THE SHORT-EARED OWL IN VOLE PLAGUE DISTRICTS 219 



already been noticed elsewhere, some being of opinion that 

 the peculiarity is of recent development, and others that it 

 has been simply overlooked. I am inclined to think that it 

 is in some way closely connected with the undoubted recent 

 adoption of carrion crow-like habits by the common Rook. 

 For over a dozen years back gamekeepers, and many others, 

 have been continually complaining of the injury done them 

 by Rooks in the destruction of eggs, young birds, and young 

 rabbits and hares. Farmers likewise state how frequently 

 their chickens and ducklings are taken now. And every 

 field Ornithologist will at once admit that his observations are 

 also to the same effect Rooks destroyed by poisoned eggs 

 laid down in the usual way, are almost always those with 

 feathered bills. I exhibited a dozen feather-billed Rooks to 

 the members of the Vole Commission at their recent meeting 

 in this neighbourhood, and advanced views that it was an 

 outbreak of carrion crow-like habits amongst the Rooks that 

 had perhaps led to this curious variation. I also stated that 

 for years past the keepers had killed the Rooks wholesale 

 owing to their bad habits, and that to this great destruction 

 of Rooks might be attributed one of the minor causes of the 

 vole plague, for no bird or animal is fonder of young voles 

 than the Rook. It is curious how generally widespread is 

 the notion amongst those connected with game interests that 

 the feather-billed Rook is the produce of a mesalliance with 

 the carrion crow. I should be glad if our field Ornithologists 

 would give the readers of the Annals the benefit of their 

 experience on this very interesting feature in the history of 

 the Rook. 



THE SHORT-EARED OWL (ASIO ACCIPITRINUS, 

 PALLAS) AND THE KESTREL (FALCO TIN- 

 NUNCULUS, LINX.EUS) IN THE VOLE 

 PLAGUE DISTRICTS. 



By PETER ADAIR. 



EARLY this spring I learned that an Owl, strange to the 

 district, had spent last autumn and the winter on certain of 

 the vole-infested farms in Selkirkshire, where it was known 



