NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



keep nocturnal rodents in check ; and the hawk preys 

 upon those which come forth to feed by day. 



The worst enemy of the game bird is the rat. 

 This rodent, particularly the bold brown rat, destroys 

 the eggs, chicks, and even adult birds. But so silently 

 and secretly does it work, that men do not perceive its 

 fearful ravages, but, finding the remains of a young 

 hare or game bird on occasion in the pellets or crops 

 of eagle owls, they slay these birds which are the 

 saviours of game birds, crops, and pasturage. Truly 

 man has eyes, but he sees not. In the course of a 

 year an eagle owl may kill two or three partridges 

 which were unwise enough to venture from their 

 retreats before the owls had retired to rest at break 

 of day. One rat will kill the sitting bird and ravage 

 a nest containing eight to a dozen eggs in a single 

 night. Ascending the trees, and guided by its keen 

 sense of smell, it preys upon the eggs and helpless 

 young of highly valuable insect-eating birds ; or, 

 having a fancy for grain, it visits the standing crops 

 or barns, and feasts to repletion. 



An owl kills a minimum of 1,000 rats and mice a 

 year, and indirectly saves great numbers of valuable 

 birds and produce. The young of both owls and hawks 

 remain a long time in the nest and consume great 

 quantities of food, which consists almost entirely of 

 destructive rodents captured by the parents. 



I have seen eagle owls mobbed by small birds 

 during the daytime, and never on any occasion did 

 they attempt to retaliate. Even when in the deep, 

 dark recesses of the forests they did not make any 



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