112 BARN OWL. 



Owls suffer great persecution, and they rarely deserve it. They 

 render the greatest service to mankind, by a wholesale destruction 

 of rats, mice, and bats, whilst their nocturnal habits prevent them 

 from being able to do much injury, either in the game preserves, or in 

 the henroost. Their numbers, nevertheless, are rapidly diminishing 

 before the fatal pole traps of the keeper ; though these may not, 

 perhaps, be always set for them. Their usefulness admits of ready 

 proof, since Owls return the bones and indigestible portions of 

 their food in elongated pellets, and great numbers of these pellets 

 have been very carefully examined, amongst others by the German 

 Naturalists. Dr. Altum communicated to the German Ornitho- 

 logical Society in 1862 the following results of his examination 

 with regard to the three commonest species of Owls (as given by 

 Yarrell) :— 



REMAINS FOUND IN THE PELLETS. 



3 237 693 1590 — 22 — 

 - 6 35 — — 2. — 

 6 42 296 33 48 18 48 



In no single instance was any trace of food found showing 

 injury to mankind, whilst every portion, in every pellet, proved the 

 great benefit they rendered to him. 



The Owl that, watchinof in the barn 

 Sees the mouse creeping in the corn, 

 Sits still, and shuts his round blue eyes 

 As if he slept, — until he spies 

 The little beast within his stretch — 

 Then starts, — and seizes on the wretch ! 



Butler. 



The White or Barn-Owl resides all the year with us, and is 

 perhaps the best known of all British Owls, from its frequenting 

 church towers, barns, old malt kilns, deserted ruins, and trees, and 

 keeping year by year to the same haunts. 



Alone and warming his five wits 

 The White Owl in the belfry sits. 



Texnyson. 



