6 Coward, Note on the Little Ozvl and its Food. 



as a whole, are very rightly claimed as farmers' friends — 

 birds of economic value which do little dama.^e in the 

 game preserves. I have no intention of discussing the 

 ethics of game preservation. I neither attack the attitude 

 of the preserver, who contends that certain creatures are 

 inimical to his interests, nor defend the "shut-eye" policy 

 of the extremist who refuses to listen to any complaint 

 against a bird. We may take it as proved that, with a 

 few exceptions, owls do not kill game, the reason being 

 lack of opportunity. The majority of our owls feed by 

 night, beginning their rounds after dusk. They dare not 

 attack so powerful a bird as an adult pheasant, partridge, 

 or grouse ; and at the time that they are normally hunting 

 all well-conducted young game-birds are safe beneath the 

 maternal wing. The Short-eared Owl is more diurnal in 

 its habits, but it is rare as a breeding species in Britain ; 

 the Little Owl, also, hunts both by day and night. When, 

 as occasionally happens, a Barn or Tawny Owl is forced 

 by the needs of its family to hunt in the daytime, it will 

 snatch up any small game-bird as readily as any other 

 creature which is edible. The Little Owl finds the foolish 

 pheasant chick easy to capture and tender for its young. 

 Can we blame it if it sins? 



Evidence about the food of owls is frequently deduced 

 from the examination and analysis of the contents of 

 cast-up or regurgitated pellets or " plugs." These pellets 

 consist of the indigested portions of the food, sorted out 

 in the crop ; in the owls, bone, hard portions of insects, 

 hair and feather. In order, however, to treat the owl fairly 

 we must examine these pellets at all seasons, and also 

 take into consideration the fact that certain soft foods 

 may be passed practically entire into the stomach. If we 

 find no remains of immature game-birds in pellets thrown 

 up at seasons when no such food could be obtained our 



