1,472

834

163

2

12

20

2

4

12

9

8

6

8

1

353
810
152

20
90
91

89 1.315

201

GREENE COUNTY.

•

CO

Year.

•

o

CO

cd

Hawks

to*

O

1885^

3

3
585
398

1
68
57

•

2

601
348

1

197
176

1886,

93

1887

44

Total

140

f

986

126

951

371

The records do not show that any bounties were paid in Greene
county after the year 1887. . , ..-.».

;::

t^-^ I

683

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.*

-•'<»*'.

Year.

to

0)

•M
O

CO

%

CQ

(A

CO

CQ

•

CO

X

•

^

CO

a

?•

ffi

O^

1886,
1887,
1892,
1893,
1894,
1895.
1896,

Total,

408

20

247

596

585

666

1,112

135
10

3,633

94
1

40

93

230

928

1,341

15
2

10
15
14
39
32

748
20

145

2,727 127

768

126
3

129

♦Many more animals were paid for from 1886 to 1896, but rec-
ords tn county commissioners' office do not show what they were
In 1885, $^65; in 1886, $239; in 1890, $1,294.20 and in 1891, $1,026.50
were paid In premiums.

,,-...«■

INDIANA COUNTY.

Year.

10

<<-•

od

CO

u

X

•d

G

^*

&

Amount of

Bounty

Paid.

1885,
1886,
1887,
1894,
1895,

Total,

40
185

226

45

82

127

$215 80

144 25

607 65

51 25

214 50

$1,234 45

The commissioners refused to pay any bounties during the
years 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893 and 1896. The county records
unfortunately do not show what kinds of wild animals the
$967.70 was given for In the years 1885, 1886 and 1887, or while
the act of June 23, 1885, was In active operation. In a period
of about six months from January 1. 1886. this county paid
premiums for 350 Foxes; 250 Weasels; 300 Hawks and 160 Owls.

I

i

,'

H

t H

684

JEFFERSON CJOUNTY.

Year.

£

' I '-' .

A

a

1895,
1886.
1887,
;888,
1889,
1890.
1891.
1892.
1893.
18M.
1895,
1896,

1156
950
320

130
798
270

358
233

333

164

Total,

2,016

1,695

8

13
78
26
16
40
35
13
10

5
14
12

8

270

During the years 1889, 1892 to 1896, inclusive, bounties vveru
only paid in Jefferson county on Wildcats.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

Year.

*•

o

G

•

OQ
V

tn

>
o

Wildcats.

•
CO

X

X

Owls.

1885

69
102
100

1886

63

80

*'*40
82

24
24
13
19
10
8

13
31
19
29
16

243

84

29

18

1887

1888

1889

13

102

68

95

70

130

101

108

16

67

72

148

100

137

71

84

1890

1891

1892

••••••

1893

1894

1895

1896

4

Total

958

838

122

4

206

327

47

•siasBaA?L

t

•s^uiw

•S9XO^

•s^BopiiM

•SIMO

686

8

o o o • • • •
i So ''t* t- • • • •

CO C4 o

iHO r-l

. eoOO

*o

QO

«»

•S^MBH

u

o o o

%a

<^ 00^
rH C^ ^

• Oi CO tH

C4

xa

sss

o o o

O 05 t-

'«♦» t- iH «P "^ t-
iH C^ C^ T-4 tH C<I

o "«** "5 c<j o oo
CO ^ "* CO 05 »n

iSSS i^SiegSSSS

C iO CO g

«O^iO0)C»«OOOt-

i^§5^ :S^5!S?2ggS

•J

^ . . . .

0^ . • • •

•» o o o

g ri 00 t-

S >n «D C0

g «*tH CO

04

O O CO 00
^ i-H r-l

eo M

g •^ w

o
oo

|r?TH CO
2 9» CM kO
C ¥^fO CO

?o

CO
CO
Ud

kA O U3 kO
t- kO M C<l

(0 ^ C<l Ca

N

iO
•0
00

(>■ 00 O)

o rH c<» eo

9i Oi Oi Oi

„ 00 00 ^

00 00 00 00 00 00 oo

00

CO
00
C<1

o

CO

CO

o
<0

kA
lA

oo

00

o

<9i
in

o

00

CO

o

0)

o

(O

cd

>.

g

c

o

c

.

<v

•♦-»

CO

od

0

{0

'O

n(

^

•^i^

^

■«->

cd

ed

CJ

<i>

<D

^

01

3

0

o

-«->

4:

■M

.^^

Q
S

•0

>

g

0^

0

a;

CJ

Xi

a

0

%-t

^

0

^

3

0
0

CO

b I

Hi

I

686

LAWRBN^CE COUNTY.

Year.

Money Paid.

Jf^ No payments.

1^1^ $734 00

1887 427 50

Jll^' No payments.

}^ No payments.

]l% ' ' 23495

1«^92 . 534 75

^fll 426 75

:f°J! No payments.

1895, >jo payments.

The following letter explains why more explicit data cannot
be secured from this county:

Commissioners' Office,
New Castle, Pa., Nov. 18, 1885.
Dear Sir: In reply to yours of November 7 would say we de-
stroyed all the scalp premium certificates on file in this ofllce
last summer when we refitted the vault with metallic shelving.
Am sorry we cannot furnish you the certificates, but if it
would be any use to you we can give you the amount paid for
that purpose. Respectfully yours, ?

' ■ C. W. CRAWFORD,

Clerk.
LEBANON COUNTY.

Year.

Foxes.

Minks.

•

ai

Wildcats.

Hawks.

•

Owls.

1885, '. ;.......

20
38
64

i'

25
28
48

4

"27*
20

1
2
1
1
2
1

8

272

29

1886

1887

52

1888

1889

1890 *.V*.

1891

1892

12

1893

1894,

1895

1896 !'....;'.!*.

Total

26
36

19

299

3

10
3

29

47

2

4
4
2

20

309

64

li*

! ^

687

LEHIGH COUNTY.

1885,

1886,

1887,

1888,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1895,

1896,

Total.

No bounties paid in Lehigh in 1889.

LYCOMING COUNTY.

No bounty recoils hiave been obtained from this
county, mtiny of the early ones being destroyed by a
flood. During the first year that the act of 1885 was
in active force Lycoming county paid |1,039 in boun-
ties, a large pixt of which was for beneficial Hawks
and Owls. Foxee, Wildcats and the Common Weasel
are common, especially Foxes, in certain sections of
Lycoming and they do much damage to poultry and
game. In a period of about six months from January
1, 1886, this county paid for 700 Hawks and Owls, and
250 Foxes.

McKEAN COUNTY.

From date of act (June 23, 1885), to November 1, 188(5,
this county paid |1 ,023.50 in bounties for different
kinds of animals. A considerable additional amount
has been paid in McKean in bounties since the date

I Ml

.688

above given, or uutil 189*3. After 1893 bounties were
not paid in McKean county for any animals until
1897, when Judge A. G. Olmsted ruled *^That a bounty of
f2.00 be paid on each Wildcat." Wildcats and Foxes
are numerous in this county and they do much damage
to game and small wild birds. During first six months
of 1886 McKean county paid for 17 Wildcats; 137
Foxes; 115 Minks; 120 Hawks; 81 Owls, and 22 Wea-
sels.

MERCER COUNTY.

No bounty records have been received from Mercer,
which, in the first few months of the act of 1885, was
one of the banner counties, in paying premiums, as indi-
cated by an outlay of |2,319,70. This is one of the
districts in Pennsylvania where the clover-loving and
burrowing Woodchuck gives the fanners so much trou-
ble, and at nearly every session of the Legislature the
i'( presentatives from this county make an effort to have*
a bounty placed on this troublesome animal. A letter
received from Mercer county commissioners in June,
1886, contains this information:

"Our people did not become apprised of the passage of the
act to which you refer until some time after Its approval, and
as a result we did not have any certificates presented until
after the first of December, 1885. Since that time we have paid
out $1,300, and of this, amount fully $1,000 has been for Hawks
and Owls; mostly Owls. Have not paid for more than ten or
12 Poxes."

MIFFLIN COUNTY.

No bounty recoi^ds received from this county. In t\w

first eight months that act of 1885 became generally

known, Mifflin paid 1357.60 in bounties. This 'is a num-

689

b.r one locality for Pheasants, Wild Turkeys and Rab^
bits but the prowling Foxe« and sneaking Wildcats
Vep t^em thinned out, and they also destroy much

poultry.

A- -r ''^

J ' -

*

■ »

. . ;» V i" ''■r' ,r

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

' -

-

Year. '"

Hawks. Owls.

Minks.

teasels.

Foxes.

106
140

8
28

17
1
1
9
6
5

12
5

1886

1887

1889

1892

1893

2

4
6

1894

1895

1896

Total

246

•

31

16
20

75

17

6
17

3r>

No Wildcats in this county; no bounty records found for 1888.
1S90 and 1891. " •

i NORTHAMPTON COUNTY.

No records obtained from Northampton where, dur-
ing first few months that act of 1885 was generally
kn'own, f 381 .GO were paid in bounties.

t ^

PERRY COUNTY.

This county paid from December, 1885, to November
1 1886 11,140.25 in bounties; since then a very consid-
erable sum has been expended but detailed informa-
tion concerning it T have not been able to secure^
From December, 1885, to July 6, 1886, Perry paid
premiums as follows: 465 Hawks; 62 Owls; 453 Foxes;
130 Minks and 52 Weasels.

lilt

44 TI

G90

PIKE COUNTY.

Year.

1885,
1886,
1887,
1888,
1889,
1890,
1891,
1892,
1893,
1894,
1896,

en

X

o

fa

en

X

o

OB

a
o

0)
CO

en

18
163

86

12
196

48

3

12

9

2

7

14
14
12

7

10
20
18

4
24

1
12
46

1

40

14

16
133
122
147
185
117
129

:

6

■ 29

16

64

44

54

34

)tal

1,116

256

24

132

59

292

691

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.*

POTTER COUNTY.

♦Numerous Hawks and Owls were killed in this county of
which no records are on file.

Year.

en

jtg

>

1

CQ

o

2

Foxes.

G
1^

Weasels.

1885

4
126
100

24

98
575
450

62
325
225

1886

48

50

1

15
10

1887 :

36

1 .1

1888

1889

t

25
30
36
21
26
13

7
68

3
34

1890

1

1891

1892

1893

1894

1895

1896

99

Total

229

1

264

1,198

649

26

SNYDER COUNTY.

Year.

1886,

1886,

1887,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1893,

1894,

1S96,

1896,

Total,

93

1
4
2

8

en
a>
X
O

fa

94
94

101
16

141
93

103
55
37
50
67

851

No bounties paid in Snyder in 1888.

en

c

1^

6

89

68

10

86

107

141

147

113

69

97

933

CQ

.03

90
33

en

30
520
136

123 685

CO

O

6

130

39

175

111

692

SOMERSET COUNTY.*

Commissioners' Office,
• ' ' * Somerset, Pa., June 11, 1897.

The amount of bounty paid by Somerset county each year
since 1885 for scalps is as follows: , . ,

1885 $450 05

1886 1,995 25

1887 940 05

1888 60 45

1889, 159 60

1890, 1 ,006 90

1891 809 %

1892 833 95

1893 649 10

18H 26 35

1895 13 50

1 896 18 00

Total sum paid $6,963 15

The above statement shows the amounts paid for scalps since
1885. Hoping: this will be satisfactory, - ^

Yours respectfully, - - -

J. G. EMERT.

Clerk.

SULrLrlVAN COUNTY.

ypar.

•

m

X

cd

X

CO

o

2

•

o

Minks.

1886

OOw i oo 1 A A

1887

137

31
12
26
16
13
26
22
18
24
13

:»4

74

1

26

1888

18

1889.

1890

1891

1892

81
96

loe

34

1893,

14

1894,

107 54

1895

116
128
122

77

1896

68

112

Total

365

224

921 i

403

*In about six months

paid bounties as follows: H WlTdoairM'" '' "'*' ^'""''■*''"
Weasels; 215 Minks and 270 Poxes. '

Owls; 410 Hawks; 250

693

• sUiSQUKHANNA COtTNTT.

In about ten months after act of 1885 became gen
erallT known to residents of Susquehanna county boun-
ties amounting to ?1,200 were paid. Ocmsiderable
monev has since been expended but a detailed state-
ment" concerning same .has not been obtained^ Sus-
quehanna in 1885 paid for 19 Foxes; 4 Minks; 5 Wea-
sels, and 6 Hawks and Owls, and in 1886 from January
1 to July 5, for 217 Foxes; 171 Minks; 83 Weasels; 223
Hawks, and 55 Owls.

TIOGA COUNTY.

Tioga county paid in first twelve months under act
of 1885, f 1,161) for "scalps." A large sum has been paid
since then but no detailed statement coucernmg same
has been obtained.

UNION COUNTY.

■ t

Year.

•

CO

0)

o

HI
59
85
14
75
71
70
75
66

•

tn

X

•

1

Wildcats.

Hawks.

•

03

0

■* oof

6
390
476

1

1885

1 CQ4?

47

48

6

34

69

1 57

I 93

66

52
22

2

""2*
2
3
5
6
5
5

30

171

71

i OOu,

1887

1889

1890

1891

1892

1893

1894

!

1895

Total

61

687

87
•507

1

74

875

' 243

/If

694

VENANGO COUNTY.

f^-^.

■♦./■..""k

> i'« - *

Year.

Foxes.

09

•

GO

o

2

(A

o

1886,

58

77

6

185

112

122

105

214

52

183
163

**228
119
143
114
279
174

483

226

3

2

2

416

79

57

1887

23

1888

1890 ... .

1891

1

2

1892,

1893,

1894

7

1895 . ...

Total

' ! 1
931 1,403

712

14

1

495

80

WASHING

JTON COUNTY.

•

1 • *

Y Amount paid for

^^^^' all animals.

If?? 1500 00

tooo 480 75

Iqq, 490 20

^^'''^ 187 26

Total sum paid tj ggg 20

Previous to 1890 no records have been retained in county
commissioners' office; no records of name and number of each
animal kept at any time. During" first year the act of 1885 was
in active force Washington county paid for all kinds of animals
$727.50.

WARREN COUNTY.

Dear Sir: In reply to yiMir letter of inquiry of May
28th, I will say that the amounts paid for bounty for
the years named is as follows: For 1885, f226; for 1886,
11,524.40; 1887, 1707.10^ 1888, f37.50; 1889, |64.60; 1890^
f 18.15; since which lime this county has not paid any
bounty.

; 695

The OoQimissioners took the ground in 1887 that the
law was not constitutional and have refused to pay
since, except such amounts as had been paid out by
justices to tliose claiming bounty, and simply refunded

to them.

Our accounts are such that to fully answer your m-
quiries would necessitate assarting each voucher filed,
which would require considerble time and some ex-
pense, but if required will make such a report.
. ' - Respectfully yours,

, / J. B. JAOKSON,

, ! Clerk.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

$291 50

^^^^ !!.......... 784 80

^^^^ !......!!...... 588 40

^^^"^ 17 70

1888

^^^ .!!.!!! 210 20

^^^^ 286 40

1891 ^^

18^2 ;:::::::::::;;:;:::;!!!! 29215

^^^^ ....!...... 252 90

^^^^ 234 90

^^^ . . 230 30

1 896

.J . $3,409 30
Total sum paid ♦'*•*''

, Commissioners* Office,

Greensburg, Pa., May 31, 1897.
Dear Sir: Enclosed please find statement of the amount paid
out each year for the killing of Hawks, Owls, etc. I am una-
ble to give you the number of each kind killed as the way the
records have been kept here they do not give the nunvber and
kind, but only give the total amount for each year.

^ Very truly yours.

. . , < HUGH HENDERSON.

m

I

696

WYOMING COUNTY.

O

Year

<D

O

PE4

CO

o

73

CQ

1886

1887

1889

1890

1891

1892

1893

1894

Total,

87
90
50
164
149
309
212
135

103

106

43

95

100

113

104

78

1,196 742

10

4

9

14

12

13

6

7

75

132
130

262

CO

X

X

CO

o

21
18

39

The bounty certificates for 1885 and 1887, when bounty was
paid cannot be found, and in 1895 and 1896 the commissioners
refused to pay bounty for any of the above-named animals.

OTHiER REXZJORDS.

Bounty records from some of the following named
counties were burned in the recent fire which de-
stroyed my oflBce. Those from the remainder of the
counties could not be obtained in time to go in this
chapter:

Bedford, Montour,

Carbon. Northumberland,

Juniata, Philadelphia,

Luzerne, Wavne,

Monro*'. York .

697

\ : ^^

M

; I ■ THE SCAIvP ACT OF 1897.

At the session of 1897, in consequence of the wide-
spread sentiment in favor of bounties, there was a de^
termined eifort made to i>as« a scalp bill, which would
allow premiums for Hawks, Owls, Herons, Enghsb
inarrows. Crows and Kingfishers. These efforts, of
course, were strongly opposed in committee and on
the a^r of the legislative halls, and, as a compro-
mise, the following act was passed and approved Julv
9, 1897: •■

. '^

AN ACT

For the destrutclon of Wildcats. Fox.s and f-^'^^Jl^^^^^^Z
monwealth. and providing tor the payment of bounties on he
same, officers" fees, and fixing a penalty for violation of the

section 1. Be it enacted, etc.. That for the benefit of agri-
euHure and protection of game within this Commonwealth
there is hereby established the following provisions for the de
IJr^ct on of certain noxious animals, to be paid by the respec-
«vr ounties in which the same are slain. "-^'V- ^- -;7.
Wildcat, two dollars: for every Fox, Red or Gray, one dollar,

for every Mink, fifty cents. ^ , , .„„^

Section 2. It shall be the duty of any person having k.lled
any of the animals mentioned in the first section of this act.
who is desirous of availing himself of the premiums herein
provided, to produce such slain animal before any magistrate
alderman or justice of the peace of the county in which the
same was killed, and make affidavit of the time and place of
killing the same: Provided, That the pelt If entire from the tip
of the nose of any such animal may be produced in lieu of such
animal when so preferred: and upon the reception of any such
animal or pelt. It shall be the duty of the said officer. In pre-
sence of said person killing such animal and one elector of the
county, to cut off the ears of such animal, and in the presence
of such persons burn the same.

Section 3. Upon the destruction of such ears, the said officers
shall give to the person producing such animal or pelt a certl-

1

i ■ ».

698

flcate of compliance with the provisions of this act, directed
to the commissioners of the county in which such animal was
slain, which certificate shall contain the following facts: Tire
kind of animal, and when, where and by whom killed, and the
date by whom and in the presence of what elector the ears
of such animal were destroyed; and upon the production of
such certificate the said commissioners shall give an order upon
the county treasurer for the payment of premium or premiums
provided by this act, and it shall be the further duty of the
said oflftcer taking? the afl^davit provided for in the second sec-
tion of this act, to file the same forthwith, or cause the same
to be filed, in the office of the commissioners of the county; and,
upon filing the same, the said officer shall receive from the
county treasurer the sum oi; twenty-five cents as full compen-
sation for all his services under this act.

Section 4. If any person shall wilfully and fraudulently collect
any premium or premiums provided in this act, or shall aid,
abet or assist in any official capacity or otherwise in the same,
he, she, or they shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon
conviction thereof, he, she or they shall be sentenced to pay a
fine of not exceeding five hundred dollars, and undergo an im-
prisonment in the county jail of the proper county not exceed-
ing one year, both, or either, at the discretion of the court.

Section 5. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith, be
and the same are hereby repealed.

If this act iB faithfully carried out there should be
no fraud practiced under it, and individuals who may
desire to manufacture "scalps" of mammals from
skins of wild or domesticated animals, will no doubt
hesitate about engaging in such ventures when they
know the penalty impos<^d by section four.

While it is a well-known fact that the writer is not
an advocate ot unwise scalp acts, it must be admitted
that this measure* provides premiums only for
mammals which are a great nuisance. Foxes, Wild-
cats and Minks are common and they destroy a large
amount of poultry, game, and small wild birds every
year.

699

METHODS OF CAPTURING BIRDS OF PREY.

Oftentimes certain of the birds of prey, as shown on
preceding pages of this work, become very trouble-
some, and the farmer, poulterer or stockman is often
c.bliged, in order to protect himself from senous
losses, to adopt means whereby he can rid himself of
the feathered depredators. Some of the methods em-
ployed in this and other States to destroy Hawks,
Owls and Eagles are as follows: ; ' ; . ' * .

SHOOTING.

« " :.

When the scalp act of 1885 was in force, great num-
bers of Hawks were killed by hunters who approached
the birds on horseback, in wagons or in sleighs. In
one dav a hunter shot sixteen Hawks; they were: 3.
Cooper's; 3, Sparro^v; 2, Red-shouldered; 2, Rough-
legged, and f>. Red-tailed. If Hawks are shot at and
missed two or three times when thus approached,
they become very shy and will seldom allow a wagon
or "sleigh to get near them. At first, however, these
birds can easily be approached by vehicles drawn by
a quiet horse, so that the gunner can get within 20
or 30 yards before they fly; and often you can drive or
ride directly under them when perched on trees. It
is much easier to shoot from a sleigh than a wheeled
vehicle. When you use the latter it is best to jump
out on the ground before shooting and take the bird
on the wing. • It is better to go on horseback after
Hawks and Eagles than in a sleigh or wagon.
Never attempt to shoot when sitting on the horse un-
less vou know the animal will not be frightened at

ft'

f.-

^1

i 1

H

>

700

the report of the gun; and if you make it a rule to
slip off the horse before you shoot it will be more sat-
isfactory in many ways.

THE GRASS SUIT.

Hawks, Eagles and other wary birds can frequently
be approached quite easily by the hunter attired in
grass suits such as are shown in the accompanying
illustrations. The writer has employed this disguise
with good success in cai)turing birds of prey, Herons,
Shore birds and Ducks. In approaching birds in this
dress especial care must be used to prevent your gun
from being seen, and if the barrels are bright it is best
to paint or cover them with some colored material
similar in hue to the suit which is of a dead-grass
color. When the game you are slowly and cautiously
approaching looks towai*d you, you should remain mo-
tionless until it— if it be a Hawk or Eagle — turns its
head in another direction, then move a little nearer
or crouch down as shown in illustration "Waiting for
a Shot." Usually, by a little careful maneuvering and
circling around, the Hawk or Eagle can be approached
sufficiently close to enable you to get a good shot.
Two men, one attired in a grass suit and the other in
ordinary dress, can have better success than a single
person in a grass suit in quest of Hawks or Eagles.
The man in plain clothes can attract the birds' atten-
tion, yet keep several hundred yards, if need be, from
it, and his companion in disguise can approach it
much more easily.

A good rifle shot can readily destroy Hawks, etc.,
by using any of the above-described methods. The
late Truman Yarr.all of Willistown, Chester county,
Pa., was an expert rifle shot; he approached his vie-

Hi

GRASS SUIT.

<!i

700

the H'lnut of (lie 141111; and if you make it a rule io
slip olt' tlu* horse before you shoot it will be more sat-
isfactory in many ways.

THE GRASS SUIT.

Hawks, Eagles and other wary birds can frequently
be approached quite easily by the hunter attired in
grass suits such as are shown in the aceO'mpanying
illustrations. The writer has employed this disguise
with good success in capturing birds of prey, Herons,
Shore birds and Ducks. In approaching birds in this
dress especial care must be used to prevent your gun
from being seen, and if the barrels are bright it is best
to j)aint or coyer them with some oo«lored material
similar in hue to the suit which is of a dead-grass
color. When the game you are slowly and cautiously
approaching looks toward you, you should remain mo-
tionless until it — if it be a Hawk or Eagle — turns its
head in another direction, then move a little nearer
or crouch down as shown in illustration "Waiting for
a Shot.'' Usually, by a little careful maneuyering and
circling around, the Hawk or Eagle can be approached
sufficiently close to enable you to get a good shot.
Two men, one attired in a grass suit and the other in
ordinary dress, can haye Ix^tter success than a single
person in a grass suit in quest of Havyks or Eagles.
The man in plain clothes can attract the birds' atten-
tion, yet keep seyeral hundred yards, if need be, from
it, and his companion in disguise can approach it
much more easily.

A good rifle shot can readily destroy Hawks, etc.,
by using any of the aboye-described methods. The
late Truman Yarrall, of Willistown, Chester county
Pa., was an expert rifle shot; he approached his yic-

i {

' ;• L

'i

1 HI

i

i

{\

: 11

J.

1 I

lil

'I

(i

I.!

GRASS vSriT.

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

f\

in

t

' i I

I

II'

ill

I 1''

>i:

I ■

WAITING l'(tR A SHOT.

fl:

i"

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

701

tims on horseback, and would shoot them at from 60
to 150 yards distance. This gentleman believed that
birds of pi'ey, with a very few exceptions, were the
worst fotjs that poultry and game had to contend
against, and all large-sized Hawks and Owls fell be-
fore his unerring aim, which caused the death, during
the last twer.ty years of his life, of between 1,500 and
1,600 Hawks, besides a large number of Owls and a
few Eagles. Friend Yarnall, when seventy-four years
of age, killed, in one winter, 72 out of 74 Hawks that
he shot at with his muzzle-loading rifle that carried
about 100 bullets to the pound. One hundred and
seventy-six Hawks w^as the greatest number he ever
killed in any one year. Rifle-shooting, however, in a
populous farming community, is dangerous and, if
practiced, too great care cannot be taken. Indeed, it
is the safest plan to not do it.

WHEN SNOW COVERS THE GROUND.

When the ground is covered with snow the grass
suit, of cours€-, cannot be uped as a disguise, and if a
horse and sleigh is not obtainable, a dress of pure
white material— muslin or any other light weight
goods, consisting of pants, loose blouse, hat and white
jrioves— is a disguise that will enable the hunter, with
reasonable caution, to approach on foot birds of prey
in the same manner as when attired in the grass suit.
The gun barrels should be covered with white mater-
ial, paint, chalk or muslin case.

SHOOTING HAWKS FROM BLINDS.

The author is indebted to Dr. Isaiah F. Everhart, the
well-known traveler and naturalist, of Scranton, Pa.,
for an account of a unique method of killing birds of
prey when migrating, which is adopted by farmers

I

702

and other country people in I^ackawanna county,
where, it is said, several hundred Hawks are slain
every year in the autumn. I have been informed that
as many as 100 dead Hawks have been seen about
this blind at one time. ' -

Scranton, Pa.. June 7, 1897.
"B. H. Warren, M. D.,

"Harrisburg, Pa.

"My Dear Doctor: In reply to your letter requesting infor-
mation respecting the fall migration of Hawks, I am sorry to
say that I am not as well informed on the subject as the matter
requires. About eight miles north from Scranton, Pa., over a
depression of mountain ranges running northeast and south-
west, during the fall months, especially October and November,
the Hawks have a favorite crossing place going in their migra-
tions. For the past several years the county people have been
in the habit of shooting them from blinds on the crest of the
Mount of Brush. The mode is as follows: The birds can be
seen coming a long distance across the valley or along the
mountain side; when within a half mile or so a dead chicken or
Hawk Is thrown high into the air; If seen by the Hawk It will
come straight as an arrow for the supposed prey and can be
easily shot.

"The migrations are greatest during the latter part of Oc-
tober and the first part of November, when the wind blows
strong from the north or northwest; the number of Hawks
shot in one day has been from twenty to thirty, while a hun-
dred or so may be seen that are not attracted to the blinds.

"The principal species are the Red-tail and the Goshawk and
Cooper's Hawk, the latter predominating. Occasionally a Gol-
den Eagle falls a victim to the deception; last fall two were
killed, while a number were seen to pass. The Bald-headed
Eagle cannot be allured, but passes in contempt all efforts to
deceive his majesty.

"In the spring migrations north they do not follow this exact
course, but are seen high In the air, generally over the crest of
the mountain, circling high on their journey.

"I. F. EVERHART."

SHOOTING HAWKS AT ROOSTS.

Another method of shootinj? Hawks from blinds
was, some years aji:o. very successfully followed by a

703

Philadelphia taxidermist of my acquaintance who
killed, in one winter, about a hundred of these birds,
chiefly Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and Rough-legged
species, which frequented the meadows in the daytime
and at night r(K>sted in neighboring woods. His plan
was to go to the woods and, by seeing the droppings
under the trees, he could locate places where the
birds slept. After having marked these places the
man would hide in blinds made of boughs and fallen
limbs, brush, etc., and when the birds returned in the
evening tiiey w^ere shot. On bright moonlight nights,
he informed me, he cften killed Hawks by walking
from one tree to another which he had previously
marked. The stomachs of thirty-five of these Hawks,
he thus destroyed in one month, were examined, and,
with two exceptions, to-wit: a Red-tail that had re-
mains of a chicken and two CJooper's Hawks which
liad simill birds, all of these birds of prey had in their
viscera only small rodents. Meadow Mice chiefly, and
insects, principally grasshoppers, and a few frogs.
Do you think gigricultural or game interests were bene-
fitted by the slaughter of these beneficial birds?

TRAPPING BIRDS OF PREY.

Eagles, HaT^ks and Owls, as well as numerous other
kinds of birds, can be trapped. The following are
some of the most usual means adopted to capture the
raptorial birds.

Birds of prey as well as some predatory mammals
will often kill poultry or game and devour a portion of
it, and then go off and return again to feed upon the
remainder. A steel trap, fastened by a chain to a
large stone, spring pole, or fence rail, and placed on
or at one side of the slain animal will generally re-

I

!■

i ,'

1^^

I'i

704

suit in the capture of the destroyer, particularly if it
be a raptorial bird.

Hawks and some other birds of prey can be easily
caught by setting a steel trap on the top of a tree
stump or pole and placing a bait under the trap. A
Mouse, small bird, or chicken can be used. Some-
times a live chicken or pigeon tied near the pole or
stump on which the trap rests is used to lure the
Hawk or Owl, which often will fly to the elevated
perch before swooping down upon it. The detrimen-
tal species of Hawks are not as apt to be caught by
steel traps with live bait as are the beneficial species;
especially the Red-tail species. Steel traps set in
grass fields or meadows slightly covered with grass
and weeds, and baited with dead mice or English
Sparrows tied to the pan, often serve as attractive
baits to catch Hawks and Owls.

The Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Gos-
hawk, are the three species in this State which are a
scourge to the poultry yard. They all, as well as the
Duck Hawk, it is said, can be destroyed, by the "plank
and wire" Hawk trap, a Yankee invention that is
easily constructed. It consists of a piece of plank
two and a half to three feet square, set with stiff and
sharp-pointed perpendicular wires each about eighteen
inches to two feet long. This is placed on the ground
in a conspicuous place and the plank is covered with
grass and dirt, or, in winter, with snow (if ground is
covered with snow) and a live chicken or pigeon is se
cured to the centre. The Hawk seeing this pounces
down to be impaled on the sharp-pointed upwright
wires. Th«» Great Honied Owl. Barred Owl, Snowy
Owl, and Eagles have, it is said, been successfully cap
tured by this contrivance.

705

■j'^

-J" .^r. "^

METHODS OF CAPTURING MAMMALS. .,

This pai>er contains brief descriptions of certain
methods which may be employed by farmers and poul-
try raisers to capture different species of mammals
which prey upon the inhabitants of their poultry

yards.

It it not the intention of the writer to give in this
work an exhaustive account of the great number of
artful devices, etc., which skillful trappers and poach-
ers employ to catch wild animals. Those who desire
such information can get it by consulting books which
are devoted entirely to the art of trapping.

While it is true that many kinds of good traps can
be made by hand, the best kind of a trap for general
use is a good steel trap. Experienced hunters and
trappers claim that none are superior to the celebrated
"Newhouse Steel Traps," manufactured by the Oneida
Community, Kenwood, New York. These traps are
graded by numbers. No. 1 has a spead of jaws of four
inches; it is designed especially for Muskrats, Mink
and other animals of similar size. Size No. 2 is a little
larger; the spread of jaws is five inches. This will
hold a Fox, Raccoon or Opossum. It will also hold a
Wildcat, but for this powerful animal a No. 3, which
has a spread of jaws of five and a half inches and pow-
erful double springs, is better. ' "

Many persons seem to think the pan of the steel
trap should be baited. The pan, except in exceptional
cases, should never be baited. The pan is intended
for the foot of the animal, and the bait should be

45-n

ii

'

ii '

706

placed so that the animal will not notice the trap,
but in eudeavorin" to reach the bait will step on the

pan.

t • . » .

TO TRAP A WILD CAT.

f »

i >

Wildcats may be caught in a steel trap placed at the
entrance of a pen made of stakes, arranged in a
V-shaped manner at the base of a fallen log or by an
old stump, in slashings where these animals live. The
pen is usually covered over the top with some brush.
The bait, a head of a chicken, Pheasant, Rabbit, or
even a piece of fresh beef, is hung inside of the pen,
and the trap, attached to a strong chain, to one end
of which is fastened a small, strong log or pole, weigh-
ing, say, six to eight pounds, which, when dragged
along, will not stop the animal by its weight, but
which will seriously retard its progress. Sometimes
a strong spring pole is used. This, when the animal
gets into the trap, draws both the trap and its captive
up into the air and out of reach of the ground. Wild-
cats are also sometimes caught in wire snares and
dead-falls. This animal may be caught with a steel
trap hidden under snow, leaves or moss, and a bird or
other bait suspended from a twig above the trap as
shown in the illustration "How to Pool a Fox." Some
say it is bt»st to place a thin piece of paper over the
open jaws of the trap so as to keep dirt, moss or snow
from preventing the trap working easily.

TO CATCH A MINK.

y

X

Minks follow the w^ater and they hunt around every
nook and comer for food. The steel trap is placed
near the edge of the water, about an inch under the
water's surface, directly in front of a rock or high

707

bank, where Minks are known to frequent. The bait—
a fish, frog, bird or head of a chicken— is hung about
eighteen inches above the trap. The bait should al-
wavs be so placed that it cannot be reached from the
bank or rock without the animal steps into the trap

to reach it.

The trap may also be placed on the land and cov-
ered with leaves, snow, mos^s, etc., but be careful that
the covering will not stop the jaws from closing prop
erly, and hang the bait, which can be scented with
fisli oil or a mixture of equal parts of peppermint,
sweet oil and honey. Traps can also be set in shallow
water, and a tT. ig can be stuck in the water near the
trap from which the scented bait can be suspended.
A trap can be set at the foot of a tree, covered, and
the prepared bait hung above it. The carcass of a
Muskrat, a favorite article of food, by the way, of the
Mink, a dead chicken, fish or chunk of fresh beef can
be fastened to a string and dragged along the ground
to your trap. When a Mink strikes the trail thus left
he will usually follow it until caught. This is a plan
often pursued by professional trappers who run a line
of traps along water courses.

'• HOW TO TRAP AND KILL. WEASEiLS.*

For winter trapping, the most successful is the Newhouse
double-spring Fox trap. Make two holes In leaf of trap, get
any kind of a small bird (English Sparrow is best), tie string
around body of bird, under feathers of back and wings, and
tie fast under leaf of trap; set trap under rocks, in a bed of
dry ground, where snow or rain cannot reach it, and cover all
but leaf and bird with gravel. The Weasel will take hold of

[

1 1

*The instructions concerning best methods of destroying Wea-
sels given here are those employed by Mr. Hugh Malloy, of
Freeland. Luzerne county, Pa., who is undoubtedly the most
successful hunter of these animals In the State. I have quoted
Mr. Malloy'a methods substantially as he sent them to me.—
B. H. Warren.

708

bird and pull and press at It and the trap will catch him by
the head every time. A Mouse or fresh beef-steak will also do
for bait. When you find a dead Rabbit which a Weasel has
killed and drag-ged to the nearest tree that is hollow at the
butt, cut a stick two feet lon«r, tie hind legs of Rabbit to one
end of stick, stand end of stick, with Rabbit on, up in the
opening: of the tree, put other end on the ground inside of the
tree; set steel trap under head of Rabbit; Weasel will follow
trail of Rabbit on ground, and in trying to pull the Rabbit off
the stick will get in the trap. Set trap lightly.

*

HOW TO POISON WEASELS WITHOUT DANGER TO

OTHER ANIMALS.

When you are hunting Rabbits and shoot one, cut the head
off at once while the blood is warm; put strychnine in head,
place it in a Rabbit or Groundhog- hole, or under a rock, put
stone in mouth of hole, leaving space large enough for the
Weasel to enter, and it Is sure death for either Weasel, Mink
or Skunk. / • -

I found several dead Rabbits one day while hunting Foxes.
I always .carry a small bottle of strychnine, while hunting. 1
put some In the wound in each Rabbit's neck and fastened it
in the hole. In the spring I found, around the mouth of the
hole, five Weasels, four brown and one white, dead. You can
also take English Sparrows, cut them on breast, put strychnine
in the opening and place Sparrow in the hole; you will have
game very plentiful on the grounds the next season.

You can also use the wire trap In winter by putting live
Sparrows In It and feeding them with bird seeds, oats and
wheat; all other kinds of live bait will die with cold except
the Sparrow.

HOW TO CATCH WEASELS IN SUMMER.

Take wire trap; It must be well-bound with extra wires or
Weasel will bite the wires together and get out. Put oats,
corn, peanuts, fresh meat and half of apple or piece of tur-
nip, as food and drink, for Mouse, Chipmunk or Squirrel; set
trap on the mountain, between rocks, or large live bait will go
in after the food. The Weasel will see the Chipmunk, Squir-
rel or Mouse In trap, and will go In and kill the bait and can-
not get out. • • ; . •

When the Weasel Is caught, put trap In water, until It Is
covered over and Weasel will drown. Set trap for other Wea-

709

,el. You must feed your live bait about '^^'^''^Z^' ^J^'f, ,
T we sparrows will do all right at any time of the year. If
there are no Mice or Chipmunks when you set your trap, you
must catch them with a wire trap at home or some o her place
Tnd put them in the trap. Always keep good, lively ba t in
nnr trap and you will be sure to catch Weasels. Do not be-
me d^'corrlged if you have a trap set for -verai weeKB
Without getting a Weasel; keep feeding ^-J ^^f ^^^^^^^^^
are any Weasels within three or four miles of the plax^e, you
win be sure to get them. Remember, If you are a hunter, that
kl^ng one weasel on your hunting grounds will save hun-
dreds of game.

GREAT INCREASE OF GAME.
Until 1893 I only knew how to catch Weasels in winter with
dead bait: when weather got warm I could not trap any In
ms I b gan experimenting with wire trap; I found that they
ZJa go into the trap and kill the bait, but that tije trap cou d
"ot hofd them; but that difficulty I overcame. When I could
only catch them in winter, they were always plentiful the
next fall; but now I catch all I can in winter and summer, be-
fore they have their young and after they have their young,
and the result is. farmers are successfully raising poultry
again and game has increased 900 per cent.

In 1896 there were over 10,000 Rabbits shot within three-
fourths of a mile of Freeland, a town of 7,500 population.

TO TRAP THE SKUNK AND RACCOON.

The Skunk is caught in numerous devices, and, as it
is not at all wary, little trouble is experienced in
trapping it. Steel traps, box traps and dead-falls, are
the usual methods employed in this region for their de-
struction. A steel trap can be placed at the entrance
of their burrows, covered over lightly with earth,
leaves, etc., and piece of moat, eggs, or mice placed

around it.

Raccoons may be caught by placing a steel trap,
chained to a log, on the edge of a stream or pond
which th«'se animals are known to frequent; the trap
should be set an inch or two below the water's sur-

tl-

f ■

710

V,.

face. The bait: a fish, frog, head of a Pheasant, Tur-
key or ChiekeD, scented with oil of anise, and hung
about two feet and a half above the trap. The 'Coon
can also be caught in the V-shaped pen trap, with bait
scented with oil of anise, and placed far back in the
pen and the trap covered over at entrance.

SOME METHODS OF DESTROYING RATS.

Kats are found in all sections of the State, and the
damage they do in the poultry yard, besides commit-
ting great injuries in other ways, is frequently far
greater than that done by all other preying animals.

Rats are particularly cautious, which, in conjunc-
tion with theif remarkable cunning, oftentimes make
it a difficult and, at times, almost an impossible task
to catch or destroy them. . . . =. ....i.

Common house cats, like Weasels, that often live
about barns and other out-buildings, frequently do
great service in ridding the places of both Rats and
Mice, but sometimes both the cat and Weasel will kill
chickens. The Weasel, when it begins to destroy
poultry, spares neither old or young and in a short
time will slay a great number. Some faimers sav
they like to have Weasels live about their bams and
haystacks, but when these animals frequent such
places the poultry is always in more or less danger of
being attacked.

SHOOTING. ..

The writer has for several years past been able,
with the aid of a shot gun, to drive Rats away from his
premises, where, at irregular intervals, thev came
from neiphbfHinj,' buildings. About eight rears ago
the stable at mv home was literally overrun with

711

U,ts Poison, two good cats, and steel traps failed •■
,' make any perceptible impression on them. J^i-
n I took a shot gun and whenever a Kat was seen
o uoke its head out of a hole or from under a chicken
;,.^or rt.n across the lawn a load of tine shot was
sent after it. In the couree of a week about a dozen
were killed. This made them very shy and they were
,,.,.lv seen about in the daytime, but they reinained
,',,,„"t the buildings and continued to do much m.s^
,,,ef in the night time. I went away from home and
was absent two weeks. During tins time the Rats
Uad not bt^n shot at and they were of: n seen about
the place in daytime. I determined to adopt a new
,„ode of warfare, as it had been suggested to me that
if a Rat was crippled with shot it would be far bet-
,,; than killing it outright. I stationed myself at a
point whei-e the animals usually came out, and, m
Iwo davs, shot six wilh a .22 auxiliary barrel, the cart-
ridges for which were loaded with about 70 pellets of
,uu8tard-seed shot. Two of the animals were very
near when shot at and both were unable to get away
from the holes, but the others were only crippled and
made their escape. Two days after the occurrence
the Rats left the place. Since that time the same
plan has been jrdopted when the Rats made their a,.-
pearance and as so<.n as two or three wounded ..i.es
rot awav the rest speedily left the premises.

«'

STRYCHNINE AND ARSENIC.

These dangerous and deadly poisons are often em-
ployed with good success to kill Rals. The use of
these agents, however, is attended with much dan-
ger, and often the animals which eat the poisoned food
hide under floors, in walls and other places where they

' . '• •rf

712

decompose and occasion great stench. Strychnine, ji
vegetable poison and very bitter in taste, kills
(inickly. It is generally used by cutting gashes in
pieces of meat and inserting the poison in the incisions
whicli are closed togelher and the meat is then nailed
to a board or plank and placed in runways or other
l)laces where Rats go, and where other animals can
not get at it. _ _ ,, .,

Arsenic, a mineral poison, is sweet to the taste; it
is often used in conjunction with plaster of paris and
mixed with butter which is spread on bread, or it can
be mixed with dry cornmeal for tlie Rats. Strych-
njjie is far more deadly and certain in its action and
il destroys its victims quickly. Arsenic, on the other
hand, while it causes death, kills more slowly and
causes great irritation and inflammation of the stom
ach, etc. This action of the latter agent has induced
many persons to recommend its use in preference to
strychnine, as it is claimed the Rats will leave the
bnildings and go to water to allay their sufferings. \
do not recommend the use of either of these poisons
for the destruction of Rats or Mice, as the use of such
means is attended with great danger and other objec-
tions. However, if you do use them it is well to bait
the animals for several days with meat or meal so
they will become accustomed to it before you arrang(»
the poisoned food for them.

TRAPS.

Different kinds of wire traps are sold by dealers foi*
catching Rats and many of them for a time answer
the purpose very well. Various liand-made box-traps,
snares and dead-falls are also used more or less suc-
cessfully to aid in exterminating these rodents. The

713

steel traps, smallest sized ones, hidden in bran, meal,
or covered lightly with dirt and placed in runways are
often very effective. When a Rat is caught in a steel
irap it is well to smoke it by holding it over burning
paper or chicken feathers to remove all traces of the
tirst victim before you set it a second time.

' THE WIRE NOOSE.

Rats are sometimes caught with a noose, made from
tine brass wire, fastened at one end by a nail above,
with the noose hung over the hole they come out of.
If this method is employed it i» best to have a piece
of wire without a noose for several days over the hole
and allow the free end of the wire to hang in front or
at the side of the hole so the wary Rats will become
accustonu^ to it. They will then be much more likely
to get ensnared in the noose w^hen it is set for them.

/ ,

THE MILK CAN TRAP.

A fanner in Bradford county employs the follow-
ing method in killing Rats with good success. Con-
cerning it he says: Take a large milk can— such as is
used to ship milk— which will hold forty or fifty
(piarts, place a board alongside of the can, so Rats can
run up to the top or miouth of can, and put a piece of
board inside of can long enough to reach from top to
bottom of the vessel : then scatter com, wheat, oats or
rueal over bottom of can. The bait should be replen-
ished for several days so that the Rats will become
accustomed to it and know where they can get a good
square meal. Then remove the board from the inside.
The Rats will run up the outside board and jump into
can and cannot get out. As many as eight or ten of
these animals have been caught in one night in this
45* -11

: !"

714

way; and the trap can j^enerally be used for several
successive nights before the Rats learn to keep away

from it.

■'' ,'f ' ^/ V

u<

THE BARREL TRAPS.

i. .'^^i'

Rat traps made out of ordinary water-tight barrels
are perhaps the b€st kind of traps that can be used to
destroy these troublesome household pests. They are
made as follows: Take a water-tight barrel and pour
into it water to the depth of 12 or 15 inches; then take
a very thick and strong piece of paper, dampen it and
stretch it over the top of the barrel, and tie or securely
fasten it around the top of the barrel with rope, twine,
or annealed wire. The paper when it gets dry be-
comes flat and tightens. Place the barrel in the cel-
lar or barn or an v where where the Rats can easily
jump on it, and put pieces of cheese, meat, cake or
any food the} like, provided it has no fluid in it to
dampen the paper, and allow the Rats to come and
visit it for a w^eek or ten days until they become ac-
customed to regularly visit the barrel for their meals.
Of course, the food materials must be renewed on the
paper as fast as they are carried off by the vermin.
When you are convinced that the Rats are not sus-
picious of the nffair cut two long slits in the paper so
as to divide the cover into four parts then glue flu*
bait — same kinds as were used before paper was cut —
to the toj) of paper so that the Rats can see it as they
did on many previcnis occasions. They come fear
lessly to the barrel, jump down and go into the water.
In this way large numbers are caught. The pap(M
will spring back to its place when the Rats pass
through it. Sometimes thin steel springs are at-
tached to sides of barrel and extend to point where
slits in paper cross; this is to make it certain that

715

each piece of paper will fly back in place when
the Rats strike it and fall through. If these thin
strips of steel are used they should be very light.

Another kind of a barrel trap consists of a water-
ti<rht barrel with a platform which is fixed by hinges
in^side of the barrel so it will fit the opening near the
top but not come in contact with the sides. This
platform can be locked with nails or screws and baited
for several days and placed in the haunts of Rats and
the screws or nails can be removed and the bait, fast-
ened to the bo^rd platform with fine wire, will attract
tlie Rats to it. When they jump upon the platform
it turns over and the animals slide into the water,
and if the revolving platfoi-m is properly weighted it
will assume its proper place.

OW^LS DO THE WORK W^ELL.

While it is true that these and other methods may
be employed with more or less success in destroying
rodents, experience proves that none of them are su-
l>erior and few are equal to Owls in ridding cellars
and other buildings of both Rats and Mice. When
your premises are infested with Rats or Mice and you
iiave a cellar or building which these mdents inhabit,
and the place can be kept closed so the bird cannot es-
cape, vou can soon get rid of the unwelcome inhabi-
tants bv getting a live Great Honied Owl or a Barred
Owl, either of which will, in a short time, destroy all
the Rats and Mice in the place. The little Screech
Owl confined in the same way will destroy Mice and
sometimes will attack and kill Rats, particulariy
voung ones. .

I

716

THE GREAT HORNED OWL AS A RATTER.

Mr. Benjamin M. Everhart, the Chester county
botanist and naturalist, who some years ajjo did a
wholesaU^ j^rocery business in West Chester, Pa., ^ives
ili<* fulk)\vin«r as his experience with a Greac Horned
Owl.

•'The cellar and building where we had our groceries was
literally overrun with Rats. I tried a barrel-trap and caught
a good many, but this and other devices made no perceptible
decrease in their numbers. One day I obtained a young Great
Horned Owl, nearly full feathered, and put him in the cellar
where the Rats were doing much mischief. The bird was fed
on fresh meat, birds and dead Rats and Mice, and in a short
time became, apparently, well contented in his new and dark
home, where he grew quite tame and learned to know me. He
occupied a perch near the middle of the cellar, and close to
the floor above the same. One day I took a lot of wheat, corn
and oats and spread them on the floor and covered these over
loosely withsome straw. This proved to be a most alluring bait
for the Rats. They came there to feed and the Owl would fly
down and kill and eat them. In a short time he killed or drove
off all the Rats."

THE BARRED OWL, AND RATS.

Dr. A. K. Fisher, Ornithologist of the Biological Sur-
vey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. 0.,
says that an acquainbince of his who owns a brewery
in New York State, tried in vain for several years to
destroy the Rats and Mice which lived in the place
where liis grains were stored. Finally one day he ob-
tained fronj a bey a live Barred Owl and put it in the
grain room. The Owl got down to business at once
and in a few months killed all the rodents in the
[►lace.

THE SCREIECH OWL AND MICE.

The Screech Owl is fond of Mice and if one is kept
in a cellar where these troublesome little pests are it

!i

1-!

■1,

1

t n

$

. 717

will mou clear tbem ont. I have on two or three oc-
casions tried this way of dealing with Mice, and each
time it was successfnl.

SOME METHODS OF TRAPPING FOXES.

Foxes are exceedingly wary and tl.ey are among
tlte most difficult of all animals to catch in traps.
Sometimes, but not often, Foxes are caught m a dead-
er ^nator Lafayette Rowland, of Pike county,
Itre Foxe. are numerous, who l-t ^«-t many
chickens and turkeys from the repeated vmvts of these
sneaking animals, which came from their dens m the
luntafus about a half mile from his P-mi^ -<^
carried off the poultry in the daytime as well as m the
. ght has practiced a novel plan with good success
of capturing them. He describes it as follows:

"I built a Slat pen or coop In a woods back of my house ana
puta it:r and'duck .n it and le« a couple o^^^^^s f one end
«o the FOX. by a little effort, could get n. ^^e first night h
came to the coop but did not find the place to go .n He re
urned the second night and got in and ^^^^^l.^^^J^^^^^^ ^^^l
young rooster got away. I then threw some chickens heads ami
meat m the pen and shot some sparrows and threw them with
The headrand entrails of ducks and chickens on the ground
al^ut the pen and continued to bait the Foxes in this way fo
aW 1 week. Then I took four strong steel traps and covered
them over with moss, leaves and dirt-very loosely placed so
covering would not clog the traps and prevent them from hold-
ing the Fox-and set them at different places around the pen,
where another duck was confined. This plan worked admirably
and I caught several Foxes,"

THE TRAP AND BED.

To be successful in trapping Foxes, it is absolutely
m'cessarv that your steel trap should be clean and
free from rust, and it should not be handled with the
hare hands: always handle your trap with gloves;

COLOR PLATE ,

4'- K \sr!

■K

717

will s,.on clear tbe.n out. I hav. on two or three o.-
"alns tried this way of dealing with Mice, and ea.h
time it was successful.

SOME METHODS OF TR.^PPING POXES.

Foxes are exceedingly wary and they are aniouf
,l,e most diflicult of all animals to catch ni traps.
<n,netimes but not often, Foxes are caught m a dead-
IT^^or Lafayette Rowland, of Pike county,
;! ;.e Foxes are nuu,erous, who lost a great many
kens and turkeys from the repeated yisUs of these
s ddng animals, which came from then- dens m the
mo ntaFns about a half n.ile from his premises an
Cried otf the poultry in the daytime as well as ,n the
: ; t, has practiced a novel plan with gcH.d success
llrcapturing then.. He describes it as Allows:

■■, built a .lat pon or coop in a woods baok of my houso a.ul
„. arit^.-ana'lluo. in it and left a eoup.e :;f,;'--^,;-;;

„ the Fox, by a litll. .-ftort, could gel m. '"" " "'^'^,' ;^.
,..,mo to the coop but did not tind the place to so n, H.. e

; ned the .econ'l nisht and Rot in and killed the duck hu. . e

Zl rooster sot away. I then threw some -hickens- heuds and

■^1" in the pern and shot some sparrows and threw them w>th

Ue heads and entrails of ducks and chickens on the ground

,u the pen and, continued to bait the Foxes in th.s way .o

. ., a week. Then I took four strong steel traps and covered

;: ov)-r with moss, leaves and dirt-very lo,.seiy piace.l s„

,.„verins woul.l not .log the traps and ,.revent them f'"'" '^;;'' "

•me the Fox-and set them at different places around the pen.

where another .luck was cmfined. This plan worked admnably

and I <auKht several Foxes."

THE TR.^P .VND HED.

To be successful in trapping F..xes, il is absolutely
,M.,-,.ssarv that vour steel trap should be clean and
free from rust, and it should not be handled with the
ban- hands: always handle your trap with gloves:

1 , 1

111
1

Mi

h'

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

718

r • ■

buckskin are probabl.v the best. Poxes are very wary
about appix)aching the most tempting bait when thev
discover the scent of a human being, and many other
animals are likewise afmid of it; hence, when handling
traps for any animal, cover your hands with buckskin
gloves. In getting a steel trap ready to catch a Fox,
it should, as already stated, be perfectly clean and
every trace of rust removed; then washed in weak lye,
greased and dried. Then it should be well smoked by
holding over burning hens' feathers. After this is
done some recommend that both the trap and chain
should be smeared all over with beeswax. To do this
melt the beeswax and smear it with a feather. At-
tach the free end of the chain to a log, about two or
two and one-half feet long and eight or ten inches in
circumference, to serve as a drag to impede the Fox
when he gets into the trap. But before you fix the
trap as described above it is necessary to make a "bed"
for it. Tliis is done in the following manner: Tlie
bed should be made on level ground and cover a space
of about nine or ten feet in circumference and about
an inch and a-half deep. The materials used to make
the bed are buckwheat chaff, which experienced trap-
pers claim is the best, wheat chaff, or oat chaff; wood
ashes and moss are al»o sometimes used with satisfac-
tory results. This should be baited for at least a
week, before a trap is set, with scraps of cheese, pieces
of fresh meat, heads of chickens, turkeys, or Pheasants
or English Sparrows— heads and all— will answer.
This bed, of course, is made in some place where
Foxes are accustomed to wander on food-hunting ex-
peditions, and when they become acquainted with the
place, the trap should be set and covered up in the
chaff; a thin piece of paper should be placed over pan

719 ,

4-v.of ihf^ coverino^ will not prevent it from

'' IZZZT St-v some bait on bed about the
working propely. ^ ^^ ^^^ ^.^

TlTe ^ ^ walking around or on the bed
rdo^^or^^t on or abont tbe bed^ If youleave -,

'"^same ^acl It is al^ a good plan, experienced
,n the same y^a«K« ^ ^^^ sprinkle over the

bed, atter uy -^^ ^^^^ ^

:r ttip" :t;XMdden, as P-iousl, de^ribed

Z the bait a bird-Sparro., ^^^^^'^'J.^^^^o.
suspended above the trap a« shown m illustration

"Xe l^:t of fs^Iep or Deer can be dragged over
,uf Sound for some distance in a field where Foxes

ome to hunt their food, and then bury them in loose
earUi and make a small mound over them; cover thi

^^fchaff or .^ ashes and set a «teeUrap on eith

.He of the elevation. After P'-^^/^/J ^ uSt

with lavender water or musk. A bira, lowi

r.nn ilso bc used in place of entrails.

"A^he' method, and one shown in tl>e aceompanv-

ing illustration, is often ^-^'^^^^''y ^^^^^ ^
periencod trappers. The cham must not ^ ow any
where, and it is better to cover chain n .ateu w th
„nid, stones or gravel. The trap -'^«"l<i n^Jj^ ^ ^"^
eighieen inches from the shore, and "« ^ '^'^'^
an inch and a-half under water. A sod just tissue
; he inside of the trap with open jaws inust be c„
to rest on the pan. In order to prevent the weight
of Te sod from springing the trap it is necessary to

' 1

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720

support it from below with an upright stick. Tlie
bait, a dead duck, snipe or rabbit, is placed on the
water outside of the trap and anchored there with a
stone or bv a peg and twine string. The Fox is very
apt to step on the sod that covers the trap to reacii
tlii^ bait when he sees it.

.^^ .^y

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721

•-.-•.>^>Vt*^-^ '"?•'••••

UEADS.

. 'W-i'

•if*. *- "

*v V

..•;»/• i

It has been clearly shown on previous pages that,
except in the counties of Crawford and Lawrence,
there is a strong sentiment in Pennsylvania fcr the
enactment of bounty laws.

At every session of our Legislature for many years
past scalp or bounty measures were presented and it
was only by the most energetic work both in commit-
tee and on the floors of the Senate and House that
bills including numerous species of birds and mam-
mals were defeated. The fact that a few species of
Hawks and one or two kinds of Owls are very de-
structive to i^ultry and game, has caused such a uni-
versal prejudice against the raptorial birds that every
one which is known by the name "Hawk" or "Owr' is
placed on the black list and a bounty is advocated for
its destruction.

A FEATHERED PEST.

The Knglish Sparrow is justly despised by farmers,
horticulturists, naturalists and all other persons who
love and desire to i)rotect our native song and insec-
tivorous birds. The bad habits of the English Spar-
row are s<i well-known that a number of farmers*
clubs, Pomona and subordinate grange organizations
throughout the State have, in recent years, when
called upon to express an opinion concerning this bird,
favored, by almcmt unanimous votes, a bounty to be
paid by the State for his miserable head. Tlie enmity
against the English Sparrow is so pronounced in our
farming comraunilios that at an annual meeting of the

46-n

111

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722

Pennsvlvania State Grange, P. of H., the largest, and,
by far, the most inttiiential organized body of farmers
in the Commonwealth, resolutions were passed urging
the State Legislature to allow a bounty of a few cents
each on every English Sparrow slain.

There is no doubt whatever that if English Spar-
rows were all destroyed it would be a great blessing,
but this is not feasible through a bounty act. A num-
ber of States and counties have tried this method of
extenninatiDg this feathered pest and it has always
been a failure. -.> . * .

WANT BOUNTIES FOR NUMEiROUS ANIMALS. -

The data collected by our State Board of Game
Commissioners shows plainly that there is a growing
sentiment in favor of paying bounties for the King-
fisher, the Fish Hawk, Herons, Bitterns, "Fish Ducks''
and even Water Snakes, all of which devonr different
species of the finny tribes. The writer has, since the
latter part of 1885, devoted a great deal of study to
the effect of bounty laws and has, during the last
eleven years, visited almost every county in the Com-
monwealth, attending institutes, grange meetings, etc.,
where abundant opportunity was had to acquaint
himself with the views of those who engage in agricul-
tural pursuits. This experience, together with infor-
mation received through circulars, letters, etc., un-
fortunately compels the writer to say that at present
(April, 1897) if the representatives from the counties*
other than Allegheny and Philadelphia (where the
average voter seems to pay little or no attention to
how his Senator or member of the House votes) were

♦Possibly In Crawford and L#awrence counties a majority of
the citizens are opposed to paying bounties on account of rea-
■ons elsewhere mentioned.

I

723

called upon to vote, as a majority of their constituents
Inve said, tliev would favor bounty acts which, in the
main would cause an enormous money expenditure
and also practically exterminate many of our most
beneficial animals. ......

Believing, as I do, that this is the true state of af-
fairs in Pennsylvania, I have prepared this document
in such a manner that it will be sought after, and if
it reaches, as it should, those who are interested in
agriculture, it will, I am confident, do a vast amount
of good by correcting many erroneous opinions which
exist about different birds and mammals.

Any fair minded and unbiased person must admit
that, with all the educational advantages of which
this great Commonwealth so proudly boasts, it is
lamentable to admit that Zoological science has been
so neglected tliat county officials in numerous parts of
the State, when called upon in an official capacity to
receive the heads of birds and mammals under scalp
acts, were unable to distinguish, in some cases, re-
mains of domesticated animals, such as turkeys, chick-
ens, dogs, kittens, ferrets, mules and colts, from
Hawks, Owls, Wolves, Wildcats, Foxes, Minks, Squir-
rels, Weasels and Rabbits. That this ignorance has
existed in recent years there is no doubt, as I have in
my possession the heads of a number of animals which
were sent to the Smithsonian Institute, Washington,
D. C, and to my office, by county officials, as heads of
Hawks, Owls, Wildcats, Minks and Weasels, but ex-
amination proved them to be, first, in the way of birds:

Pheasant or Ruffed Grouse, . ^.

Sharp-tailed Grouse,
I Common Chicken, - •

Wild Turkey (female),

1

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I

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A

724

li r

American Herrin<jj Gull,

Shrike or Butcher Bird,

Nighthawk, .

Whip-poor-will,

Horned Grebe (male),

Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

Common Robin,

Turkey Vulture,
Second, in the. line of mammals, the following:

Opossum,

Jack Rabbit,

Fox Squirrel,

Chipmunk,

Flying Squirrel,

Red Squirrel,

Gray Squirrel,

Ferret.

The heads of some of these birds and other animals
last mentioned have been reproduced on the plates at
the end of this chapter. These heads show much
better than any pen pictures could do the absolute
need of a document wliich will clearly show the dif-
ferences between domesticated and wild animals of
both furred and feathered kinds.

A BAD CLASS OF CATS.

There is a certain class of common house cats,
which, in the course of their noisy and blood-thii-nty
careers, becomei dissatisfied with the comforts anil
trials they have about human habitations.

Some assert these felines have been disappointed
in love affairs; others affirm it is because they have,
with the assistance of t^he English Sparrow and hat-
bird hunters, practically destroyed all the native birds

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724

Aineiican He!rin<j; (inll,

Shrike or Jiutiher l^ird,

Nighthawk,

Whip-poor-will,

Horned Grebe (male),

Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

Common Robin,

Turkey Vulture,
Second, in the line of mammals, the following:

Opossum,

Jack Rabbit,

Fo>x Squirrel,

Chipmunk,

Flying Squirrel,

Red Squirrel,

Gray Squirrel,

Ferret.

The heads of some of these birds and other animals
last menti(med have ])een re[)rodu((Ml on Ihe phites at
the (Mid of this chapter. These heads show much
better than any pen i)ictures could do. the absolute
need of a document which will clearly sh()w the dif-
lerenees between domesticated and wild animals of
bolh furred and featlnM-ed kinds.

A BAD CLASS OF CATS.

Then^ is a certain class of common house eats,
which, in tiie course of their n<j.isv and blood-thirst v
eareers, becomi^ dissatisfied with the c(un forts and
trials they have about human habitations.

Some assert these felines have heim disap|K)inted
in love affairs; others affirm it is because they have,
wilh the assistance of i]w English Sparrow and hat-
bird hunters, practically destroyed all the native birds

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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725

in the yards, lawna and orchards they frequent- and,
•m the voung of domesticated fowls are careful y
guarded by their owners, these cats thirst for feath-
ered game, and, like hermits, hie away and live in
retirement in woods and tWekets.

Members of the feline tribe which thus retire to live
become exceedingly wild and wai-y; and they are fi-e^
nuently met with in many sections of the State They
are almost, if not equally, as bad about destroying
!a!ne, such as Pheasants, Turkeys, Quail and Rabbits,
MS are the Foxes and true, Wildcat or Bay Lynx
' ■ The name of "Wildcat" is applied to these feral rep-
resentatives of the domestic cat tribe by many hunters
and woodsmen, and possibly when heads and ears of
such animals have been presented for bounties in
some of the counties, it was done with no intention of
deception nor with a knowledge that the common
Uou^ cat was being substituted for the true Wildcat
or liay Lynx.

HISTORY OF HEADS SHOWN ON PLATKS.

Tlie ears of several of the mammal heads illustrated
on the plates at the end of this chapter are wanting;
this is due to the fact that they were cut off and
burned bv the officials who accepted them and paid
lK>nntie8 for them. These heads are all life size.

OPOSSUM. RABBIT. WILD AND TAME CATS.

The Orossum head, that of a young one about two-
Uiirds grown, was sent to the office of the State Board
of Agriculture from one of the counties in Central
Pennsvlvania. with the statement that it was either
a voung Wildcat or young Catamount, and as there
was a dispute about it among some hunters where it

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725

i„ ,ho yards, lawns and .Mchards they frequent; and.
' the'voungaf domesticated fowls are .■arefullv
:;;,,,ded by their owners, these eats thirst for feat h-
r>r(^ gan.e, and, like hermits, hie away and Ine m
,.,.(iienient in woods and thickets.

Memb,'rs of the feline tribe which thus retire to bv,-
Lo'come exceedingly wild and wary; and ^^'^'^J'^^ ';;;:
,,,,u„v n.et with in many sections of the State TheN
„e almost, if not equally, as bad about d-tr..y^ing
:..!,„u>. such as Pheasants, Turkeys, Quail and Rabb.ts.
M. are I be Foxes and true Wildcat or V.ay Lynx
■ ' The name of "Wildcat" is applied to these feral re,.-
,,senlatives of the domestic eat tribe by many hunters
„.d woodsmen, and ,K>ssibly when heads and ears o
such animals have been presented for bounties n
.,Mue of the counties, it was done with n<. intention ..f
;,.,eption nor with a knowledge that the coinmon
„.,ul> cat was being substituted for the true Wildcat
or l?ay Lynx.

HISTORY OF HEADS SHOWN ON FI.ATKS.

The ears of sev(Mal of the mammal heads illustrated
nn the plates at the end of this chapter are wanting:
(IMS is due lo the fact that they were cut off an.
burned bv the o(!icials who a..ei.ted them and paid
U,.unties for them. The«e heads are all lifo size.

OPOSSUM. RABRIT. WILD AND TAME CATS.

'Ph.' 0,K.ssv.ni head, that of a young one about two-
„.i..ds grown, was sent to the office of the State Board
„f \gricnlt.n<. fn.m one of the counties in renfai
T-nnisvlvania. with the statement that it was either
a voung Wildcat or y.ung Catamount, and as I here
was a dispute abcut it among some hunters where it

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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

M J

726

was shot, the justice of the peace had not burned the
head, but had clipped off the ears and sent the rest
of tb^ head for identification and to settle the dispute.
I also had the heads of two house cats — old and
grizzled ones — which had been paid for as Wildcats.

The Jack Rabbit's head has its ears chopped off, and
a hunter realized for this 'animal, which was also
called a Wildcat, two dollars. There are no Jack
Rabbits in Pennsylvania in a wild state; and there is
little doubt that this one was purchased at some mar-
ket, **fixed up," and deliberately presented to deceive
some easy, or very ic^norant official.

SQUIRRELS AND WEASELS.

Heads, on which premiums had been paid, of both
the Fox Squirrel and the light-colored form of the
Gray Squirrel, were sent to our office at Harris-burg
for identification. The heads of the two Squirrels
shown on the plate have been reproduced from
moanted specimens, as the heads w^iich I had of these
two species were consumed in the recent fire which
destroyed my office. The reproduction of normal
heads of these two species of Squirrels, which are
common in the markets, will no doubt serve in the
future to educate officials who may be called upon to
identify "heads and ears" which ignorant or dishonest
scalp hunters may present for premiums. The heads
of the Black Squirrel (Fig. 1), the Flying Squirrel (Fig.
2), and the Chipmunk (Fig. 3),— a partial albino— were
sent to Prof. S. F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D. C. by county commission-
ers or justices of the peace in Pennsylvania for identi-
fication. The Black Squirrel was called a "Black

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1 FOX SQUIRREL. 'LIFE SIZE

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2 GRAY SQUIRREL, 'life size

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726

was shot, the justice of the peace had not burned the
head, but had clipped off the ears and sent the rest
of the head for identification and to settle the dispute.
I also had the heads of two house cats — old and
grizzled ones — which had been paid for as Wildcats.

Tlie Jack Rabbit's head has its ears chopped off, and
a hunter realized for this animal, which was also
called a Wildcat, two dollars. There are no Jack
Rabbits in Pennsylvania in a wild state; and there is
little doubt that this one was purchased at some mar-
ket, '*fixed up," and deliberately presented to deceive
some easy, or very isfno-rant official.

SQUIRRELS AND WEASELS.

Heads, on which premiums had been paid, of both
the Fox Squirrel and the light-colored form of the
Gray Squirrel, were sent to our office at Harrisburg
for identification. Tlie heads of the two Squirrels
shown on the plate have been reproduced from
mounted specimens, as the heads which I had of these
two species were consumed in the recent fire which
destroyed my office. The reproduction of normal
heads of these two species of Squirrels, which are
common in the markets, will no doubt serve in the
future to educate officials who may be called upon to
identify *'heads and ears'' which ignorant or dishonest
scalp hunlers may present for premiums. The heads
of th(^ lilack Squirrel (Fig. 1), the Flying Squirrel (Fig.
2), and the Chipmunk (Fig. 3),— a pai'tial albino— were
sent to Prof. S. F. 15aird, Secretary of the Smithsonian
Instihilicm, Washington, D. C. by county commission-
ers or justices of the peace in Pennsylvania for identi-
ficntion. The IMack Squirrel was called a "Rlack

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2 GRAY SQUIRREL

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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Mink/' the Plying Squirrel a young Weasel, and the
add-colored Chipmunk a "Weasel." ., _> .

DOGS AND WOLVES.

There are in this State cur dogs which, in general

^ .^^f +V.O ViPvirl do not look unlike
color and appearance of the head <i» o'*^

Wolves. The heads lof such animals, from all ac
counts, have in the past frequentlv b^° ";«<1 J;-^
scalp hunters to deceive county oflicials, who
accepted them as Wolves. The resemblance between
these cur dogs and Wolves is so great that it is not at
.11 Turprisini that they were substituted for Wolves,
which, as already stated on previous pages, have no
doubt been exterminated in this State.

In 1885 or 1886, Prof. S. F. Baird, exammed a num-
l>er of "Wolf scalps" from Pennsylvania, on winch
premiums had been paid. Investigation showed that
these so-called "Wolf scalps" had been made from
pelts of Red Foxes and a couple of Woodehucks.
Manv and probably all of the counties of Pennsylv^v
nia which border other States were called upon to pa>
bounties for animals killed or caught outside of Penii^
sylvania. Fur dealers say that many of the Foxes
and Minks which they buy from hunters in he south-
ern part of New York State have the ears dipped off.
The huntei-s, when questioned about such mutilation,
sav the animals came from Pennsylvania. This prob-
ublv, in many instances, is true, but there seems to be
verv "ood ground for believing that a good many of
the' hunters and trappers of the Empire State, when
thev obtain siich animals as Foxes, Minks and Wild-
cats, carry them over the Slate line and obtain bonn^
ties which the Pennsylvania lawmakers have provided
each county shall pay.

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727

MiuU;' the Flyin« Squirrel a young Weasel, and the
odd colored Chipmunk a "Weasel."

DOGS AND WOLVES.

There are in this State cur dogs which, in genenil
color and appearance of the head <i« --t'-^;"'^^^;;
Wolves. The heads lof such animals, from all ac
counts, have in the past frequently, been used by
scalp hunters to deceive -""^^ j"^^'''^^^' . ;;* ^
accepted them as Wolves. The resemblance between
those cur dogs and Wolves is so great that it is not at
1,1 surprising that they were substituted for Wolves,
which, as already stated on previous pages, have no
doubt been exterminated in this State.

In 1885 or 1880, Prof. S. P. Baird, examined a num-
ber of "Wolf scalps" from Pennsylvania, on which
,,ro.uiums had been paid. Investigation shewed that
hose so-called "Wolf scalps" had been made from
polls of Ked Foxes and a couple of Woodehucks.
Manv and probably all of the counties of Pennsylva-
nia which border other States were called upon to pay
houulies for animals killed or caught outside of 1 enn
svlvania. Fur dealers say that many of the Foxes
and Minks which they buy from hunters in the sonlh
orn i.art of New York State have the ears dipped oil.
Tlie hunters, when Muestioued about such luutilat......

sav the animals .an.o fr.nu Pennsylvania. Ih.s pn.b-
ablv, in manv instances, is true, but there seems to bo
v,m'v ...Hi<l ground for believing that a g.KKl many of
, ho' hunters and trappers of the Empire State when
thov obtain such animals as Foxes, Minks and Wild
oats, carrv them over the Slate line and obtain boun^
ti(.s which the Pennsylvania lawmakers have provided
each t'ounty shall pay.

li

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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728

The Scranton Tribune of March 11, 1897, contains
the following ooncernin*^ a "Wolf on which bounty
was rec€*iitly paid in Lackawanna county:

"John R. Johnson stalked into the commissioners' office yes-
terday and flourishing: an affidavit to the effect that he had
killed a AVolf at Waverly January 1, 1897, asked for the ten
dollars, which bounty the State allows for the slaughter of the
most detested and feared of farm pests.

"The commlssioniers didn't like to cast any reflections on the
powers of the justice of the peace of Waverly to differentiate
between the pelt of a Wolf and that of an overgrown dog but
they did not hesitate to say that they were at least loth to
believe that it would be generally accepted that Wolves are
to be found in this region. Commissioner Giles Roberts, who
hails from up Waverlyway, vowed that he had never heard of
a Wolf being seen in those parts, although there might be
some roaming about ill raiment other than that which would
naturally cover a wolf.

"These misgivings, however, could not hold out against the
Johnson's affidavit that he shot a Wolf; Squire Smith's attlrma-
tion that it was a Wolf and that its ears had been cut from the
pelt, that the ears were cut off and burned in his presence and
that it was unmistakably the pelt of a Wolf.

"Johnson got his ten dollars and went forth to shoot more
Wolves."

FEATHERED HEADS.

While much deception, thronj^^h both ignorance and
fraud, was practiced by substituting the remains of
wild and domesticated animals for the heads and ears
of mammals on which bounties were paid, this kind of
work was carried to the greatest extent in the way of
feathered animals. O^ Is and Hawks, from which the
heads were cut off, were, in some instances, .so manip-
ulated by skillful and ingenious scalp hunters, who
possessed some knownledge of the art of taxidermy,
that in one instance which came to my notiee a single
Long-eared Owl, was so "worked up" that it netted the
liunter one and a half dollars. The neck was cut off

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2 ENGLISH SPARROW. S

I TURKEY VULTURE

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

I

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729

close to the bodv mid ;i]so at the base of the skull, the
flesh of the neck was allowed to remain and the bill
of some bird of prey was held securely to one end of
the mass by fine wire; the second head was manufac-
tured from breast meat (apparently), and feathers of
body with the bill of an Owl. Tliese two bogus heads,
witli those of a lot of Hawks and Owls and three or
•four common Weasels, twenty in all, were seen in the
olfice of a justice of the peace, ready to burn when he
oot a i^ood hO't fire started in his stove.

TURKEY BUZZARDS AND SPARROWS.

The Turkey Vulture (Fig. 1), was paid for as an
"Eagle-hawk,^- which was described by the scalp hun
ter who got the bounty for it as "being very bad on
poultry, especially young turkeys.'^ The English
Sparrow (Fig. 2), with the heads of some other birds-
Hawks and Owls— and an immature male Pine Gros-
beak and a common Robin— came to Prof. S. F. Baird
from county commissioners or other officials in the
western part of Pennsylvania, in 1885 or 188G, as the
heads of birds of prey. The fact that these and other
remains of both birds and mammals were sent to
Prof. Baird and officers of the Pennsylvania State
Board of Agriculture for identification shows plainly
that the officials who sent them were sincere in the
belief that thev were heads of some species of bird or
mammal mentioned in the scalp act of June 23, 1885.
The heads of the Pheasant or Ruffed Grouse (Fig.
1), and the Sharp-tailed Grouse (Fig. 2), came from
Prof. Baird's collection of Pennsylvania heads. Tlie
Sharp-tail(»d Grouse is not found in this Common
wealth in a wild state, but the birds are common in
manv of our markets.

W

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729

(lost^ lo till' \hh]\ jiihI also at Ww basc^ of \W skull, Uu'
flesh of the lUH-k was allowed to remain ami the hill
of sonu^ hiicl of prey was held securely to one end of
the mass by tine wire; the second head was manufac-
tured from' breast meat (ai)parently), and feathers of
hody with the bill of an Owl. These two bogus heads,
with those of a lot (J-f Hawks and Owls and three or
f(Hir eon.mon Weasels, twenty in all, were seen in the
etVice of a justice of tlu^ ]>eace, ready to burn wIkmi he
o()t a jiood hot tire started in his stove.

TURKEY BUZZARDS AND SPARROWS.

The l\irkey Vulture (Fig. 1), was paid for as an
'^Kagle-hawk/' which was described by the scalp hun
ler who got the bounty for it as "being very bad on
poultry, especially young turkeys." The English
S|>arrow (Fig. 1*), with the heads of wcnie other birds-
Hawks and Owls— and an immature male Pine (Jros
beak and a common Robin- cauu' to Prof. S. F. Uaird
from (county commissioners or other otiicials in the
w(»stern part of Pennsylvania, in 1885 or 1S8(), as tin*
iK^ads of birds of prey. The fact that these and otluM*
remains of both birds and mammals were sent to
Pro.f. P»aird and officers of the Pennsylvania State
P.oard of Agriculture for identification shows plainly
that the officials who sent them were sincere in tlu^
belief that tlu^v were heads of some species of bird or
mammal mentioned in the scalp act of June 'J:^, 18S.").
The heads of the Pheasant or UuJT(m1 Grouse (Fig.
1), and the Sharp-tailcnl O rouse (Fig. 2), came fro-m
Prof. P.aird's collection of Pennsylvania hi^ads. The
Shar])-taih'd Grouse is not found in this Common
wealth in a wild state, but the birds are common in
n\anv of our markets.

■

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COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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730

SEA GULLS, CUCKOOS, ETC.

At least two beads of the American Herring Gull
were paid for as Hawks under the act of 1885. The
one illustrated was presented to me by Prof. S. F.
Baird, and another of the same species, killed along
the Susquehanna river, was sent to my office for iden-
tification. The Gull received from Prof. Baird was
called a *^ White Hawk.'' The head of the Yellow-
billed Cuckoo (Fig. 3), was also sent to Prof. Baird
as the head of a "Small Hawk" of some unknown but
detrimental species. The Whip-poor-will (Fig. 1), and
Nighthawk (Fig. 2), heads were secured by the writer
from justices of the peace, and the heads of a female
Wild Turkey (Fig 1), and a common domesticated hen
(Fig. 2), were sent to Prof. Baird as "Hawk heads."

The Fish Hawk, from which Fig. 1 has been repro-
duced, was shot along the Brandywine Creek. The
man wiio offered it for bounty explained how much
damage it had done to his chickens, and how, for sev-
eral days, it had lingered near his dwelling watching
for and killing chickens and ducks. On examination
this Fish Hav/k's stomach showed it contained only
the remains of fish. The Cooper's Hawk, in downy
dress, (Fig. 2), came from Crawford county where, it
is claimed, the eggs of this and other species of Hawks
and Owls were collected and hatched out under hens
or with incubators.

The illustrations of the adults, male and female,
Marsh Hawks, are those of a beneficial species which
were killed in considerable numbers by scalp hunters.
The heads of the Cooper's Hawks (adult and young or
immature) show the species in different plumage.
This Hawk i? one of the worst feathered pests the
])oultry raiser has to contend with.

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730

SEA GULLS, CUCKOOS. ETC.

At least two heads of the American Ueriinj? Gull
were paid lor as Hawks under the act of 1885. The
one illustrated was presented to me by Prof. S. F.
Haird, and another of the same species, killed along-
the Susquehanna river, was sent to my office for iden-
tification. The Gull received from Prof, liaird was
called a '^White Hawk.'' The head of the Yellow-
billed Cuckoo (Fig-. :^), was also sent to Prof. I^aird
as the head of a "Small Hawk'' of some unknown bul
delrimental species. The Whip-poor-will (Fig. 1), and
Xighthawk (Fig. 2), heads were secured by the writer
from justices of the peace, and the heads of a female
Wild Turkey (Fig 1), and a common domesticated hen
(Fi«'. 2) were sent to Prof. Baird as ''Hawk heads.-'

The Fish Hawk, from which Fig. 1 has been repro-
duced, was shot along the Hrandywine Creek. Tlie
man wlio ottered it for bounty explained how much
damaije it had done to his chickens, and how, for sev-
eral davs, it had lingered near his dwelling watching
for and killing chickens and ducks. On examination
this Fish Hav/k's stomach showed it contained only
the remains of fish. The Cooper's Hawk, in downy
dress, (Fig. 2), came from Crawford county where, it
is claiuied, the eggs of this and other species of Hawks
and Owls were collected and haicheil out under hens
or with incubators.

The illustrations of the adults, male and female,
Marsh Hawks, an* those of a beneficial species whicli
were killed in considerable numbers by scalp hunters.
The heads of the Cooper's Hawks (adult and young or
immature) show the species in different ])lumage.
This P^awk i.^ one of the worst feathered pests the
poultry raiser has to contend with.

i

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

rv)

O

0)

o

o

(A

N

n

' \< i

1:1

M

O

I

Hi

o
c
o
7;

o
o

n

N

m

u) O
rn

r
r

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

+0

N

.:>>;

\

> ^'

^ ii« ■■' \ ' ■'■

F^-a

:i< "»

'^

'_ . 'S'- ^

^4

■4 t , -

?

1^

i

I

. \

^^

\

-<

-+^

11

t;r

:^^^"-

r^'^
,»*'■'''

>%(!

rf^

^-;^M.:

i*l

^^^

f3^

^//

■>^"

If. %

L'//

1^

I. I

)

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

I

LA

>

i

COLOR PLATE
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

i

^

<MALEl

( FEMALE^

MARSH HAW K . .life size.

(YOUNG

AM

( ADULT)

ERICAN GOSHAWK, 'life size.

( ADULT )

I YOUNG )

1)

(ADULT)

( YOUNG)

COOPERS HAWK . -life s

IZE»

RED SHOULDERED H AW K .- life size*

a;.f

rvi A^i. t •

F t" M A L r.

Y O LI N G

M A R S Kl HA VV K

*- c c.

'■^ I c A r J G O S H A W K

A.DULT

F SI /. t-

i

^^fy.

ADULT )

COOPEIP^S HAWK

ADULf '

Y' »

JN

' y o I J N ( , )

<■ f-' c:.

7 F

RED

SHOULD E P E D HAWK

C t C I

I M

COLOR PLATE

TMXRKiTTmvr AT SFrOND EXPOSURE

'\

I'

731

The two beads of Goshawks (adult and young or ini
mature); illustrate another species of the detrimental
Hawks which destroy much game, poultry and the
smaller kinds of wild song birds. The two heads of
Ked-shouldered Hawks (adult and young, the latter
known to the older ornithological writers as Winter
Falcon), illustrate a species which is beneficial, as
it rarely preys on poultry or game, but subsists
larirelv on mice, frogs, grasshoppers and beetles.

\\

U

t

K ^

m

I

n

It

i

t *

r •;. * , ■^'

•■*

INDEX.

A.

-** f •

Page.
697

reports by counties ^^'^^

6ti9

Act. bounty of 1897 ,[....... G62.663.C64

bounty of 1885 • ^ j^ gg^

efforts to repeal, ..(JG6,60G

reasons for repeal of ««« 667

reasons why should not be repealed '.'! 304

Albinism, 660

Animals

destruction of noxious,

Adams !••••:' * ^q

Allegheny ;••••••. 670

Armstrong — •.••••• •,•.•.••••; ^q

15eaver, • • **' 671

Be rk » , 67 1

Blair ••••:• 673

Bradford ^^2

i;ucks ^ g-3

Butler '.".*'............ 673, 674

Cambria, ^4

Cameron ^^

Centre, ......!....... «75

Chester g^g

Clarion 676

Clearfield, ..'.'.,... 677

Clinton, ff78

Oolumbia 678

Crawford, 579

Cumberland ^^

Dauphin, ^^

68<J
681)
681
681
681

(732)

Delaware

Blk

Erie

Fayette.

Forest * " '

Franklin, " ' * * 5^2

Fulton, '"^ ^2

Greene. »83

Huntingdon 683

Indiana, 5^4

.reffen^on 534

Lackawanna,

(733)

\'h

n

\

734

Page.
Animals, destruction of noxious, reports by counties— Conllnued.

Lancaster $gr,

Lawrence $^6

^ ... Lebanon 68(5

Lehigh 687

Lyoomingr ; f»87

McKean fiST.fiSS

Mercer, 68S

Mifflin 688. 6Si»

Montgomery 689

Northampton 681)

Perry 680

Pike 690

Potter 690

Schuylkill 601

Snyder (9l

gJomerset 692

Sullivan 692

Susquehanna, 603

Tioga, 603

Union 69n

Venango, 69t

Washington 694

Warren 694.695

We»tmoreland 695

"VS'Voming 696

fur-bearing 327, 331

value of in Chester county 3?0,33l

Huntingdon county 327. 320

Jefferson county * 3i7. 330

Luzerne county 330

Mercer county 3i:9,3:'0

Wyoming county 32 1

York county 327

which destroy poultry 698

game ggg

destroyed by forest flres 27.30,33

domestic, 27

wild 27

many yet remain,' 401

those exterminated 493.496

where to hunt IK-B^S

v/hlch are rare 502,504

Approvals, wise 50

Army Worm, loss froiri in Pennsylvania 801

B.

oaoger, ••• , 317

o^MS, •• • , , , ^40. 541, 547

best places for r,40,rj41,647

Plack 26,26.629

Sea 528

Bats 324. 51 1

looQ or, , , ,, ,......._. olfc

Winter nome oc 611, 51 2

i|

I

. 735

Page.

318,381.510

Bear, Black, "■" 611

food of, •. 611

number of skins of !...!.!.!.!! ....'•11.534.545,546

Bears •'...... -34, 545,646

best places for, 494

Beavers, in Virginia, 491,495

where to find, 13

Bird-lime 261

Birds. Butcher, destroyed by Fish Crows, • • ^

destruction of In Georgia 15

destruction of in Nebraska 10

20,000 in four years, 40, 4S

list of raptorial ■' 9^19

save the, 136,263

of prey "" 699.704

how to capture *■■' 699,703

shooting 703.70*

trapping 527, 538

Rail *' 527,538

best places for 527

Where found 487 488,489

rare, where to go for '.".'. '.;.!*. ".".!". ".'.'. '.".'.486', 528, 639

Reed ! 526

best places for, .............526,539

where fc^ind g^-^

Bison, * 315

Bittern. American *15

description of 31^

J food of, *15

voice of ' ' (jaw

Bitterns. >04

brief account of "" * 504

food of 6 . 7 , 2JK

Blackbirds tH

brief account of, ^ g^g

bronzed 216

Blackbird, Common Crow, »5

description of ' .!! 297,803

food of, 528

Blackfish ., 37

Blunder, a serious 44^

Bob-cat. •• 43

Bounties, sentiment in favor of • ••••• ^^^ ^^^

paid for animals '^

Boui.ty for Foxes, 697

Minks 897

Wildcats, »i7

*' '

Buffalo 26

Bunung. indigo. ;;";::;;;!!!!!!!!;*;!!;^**i273.29i

Butcher birds *" 138.139. 140. 143

Buzzard, Turkey ^37

description of. iM 140

distrtbutioD of, :"";:;;;;;;::;i!!!!i*"ii''iw!i35

^ . food of 141

northern breeding limit of '.'.'.'...'.'.'.'. 16

Busxards. Turkey

1

I i

'n

^ Pape.

^a''P r>30. 541 . 51S

best places for • 541

Catamount, « 5.;2

Cat, Mountain 411

Tiger 411

Wild 440 . 4 12 . r OS

description of, 440, 4 Jl

food of 4 . . 44, 44«, 449. 4G2

haunts of 442,44!

Increasinp:, 44:;

wolKht of 440.411

Cats. Wild 53r.

besit places for, 5^5

Catfish 2(1

Chickaree 364,r.69, 50«

Chipmunks 323,'!a4

Chipmunk 514

Canadian 514

food of 514

• CociH 609

Cottontails 32:], 507

Coyotes 317

CrcAV. watch the r,

carrion, 142

fish, 2«. 2^2

description of 2R2

food of 2^3

voice of 2&2, 283

Crows 7, a-,4

common 2S2,2fJ0

charges against the, 202

description of 28O

food of 281

D.

Damage, estimates of, by birds and mammals 62-13G

to poultry, game etc., reports by counties 52-13.".

Adams 52. .'.3. 75. 76. 1 18. 119

Allegheny 53. 77. 119

Armstronc 53. 76. 77, 1 1 9

Beaver 63.80.119

Bedford 133.81,121

Berks 53.54.81.82.120,121

Blair .54. 80 81 . ia>

Bedford 54, 78. 79. 119, 13)

Bucks 65. 77, 78. 121

Butter 66,79

Cambria 55. 56. 88, 124

Cameron 8fi

Centre. 56.86. 87, 124

Carbon 57.89

Chester 57. 82, 122, I2t!

Clarion 58,88. 89, l-'4

Clearfield , 58, .59.84. 8.5.86. I2l

Page.

Damage by birds and mammal*— Continued. »

Clinton 59.87,123,124

: Columbia 59.60,82.83,125

- -• - Crawford 60,83,84,124,126

Cumberland, 61. 89,126

•^ Dauphin 89,90.125

Delaware, ®^

;> ♦»*. Elk 61,90.91

. •• . Erie 61,91.125.126

.' .,;W; . Fayette, 61.62,93,94.126

i^- Forest, ^2 92

Franklin 62.91.92.126

.' • Fulton 62,63.92,93,1*0

Greene, Qi,9\

Huntingdon, 63.94.95,96, 126 127

Indiana 64,9G,12T

Jefferson €4.96,97.127

Juniata 64, 65,97, 127, l^o

Lackawanna 65.102,129

Lancaster 65. 97 98, 128 , 123

Law rence 66 . 101 , 129

Lebanon. 66.101,102.129

-^ Lehigh 98.99.l2t.

Luzerne 66.67.^9.100.129.130

Lycoming, ..,67, 100,130

McKean. 67.103

''' * Mercer 67, 68, 102. 103. ICO

Mifflin.' '. 68,104.105.130,131

Monroe 68,106.131

Montgomery 68,105.106,1.31

Montour 69.106,131

Northampton 69,106,107.132

Northumberland 69, 107,131,1*2

Perry 69.70,107.108.132.183

Philadelphia 70.108,109.123

Pil^e 70.108.133

Potter,"**.*..*.'.*. 70.71,109.133

Schuylkill. 71,112,^S,133

Snyder 71.112.133

• • Somerset. 71.110.111.134

Sullivan 71.72,109,110

• ' Susquehanna 72. 111. 112. 133, 1«4

• '" * Tioga 72. 73, 113. 114, 1S4

Union, ':::^^'Z 73.134

: ' Venango l^^^^J

Washington 73,116.134.136

Wayne 74.ll6.l36

•' Westmoreland 74,116.117.135

Wyoming • 74.117.125

York 74.117.118.136

536,545

'"• be;rpu;;;s'f;^*::::::::^^^':;*^^^'-^"^..;' 624.533.534.545

V -f^7/^""^ ::;;:::::::::::::::::::509.6io

\. Virginia

how to increase

317

Dogs, Prairie

47 T

n

%

III

,- 738

Page.
Doves, Turtle, 527

best places for 527

where found 527

Duck, Wood, 23

Ducks. Wild, 537, 547

best places for, 525,526.537

where found 525

Eagles, ....24,144

Eagle, Bald, 195. 201

as a fisherman 202

description of 201

food of, 201.204

Black, 201

Golden, I95

as a pet, : 96 198

description of, 195

food of, 195, 200

Gray, 201

Washington 201

White -headed , 195

Education, popular, necessary, 48

Eels : ; 26

Egg-hunters . 2:,

Eggs, 658, 659

Bald Eagle, 668,659

Blue Jay, 658, 6:»

Common Crow, .6ii8, 669

hatched for bounty 496,4'j7

Hawks' 658,669

Owls' 658.«59

Turkey Buzzard &ZS. 669

Enemies, parasitic 550, 657

Epizootics, outbreaks of 549

Ermine, 420

Errors 319,313

F.

Falcons, 144

Farms, number in Pennsylvania, 33

Farnting, Skunk, 339-342

Ferrets, use of, illegal, 608

Fires, forest, 27

common cause of 31,32

railroads guard against 30,31

Fishes that catch ducks 24

lusher, 318,502

Fish, Blue 628

Cat, 530,631,643,548

best places for 643

Fishes, 520

catch ducks and birds 521

number of species in Pennsylvania, 610

Fishing, fresh water, 529

where to go for the best 649,531

salt water 523

where to go for the best 528.529

i-

739

Page.

, 531,542.643,648

542,543

E81,648

543

491

628

2

,,,,[ 1

2

561,562

.4,318,323,325,327.377.378.534

634,536

717,720

Fish, Rock

best places for

Sun

best places for,

Flail*, hunted with

Flounders,

Fowls, loss of, by disease

number of in United States,

value of in United States

symptoms of, infected with tapeworms. ..

Foxes

best places for

how to catch, 0*^* aia

what farmers, poultry raisers and sportsmen say about 3»4,*i4

Cross-bar

^^^ 377,386.393,508

description of ^^

distribution of ^^^

food of *^|!

hunts trees • 416,417

376,377,508

description of 376.877

destroys domesticated animals, 382,384,386.392,893

food of ^^'^

how to kill the '^

kills game 381.382,385.388,392.393.394

kills many wild song birds 382

weight of ^^

Sampson ^^

„ 876

Samson, ^^

Silver 376,3^

Silver Gray *^

Red.

Game Commissioners, good work of.

destroyed by snares

in former years.

Ganoga lake

669

13

.489.492

Gar,

Geese

Wild

Goshawk,

breeds in Pennsylvania,

description of,

food of

Goshawks

Grouse, Ruffed

Crackle, Bronzed

description of •

Gulls

.147,

H.

Hackey, Ground,
Hares

887

527

147

172

171

173, i76

4

4

303

9»

84

514
.8l7.f0t

1

,i(

I

I)

740

Page.
Hare B07

* Aileg-heniaii' varyiner 617

wood 5fyj

Oarolinlan wood 608

northern varying: ' 607

'^ where found In Pennsylvania 507

Hawks 144

' beneficial 39

*- detrimental 38,89,145,147

" . ' "little bird," 86

"little blue," 36

Sharp-shinned 4

- ' troublesome b

valuable 144,14->

Hawk, Bigr Blue, 171

Black 191

Broad Wingred i87

description of 187

food of, 188.190

"Brown," 159

Cooper's, 146.165

birds eaten by 146.147,169.170

description of i.;5

food of 146.147,166 170

mammals killed by H7, 169 170

Duck, i^zx,

birds killed by, 208.209

description of, |()5

food of, 207 . 20^

"Gray," 273

Fish 231

as a fisherman, 222

description of 221

food of 222

"Little Quail," 169

Lon«r-talled chicken Wi

Marsh 154

description of 154

food of, 16'>.lo8

Partridge 1^,9

Pheasant, I66

Pisreon 159. 210

birds killed by 811.213

description of 210

'ood of 211.212.213

Red-shouldered 18}

description of 184

food of 18'.. 186

Red-tailed 177

description of 177

food of 182.18.-?

Rough-legged 191

description of 191

food of 192.194

741

Face.

Hawk— Continued.

Sharp-shinned - ***

description of, • ^**

food of Ifil.lW

small birds killed by 168,164

Sparrow *^*

description of *^^

food of *1«»22C

insects found in 210

Heads • 721.781

American Herring' Gull .• 724

Chickens "*

Chipmunk "^

common Chicken 721

Dogs, **

common Robin, 7**

Ferret ''•*

Ferrets "^

Flying Squirrel 7**

Foxes '^

Fox Squirrel ''**

Gray Squirrel, "^

Hav.ks 7»

hlst(ry of 726,781

Horned Grebe, 724

Jack Rabbit 714

Blttetn's 721

Minks 728

Nighthawk '**

Opossum 724

Owls 7J8

Rabbits 7*

Red Squirrel 724

Ruffed Grouse 728

Sharp-tailed Grouse, 72t

Shrike 724

Squirrels 7*

Turkeys TBI

Turkey Vulture 714

Weasels 718

Wildcats t 718

Wild Turkey 7«

Whip-poor-will 714

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 714

Hen Hawk, ^'^'12

Hens, Marsh

Mud

best places for

where found, **

H«xn., »«"»J

brief account of ^

food of,

Heron, Black-crowned night ^

bounty for ^"

breed in colonies ^'

/

742

(|

Ul

IM

Page.

Sll

.313,314

303

305

Heron —Continued.

description of,

food of

Great Blue

description of

dissections of 807

; : food of 306,307

Green 308

description of 808

' examinations of 310

food of, ' 309

Hibernation 326

Hofir, Ground 324,517,518

Hunting, Fox 379

Hunter, bird egg 10

Hunters, market, 503,510

meat 492

pot 51#

skin, 492

I

Infection, known or supposed source of, 554,557

19

19

20

19.21

21

48«

Insects, losses from in Pennsylvania

lossr>s from in United States,

losses from in different States

ravages of

tree-destroying

25,000 kinds of

J.

Jays, 254 , 2.)7

Blue, 8,9

Jay, Blue 267,268.269,284

birds attacked by the 270,271

description of 284

distribution of 2*58

food of the 272,285.287

Florida 7

Florida Blue 8

hunts methodically 270

insects eaten by the 269

scrub, "^

summary of food of ^^^

K.

Killer, hat-bird 10

Kite. Mississippi 1»2

description of 152

flight of & ^^

food of 152,153

Swallow-tailed . ^**

description of *. ^^

flight of 151

food of 1*9 1^

I^egislation, expeniive *^

foolish.

Leopards '^^

743

Page.

Lynx, Bay, .• **1

Canada ^'^'^^

M.

Mammals, how to capture, 705.720

species of, "^^2, 493

Market-hunters ^*

Marten. Pine ^02.503 .

Mice ^1*

destroy crops ^19, 520

Field ?19'520

food of, ' 519

kill birds, ^1^

kill chickens 519

Meadow ^19-520

Minks -^^^

as a fisherman 471,47a

description of ^^^

how to catch 706,707

what farmers and sportsmen say about the 46'), 471

Moles i °4

Mud-hen ^

Muskrat. ^^^

food of 513.514

N.

271

Name, an Improper one '••*

Nf st-robbers,

Netters J^

NIghthawks f''*'*

Notes, miscellaneous introductory 1,48, 485, f2l

Nodular disease, caused by tapeworm f:63,566

O.

Opossums *^

Opossum .' 318, 327, m 512. 513

distribution of, 371 . 372

description of ^"^^

enemies of

- food of 374375

nest of. 3.2

skins taken yearly •*• ^J}

weight of 370

Ortolan. ^38

Otter '''''''

food of f^

owls _^'22^

as ratters '^^ .1

39

beneficial

39

detrimental,

general account of ^^.^.^

Great Homed ^/^

Mice eating. '^l

2"'8

Owl, Acadian ?„

238

descri ption

food of, J^

Barn, ^

description of *^

food of ^

Hi

ii

I

I': ",

H

744

Owl— Cciitlnued. Pago.

Barred, ; ^

description of [ ^j

^ °' ''i*"^i"*"";;""!!!!!*234.2»5

Great Homed 24*

deBcrlptlon of .......'..[. 246

fllgrht of ' " 247

^"^^ °' .'."..''..'."248.24-J

Great Gray 2»6

description of 23t5

- , food of '.'. . . .'.'.'.m,K1

^^wk." _ 252

T« description of . ^2

flight of !!*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;;"! m

*- ' food of 252

Long-Eared oji

description of ^^

food of 231.2a.'

killed for hats, 23'>

Marsh ...,...^...... til

Monkey-faced !!...!.!..!.!! 22")

baw-whet jg^

Screech

^ ' ^^^ ^2

*■ * P^* 242,243

description of , 242

food of .!!!!!!;!."!!242.*244.245

:*f Short-eared 227

description of 227

*^^ *^'» 228 2:^9

•» ** - killed for hat? ^

S"^^y ^...'^[['.'.'.'.Z'.y.'.'. 260

description of 2&1

'^^ ^^ *i*"'^!;!!;;;;!;!*'';;!!KOfci

stone • ^

P.

"Painter," 5^.,

^^""^^^- *-..*-^'**"''*''''':i^;";;**;'';;!;:^^

^"^^' 5n

. , best places for g.j

White

**""•*'• 529 .'i4g

Perscns, number of engaged in poultry raising 1,3

. Pests, feathered ] * .i.|[. 319721

Pheasants „-

best places for .'.'.!... .....526,* 535.* 636. 546

gccd locality for gjo

where found [ 5'"6 o46

Pickerel " V

piFeon. Wild :'.";i!;;''":;;;;!;;:;!;:::;;;:::;:;:::::;;;;::::: 16.50s

**^' • •• 529.542 Fi4S

best places for 5^3

^HSL' . county, bird butchery in, ,... 14

""Parley." ll['.''l[l[[[[[Z.'.[[['.]'.'.['.'. 364

. Pitchforks, hunted with. 491

PntPs. dpsorlptlrn of ! . . . •i40 (J5T

745

Page.

628

I^lover ^

beat places for ^

where found -

Plume hunter ^^^

Polecat •••* JJ3

food of |-j

created to cause trouble

Pcultry. tapeworms of ^^

unknown disease of .

loss of. In Pennsylvania ^

value of. in Pennsylvania ^

Pushers

Q.

536

*^^^"' ; : 6a4,5a.646

best places for ...B24, 625.646

where found 44-47

Questions, on bounty, reports by counties

R *

. 506. :07. 532. 644

^^^^^^'r •• •• ; ^ ,22 528,532.533.544

best places for ^

where found .^^

Rabbit. "Snowshoe." ^

.» "Mountain Jack." ^^

White. ••• jj^

Raccoons S23 624 586

best places for, * '

food of : 111*M« ito«

^ , . 6i3,oz4.63»

where found ._^ ^ -

what farmers and others say about •l^.-J,'^.

_ 324,827,475

Raccoon .-^

description of. i:'.'.'. 47^:478! 472. 484

^^^ ^^ 709.710

how to trap ^

steals poultry. ^ ^

Carolina ^

Clapper ^^^

Rat, Black „g

Allegheny Cave ^^^

Norway [lliiliiiii^it!!!!!!!"*"'!^ 4.514

'^^^'' • 614.615

food of 710 716

how to destroy 711712

Po's*^'**"^ 712' 716

^^•^P"/^^ ;!:!"!!"710>11

shooting g-

Reports from one thousand observers 254 266 276 278

Ravens. " ^

common

dlstributi-.n of ^^ __

,,,,., . 277 278

left in dlsR\i«t

^. . 264.276

northern ^„ m^,-,

?fW 2B1

what tli'^y devf.ur

■

1

i

74G

Sable "Alaska. • ^^^

American !!.!!.!!!!!!!.* 50J

number annually taken ^^

where found * g^j

^"J'non *....*.*.*.*."."*.'!.'.*.*.'.*542.548

best places for, ' ^^

Sandpipers ,

Seal !!!!;;;;;!;;;:;;;;:;:;;;;;: ■ si?

Sheepshead ^

Shrikpit

^^^ 36, 254, 27'^, 274

general account of 28S

rarely disturb poultry 275

Shrike, birds killed by ^q

Great Northern. 273.274,275,289

description of 289

rood of, 274,276

LogTprerhead 273.274.291

description of jSi

Food of, ' 292

White-rumped ..!".!*!!!!!!! !27.'?.2<»3

Shrews ^^^

^*^""^^ 318.324.227 515, 5l«

^"^^ °' 51.V616

number taken In Susquehanna 5:57

where paid for '!!!.'!.'".*'.'!!."!. 667.' 67.5.f77

what farmers, poulterers and sportsmen say about reports by

*^^^""«« '. 342.3*W

Adams 040

Allegheny '" ^"^

Armstrong j^,. 34:^

^^^^^^^ 343.344.345

Butler t 845

Cambria ^49

Carbon ' 3^.

<^entre !!!.!!.!!!!!!!! sis

tester 34g.j^-

^^l^arfield 3^7 343

Clinton 3^g

Columbia 348,849

Crawford 34^

Cumberland 349

Fayette !.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 349

Fra nkl In 3^ ^

^-Treene j^g

Huntingdon 349

I"<^*ana :^49.3o0

Juniata 3-0

Lackawanna 360.3.-)1.352

Lancaster 350

Lawrence 35^

Lehigh , * 35J

Luzerne \ 352

McKean 353

Mercer 353.354

Mifflin 314

747 ' -

Page.

Skunks— Continued. 3^4 355

Monroe. 3^-

Montour j>j

Perry ;* ^^

pii^e ;;;;;.; 865

Potter, 355

Snyder 35«

Somerset, 3^7

; Sullivan '.'.".'.*.*.'... '....857.858

Susquehanna 3-g

. . Tioga. ........358.859.360

Union *' 3(j,j

Venango !........ 360. 361

Washington ......361.362

. Wayne, '....!!...*362'.86i

Westmoreland ^ ^ 33-.

York ""* 332

Skunk, !!..... .833. 515

Canadian 332

description of, * *" * .333-334

enemies of the !!!!334. 839

food of, 700

how to trap 22.23

Snapper, *" 1:?

Snaring in Pennsylvania * ,'....... 508

Snares, illegal . * ' ' " * 526. 589

Sripe. "26 589

best places for ggg

English. .'.........'. 528

where found 53.J

Wilson's '6 1*^

Society, Pennsylvania Audubon, "^ ^^

, officers of ' ^g

pamphlet of. i^

Ifood work of. ' 251.^16

Some other birds which destroy poultry, etc ".".'.!!".'.*.'.'.!!".!!.. 486.538

Bora '" 36.273.319

Sparrow, English. **" 3^ 32

Sportsmen, careless. 538, Bl'i

Snuirrels [ " 523. 58?. 545

best places for. '^ g^g

heads, where valuable ...........'...^. 5<W

kinds protected. **"*" 533

where found, B04

Squirrel, Black "^^

"Cat," [.....'.... 8, 524,504. 515

Flying, ^^"^

'00^ O'- .!!!!!!!..!!.!.364. 504. 506.506

Fox " ' ' " 506

where found ** 3^

weight of !..!."!,!!!' 328.324.504

Gray ]!!!..!!!.. 26. 27. 323. 364. 375. 5(»

Red. ... 5a">

birds killed by, ".'*.".!.'.".'.'..'..... S*^

description of, .366.868, f OR

food of,

I

hi:
I'', 1

I

W

^

748

Squlrrela— Continued. Pa«e.

poultry killed by 5^

weight of 3^

"'^^ 41»

S^o"* 4U

Strychnine ^

T.

Tapeworms, classification of ' 574 676 57»

descriptions of ..'..^..., ...... '.S79,$39

of birds not transmissible to man , (g^

of wild birds !;;!"!. ..'.'.'.'!.'.*.';".';;55i,W66i

■ ^. prevention of 646 568

remedies for in fowls 572 673

treatment of '.'..'..'..i'/.i'.i'.iiiiy.iiiWsTS

Taxidermists ^ ^^ ^^

Terns !!..!!..!.!.* 21

Throat, Maryland Yellow ..." ^

Trout. Brook :....;..^^;;;!;;";!;;;;;;;i5*52im54o.54T

best places for 530.540.547

good locality for 5^2

will eat Mice .!.!!!!!.!!..',..!!.!!!! 521

will catch Duckllngrs SH

Turkeys. Wild • ". ■;!;^^'";:;'*:;;;;536;546.647

best places for 596 546

Turtle. Snapj.lngr '...........*............!....! 2S

V.

Vultures. American ^^

review of .!...........!..!. ]m

Vulture, Black 14I

description of ' [ ^^

flisrht of ..'../.........]....... 141

^°^ <>^ ^*^'''.'!"!!!"!;!!!!!"i42.i48

Turkey ^

W.

"Wasp Hawk," ;^ j^

Weasel, common U«

description of ^

^^^^ of ......"..423,481

hunts by scent ^

weight of 411

'^^■^ 421,421

description of ^ 4jl

^^^^^'^^ 4. 86. 825, 386, 4a, 6U

Black ^

Brown .." 421

^o<xl o^ ......!!!481,43|

how to trap IVtItOS

what farmers and poulterers say about them 481* 43>

White '^

Yellow ^

w<^^<=*t ;..;;;;;3i8.»

how to trap .^11

Wildcats, what farmer* and hunters say about them 449, 4«f

where to gro for, ^H

Whip-poor-wills '.'...'.... 36

749

Page

Woodpecker, Red-headed, ^'

Wolf,

Wolves,

a doctor's thrilling escape from 498,501

bad neighbors *^l

destroyed sheep. • ^y'

followed people *^''^1

kind found In Tioga county ^'

1. .4^ #^^ 607.671,684,690

where paid for " c » ric

Woodchuck ^^^'^J'

^- - 51a

food of g^^

habits of

how to destroy.

„, . , 6i(,Oo7

Woodcock. rj' K3"

best places for *

'' where found.

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