245 



lie docs, piiiiriiiiillv on iiiscuts snoli ;is ;^i-asHlio|i|)i'rs 

 and beetles in the suniiner, aud in winter, wlien iiisecl 

 food is scaico, on mice of different Icinds, and small 

 wild birds, jjartlcularl.v sparrows. 



KILLS THK FEATHT<;RED PRIZE-FIGHTERS. 



The Enj^dish Sparrow has, perhaps, no more relent- 

 less a foe amonji; the feathered tribe than is the mnch 

 abused and persecuted Screech Owl. At night, when 

 the sparrows are sleepinj,' about buildings, 1he owl 

 noiselessly wings his way to their retreats and cap 

 tures tliem with apparently but little effort. Last win- 

 ter I knew a paii' of Sci'eech Owls to regularly visit, 

 every night, for al)ont a week, an ivy covered build- 

 ing where a large colony of sparrows had taken up 

 their abode. The owls appeared perfectly satisfied 

 with their work, and to. all outward appe<arances 

 thrived on a diet of sparrows. The sparrows, on the 

 other hand, which escaped the owls' sharp claws, after 

 nearly ten days or nights experience, evidently came to 

 the conclusion that it would be more conducive to their 

 nocturnal slumbers and safety to hunt another roost- 

 ing place, and they did so. 



For a period of nearly a month the sparrows were 

 not observed to return to the ivy roost. One evening 

 a boy threw a stone at one of the owls and killed it. 

 Its mate disappeared about the same time, and in a 

 short time, probably a week, after the owls had gone, 

 the sparrows returned to their old roosting place in the 

 ivy. 



The fanner or fruit grower who will allow Screccli 

 Owls (o be destroyed, is certainly standing in his own 

 light, and the sooner he familiarizes himself with the 

 true ecunoiiiic rehitioiis of these birds. I he lirl Icr i( will 

 be for his intnvsls. 



