20 



when it imi}' ui'LcJi be I'uuiid in e'luin})s of willows and alders that have been left iu 

 low places about the fields and pastures. Quite frequently a pair will be found 

 together. These are not, however, always male and female. 1 have never seen 

 any evidence to show that this owl attacks poultry, and I do not believe that ic 

 could kill any domestic fowl larger or stronger than a pigeon. Its chief food con- 

 sists of mice, varied occasioiially by small birds and insects, more particularly the 

 wood-boring beetles; of these one or more will generally be found in the stomach of 

 every specimen examined. It is nocturnal in its habits, rarely moving about 

 during the day unless disturbed, and even then it seems loath to move. 'Only once 

 have I seen it attempting to hunt in daylight, and that occurred in western 

 Ontario on a very dull, still day in November, when about four o'clock in the after- 

 noon I saw^ a pair of them hovering over a field of long grass into which we had 

 driven a bevy of quail. I suspected the owls of quail-hunting on their own 

 account so followed them and shot both, 'but their stomachs contained no trace of 

 feathers — nothing but mice. The only harm these owls can ever justly be accused 

 of doing is the occasional killing of a small bird, and that is so far overbalanced 

 by the great amount of good they do, that they are entitled to all the protection 

 possible. 



The 8hort-eared Owl is about the same size as the last named species, but may 

 be distinguished from it by the absence of the long ear-tufts, which are a con- 

 spicious feature of the latter. This is probably the most abundant of all our owls, 

 but it seldom frequents cultivated land, usually resorting to low-lying meadows 

 and marsh hay lands. It is most commonly seen in the autumn, and appears to be 

 somewhat gregarious, large numbers sometimes arriving at one of their feeding 

 grounds together, and remaining there for a few days, then all move off again as- 

 they came, to be replaced after a short interval by another lot. The great bulk of 

 them leave this Province by midwinter, or before if the snow should become deep, 

 their movement towards the south being regulated entirely by the depth of snow- 

 fall. Whilst the ground is uncovered they are able to obtain a full supply of mice, 

 which form the staple article of their diet; when the snow is deep the mice work 

 underneath it. The supply being cut off, they are driven southward, whither tlio 

 small birds have already gone, so they cannot fall back upon them. Unfortunately 

 this is a bad failing with the Short-eared Owl — in fact my experience shows that it 

 feeds upon mice and small birds indiscriminately, and what is worse I am satisfied 

 that it kills far more birds than it can eat. Near my home there is a large marsh 

 partially surrounded by low meadows, which support a rank growth of grass, rushes 

 and weeds of various kinds. This place is much frequented in the autumn by 

 sparrows and warblers, migrating southward; in fact at times the place fairly 

 swarms with them. Suddenly a number of Short-eared Owls will appear on the 

 scene, and then numbers of small birds will be foujul lying about dead, some partly 

 eaten and others with only the skull crushed and a few feathers plucked off. At 

 these times I have shot many of the owls, and found the crops and stomachs to 

 contain mice and small birds mixed. Tins will go on for a few days, or imtil the 

 owls leave, and each morning the number of dead birds lying about will have 

 increased. After the owls have gone the destruction ceases, only to begin again 

 when the next lot of owls arrive. The r^mall birds thus destroyed are of the 

 greatest value to an agricultural community, and their loss is much to be deplored: 

 but on the other hand the owls destroy an immense number of mice, so that the 

 good they do probably balances the evil, and in such a case the best wav is to let 

 nature take its course without our intervention. 



