mixed. This will go on for a few days, or until the owls leave, and each morning 

 the number of dead birds lying about will have increased. After the owls have gone 

 the destruction ceases, only to begin again when the next lot of owls arrive. The 

 small birds thus destroyed are of the greate.st value to an agricultural ctniiuiuiiity. 

 and their loss is much to be deplored ; but on the other hand the (iwls dostrcjy an 

 immense number of mice, so that the good they do probably' balances the evil, and 

 in such a case the best way is to let nature take its course A'lthout our intervention. 

 The Barred Old is .so rare with us that its intlni-nce on agriculture, either 

 for good or ill, is practically nothing. The few I li;i\.' ruuml in this Province 

 have always contained mice, but to the south of us wIm r. tin- poultry ure allowed 

 to roost in trees, it is charged with occasionally killing hulf-grown chickens. 



The noisy little Screech Owl, that may in some winters be found in half the 

 barns in the country, is well known to every one, and should be protected by 

 every farmer. It watches the granary, the barnyard and the garden, and is the 

 most indefatigable mouser we have. It seems not onlj^ to kill mice for its 

 immediate wants hut also for the pleasure of hunting them. If the roosting place 

 of one of these birds is examined after the bii'd has used it for a shoi-t time, 

 numbers of dead mice will be found, most of them untouched after being killed 

 and deposited there : probably they lay up this store in order to jDrovide against 

 nights of scarcity, but in nearly all cases it will he found that they are well ahead 

 of any danger of famine. Not only does this little owl rid the country of num- 

 berless mice but in towns and cities it does useful work in k-eeping the common 

 House Sparrow within proper limits. During the wintei- p.ntieuLiily, it may 

 often be seen hunting about verandahs, umler ea\es ami .innaiL; tlie \'irginia 

 creeper growing around dwelling houses, fur the sparrows that roust there, and it 

 will go regularly over the same beat night after night, initil the accessible spar- 

 rows are thinned down, .so that it finds it more profitable to change its himting 

 ground. Besides its great value as ,1 destroyer of mici- ami Hous.> Sii.irrows, the 

 Screech Owl eats large Tiumheis of laige l,c,tles. particulaily the woo.l-borers 

 and May beetles, both of which classes of insects are cijialile of duing gre.it injury 

 if sutlercrl to become too numero'is. (Irasshoppers also form a considerahle article 

 of this fiird's diet. The good (|ualities of this little owl cannot he ox .restiiaated. 

 Its food consists entirely of such creatures as are most injurious to the crops, and 

 it has not a single evil habit. It should, therefore, be carefully piocected and 

 encouraged to take up its abode in and about the farm buildings. This I believe 

 it woidd readily do if it was left unmolested. All it asks in return for its valu- 

 al)le services, is peace and quiet, and a dark corner to roost in during the da.j-. 



The Great Gray Owl, the Snowy Owl, the Hawk Owl, Richardson's Owl and 

 the Saw-w'het Owl are only irregular visitors, usttally occttring in the winter. The 

 two first named are large birds whose food consists chiefly of game Ijirds when 

 in their northern home ; here they feed upon the small roilents. 



The island and samlhar to the south of Toronto is u.sually visited by a few 

 Snowy < 'wis e\ cry w intei-. Here the bii-ds feed upon the common hou.se rats 

 which are alt' luetlier too abundant at this spot. As every owl of any kind that 

 \isits the place is at once shot the rats, having it all their own way, arc increasing 

 rapidly. 



The Hawk Owl hunts by day on the prairies of the Northwest, and where it 

 occurs in sufficient numbers it must do much good by the destruction of meadow 

 nnce. Its visits to us are .so rare, however, that it need not be considered here. 



Richardson's Owl and the Saw-whet Owl are two little owls that destroy 

 many mice and noxious insects, but are too rare to need further mention. 



