ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 18-N0. 10 



this locality that the birds, though formerly 

 numerous, are now nearly extinct ; and in 

 every part of the United States they are be- 

 ing rapidly exterminated. 



Not long ago the Agricultural Department 

 at Washington, for the purpose of learning 

 what proportion of the carnivorous birds were 

 really injurious and what beneficial, sent a 

 large number of circulars to various parts of 

 the country, and even as far as Alaska, ask- 

 ing people to send the stomachs of all carniv- 

 orous birds to Washington for examination. 

 A large number of persons responded, and 

 two thousand seven hundred stomachs were 

 received by the department. Of these eight 

 hundred and fifty were the stomachs of va- 

 rious kinds of Owls ; sixteen species being 

 represented. 



These were all opened, and the contents 

 carefully examined by expert naturalists, and 

 the report of the examination has lately been 

 issued, in a neat volume of two hundred 

 pages. 



From this report we glean the following 

 facts : — 



Of the Barn Owl, which is found more or 

 less abundantly over the entire country, 

 thirty-nine stomachs were received. Seven 

 of them were empty, four contained insects, 

 one a Pigeon, three other small birds, and 

 the balance contained small Rodents, such as 

 Mice, Rats, Gophers, etc. 



Of the Long-eared Owl, found from Mex- 

 ico to Hudson Bay and from Nova Scotia to 

 California, one hundred and seven stomachs 

 were examined. Of these, but one contained 

 a game-bird (a Quail). Fifteen contained 

 other birds, one a Squirrel, and the remainder 

 contained Mice. 



Of the Short-eared Owl, distributed over 

 the entire country, one hundred and one 

 stomachs were examined. Eleven contained 

 small birds, one contained part of a Rabbit 

 and seventy-seven contained Mice. 



Of the Barred Owl, inhabiting the entire 

 country east of the Rocky Mountains, one 

 hundred and nine stomachs were examined, 



Five contained poultry or game-birds, 

 thirteen contained other birds, five contained 

 Squirrels, four contained Rabbits, and the 

 others contained Mice, Frogs, Lizards, etc. 



Of the Great Grey Owl, which is very rare 

 south of the fortieth parallel, nine stomachs 

 were examined. All of them contained small 

 Rodents, and one in addition contained a 

 Snow Bunting. 



Of the Saw- Whet Owl, also rare below the 

 the fortieth parallel, twenty-two stomachs 

 were examined. Seventeen contained Mice, 

 one a Sparrow, one insects, and three were 

 empty. 



Of the Screech Owl, common throughout 

 the entire temperate zone, and the best 

 known of all the Owls, two hundred and fif- 

 ty-five stomachs were examined. One con- 

 tained a Pigeon, thirty-eight contained other 

 birds, ninety-one contained Mice, and one 

 hundred contained insects. 



Of the Great Horned Owl, found from 

 Central America to the Arctic circle, and 

 which seems to be the black sheep among 

 Owls, one hundred and twenty-seven stomachs 

 were examined. Of these, thirty-one con- 

 tained poultry or game-birds, eight contained 

 other birds, twenty-nine contained Rabbits, 

 five contained Squirrels, and but thirteen 

 contained Mice. 



Of the Snowy Owl, which is rare south of 

 the fortieth parallel and west of the Rocky 

 Mountains, thirty-eight stomachs were ex- 

 amined. Two contained game-birds, nine 

 contained other birds, two contained Rab- 

 bits, and twelve contained Mice. 



Of the Hawk Owl, which, by the way, is 

 seldom found as far south as the LInited 

 States, but one stomach was received. That 

 came from Quebec, and contained a Mouse. 



Of the Burrowing Owl, which belongs ex- 

 clusively to .America and is found from Pata- 

 gonia to Manitoba, thirty-two stomachs were 

 examined. Three contained small mammals 

 and the remainder contained insects. 



Of Pygmy Owl, rare east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, but sI.n stomachs were e.'samined. 



