y destructive rats,
mice and insects, and they appealed to the legislature for the quick
repeal of the law. With all possible haste this was brought about; but
it was estimated by competent judges that in damages to their crops the
hawk law cost the people of Pennsylvania nothing less than two million
dollars.

Moral: Don't make any laws providing for the destruction of hawks and
owls until you have exact knowledge, and know in advance what the
results will be.

In the space at my disposal for this subject, it is impossible to treat
our species of hawks and owls separately. The reader can find in the
"American Natural History" fifteen pages of text, numerous illustrations
and many figures elucidating this subject. Unfortunately Dr. Fisher's
admirable work on "The Hawks and Owls" has long been out of print, and
unobtainable. There are, however, a few observations that must be
recorded here.

Each bird of prey is a balanced equation. Each one, I think without a
single exception, does _some_ damage, chiefly in the destruction of
valuable wild birds. The value of the poultry destroyed by hawks and
owls is very small in comparison with their killing of wild prey. _Many
of the species do not touch domestic poultry_! At the same time, when a
hawk of any kind, or an owl, sets to work deliberately and persistently
to clean out a farmer's poultry yard, and is actually doing it, that
farmer is justified in killing that bird. But, the _occasional_ loss of
a broiler is not to be regarded as justification for a war of
extermination on _all_ the hawks that fly! Individual wild-animal
nuisances can occasionally become so exasperating as to justify the use
of the gun,--when scarecrows fail; but in all such circumstances the
greatest judgment, and much forbearance also, is desirable and
necessary.

The value of hawks and owls rests upon their perpetual warfare on the
millions of destructive rats, mice, moles, shrews, weasels, rabbits and
English sparrows that constantly prey upon what the farmer produces. On
this point a few illustrations must be given. One of the most famous
comes via Dr. Fisher, from one of the towers of the Smithsonian
buildings, and relates to

THE BARN OWL, (_Strix flammea_).--Two hundred pellets consisting of
bones, hair and feathers from one nesting pair of these birds were
collected, and found to contain 454 skulls, of which 225 were of meadow
mice, 179 of house mice, 2 of pine mice, 20 were of rats, 6 of