. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . ), hisfaith in its usefulness receives agreat shock. Shrikes are i)rob-ably of less value here than in their northern homes, wherein sunnner they feed much on insects. Their chief utilitywhile here consists in their mouse-hunting Fig. 156. — Norlliern Shrike, oue-h;iUnatural size. CHECKS UPON INCREASE OE USEELL BIRDS. 371 Other Bird Enemies. Some Gulls and the
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . ), hisfaith in its usefulness receives agreat shock. Shrikes are i)rob-ably of less value here than in their northern homes, wherein sunnner they feed much on insects. Their chief utilitywhile here consists in their mouse-hunting Fig. 156. — Norlliern Shrike, oue-h;iUnatural size. CHECKS UPON INCREASE OE USEELL BIRDS. 371 Other Bird Enemies. Some Gulls and the larger Grackles or Crow Blackbirdsare accused, with some justice, of nest robbing. Thereseems to be little satisfactory evidence against the Cuckoos,except the general aversion shown toward them by otherbirds. Probably individuals of many species occasionally eat theeggs of other birds or molest their nests, as do the we have acquitted the Catbird of the charge of robbingbirds nests, it is only fair to state that John Burroughs writesthat he saw a Catbird in the act. Still, we cannot concludethat this is a common habit with the Catbird ; it is probablyexceptional, as with the Oriole. While all the smaller birdshave their quarrels, it is not probaljle that many of themseriously molest other s})ecies, REPTILIAN ENEMIES. All the common snakes, except, perhaps, the little greensnake, eat birds and eggs. Birds exhibit great dread ofsnakes, but t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidusefulbi, booksubjectbirds
