54 



JOURNAL OF THE WILD BIRD INVESTK iATION SOCIETY. 



are SDinetiines mel with, Init the records are 

 few. I once kept the former, from the San- 

 drini:;:liam Estate, and have Welsh specimens 

 of both stuffed. 



The Little Owl {Carine nnciua, Scop.) for- 

 rnerh- verv rare, has been increasing of late 

 years. Manv of the species imported from 

 Holland have been liberated in this country, 

 and probably from these our present stock has 

 bred. It has been notified to me from several 

 parishes around Ross. 



Two years ago 1 was iii\ited to " look up " 

 a pair of Little Owls in tiie grounds of a lady 

 near Ross. .After an ornithological chat and 

 a cup of tea with this eighty-seven year old 

 lover of birds, I went oiU with the daughters 

 of the house and soon detected the note of 

 Carinc noclita. We .stalked them up, and 

 viewed the pair to good advantage. They 

 appeared to eve us with as much curiosity as 

 we watched them. 



The keeper on an estate in the adjoining 

 parish told me recently that he has observed 

 an increase of this little stranger for the last 

 three years, and expects to see more yet after 

 the breeding season. 



I have kept them on two occasions. The 

 last pair laid eggs, but would not sit. They 

 were grotesque little customers and the most 

 diurnal of all our Owls. 



(To be continued.) 



THE CITIZEN AND WILD BIRDS. 



Bv Dr. WALTER E. COLLINGE, D.Sc, etc. 



St. Aiiilicxi'S University. 



During the past few years much has been 

 written on the subject of wild birds. There 

 is undoubtedh' a growing appreciation on the 

 part of the general public of our avifauna. 

 Notwithstanding this, some very curious 

 opinions still exisl. I>y some people all wild 



birds are regarded as injurious, and conse- 

 (|uentl\' objects to i^e destroyed; while others 

 e.xlol them in flowing panegyrics as things of 

 joy tmd iieauty. Xo doubt in bolli ca.ses the 

 individuals are actuated by the best of 

 motives, but owing to a lack (jf information 

 and knowledge of their ways and habits, both 

 o|)inions are largely misleading. 



A few of our wild birds, such as the liouse- 

 s|iarrow, starling, wood ]3igeon and I'ook, 

 have during recent years increased to such an 

 extent that thev have i^ecome a very serious 

 menace to the cultivator of the soil, and long 

 ago repressive measures should have been 

 undertaken with a view to reducing their 

 numbers; but of the majority of species noth- 

 ing but guod can be said, for, apart from all 

 other considerations, they i3ro\-ide a natural 

 C(jntrol of insect life, withoiu which it would 

 scarcely be possible to protitabh' culiixaie ihe 

 land. 



l"\)r some \ear.s past, owing to climatic and 

 other causes, there has been a serious diminu- 

 tion of many of our beneficial species, and 

 at a time when home-grown food is of more 

 than ordinary value, and thousands of allot- 

 ment holders are endeavouring to produce the 

 maximum yield, it is important that we should 

 very carefully waich an\- factor or factors that 

 are likeh' to iiandica]) the .small grower or that 

 injure his crops. Now there is one factor of 

 most serious import that is taking a loll of 

 from ten to lifiy per cent., or more, of all 

 home-grown food, viz., injurious insects, and 

 there is good reason for supposing that the 

 fact that these ha\-e been so pre\-alent of recent 

 years is in no small measure due to the reduced 

 nimiber of our insect-eating wild birds. 



To conserve and preserve such a beneficial 

 natural force is surely the dutx* of ever\- true 

 citizen, and much more might be done than 

 lias yet iicen altem]3ted. Sureh' theii' beauty 

 ot lorm and I'olnur, the ta.scinaiion of their 

 haiiils, ;ind the music of ilu-ir song aic wdithy 

 <it more than [lassing notice. 



