180 PROTECTION AGAINST ANIMALS. 



affords means of escape when pursued by a rat, or other 

 enemy. 



A limited protection may also be afforded when mice are 

 swarming, to the fox (Canis vulpes, L.), the pine-marten 

 (Mustelamartcs, L.), the beech -marten (Mustela foina, Briss.) 

 and the wild cat (Felis cattis, L.), in spite of the damage they 

 may do to game. A full-grown fox will eat two or three 

 dozen mice daily, and in S. Sweden, where foxes are numerous, 

 there are no plagues of mice. 



Birds* 



The following birds are extremely useful in destroying 

 mice : The kestrel (Falco tinnunculus, L.) ; the buzzards, 

 especially the common buzzard (Buteo vidgaris, Leach) ; 

 owls, especially the long-eared and short-eared owls (Otm 

 vulgaris, Flemm., and 0. brachyotus, Cuv.) ; also, the tawny 

 owl (Syrnium Aluco, Boie), the little owl (Carine noctua, 

 Scopoli), and the barn-owl (Strix flammea, L.). To these 

 may be adde'd the hen-harrier and the marsh-harrier (Circuit 

 cyaneus and C. aeruginosus) . Mr. Tegetmeier states that a 

 pair of barn-owls brought food to their nest 5 times in three 

 hours. This probably meant 150 mice in 4J hours. The 

 short-eared owl hunts mice in day-time and appeared in 

 Scotland in large numbers during the plague of mice. 



The rook (Corvus frugilegus, L.) kills mice, especially in 

 the autumn, so do the black crow (C. corone, Lam.) and the 

 hooded crow (C. comix, L.), which are sometimes said to be 

 varieties of the same species and to interbreed freely. The 

 above three species of Corvus occasionally attack acorn-sow- 

 ings, and break off the leading shoots of conifers, and the 

 crow does much damage by eating the eggs of partridges and 

 other birds, but on the whole their utility is greater than 

 their destructiveness. 



Herons (Ardea cinerea) and storks (Ciconia alba, L.) occa- 

 sionally feed on mice, and so does the black-headed gull 

 (Larus ridibundus, L.). 



* The scientific names for birds follow Yarrcll, " British Birds," 4th edition. 

 Kevised by A. Newton, F.K.S., and H. Saunders, 187485. 



