PESTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 151 



The time was when we could hesitate before 

 deciding the fate of the Great Horned Owl, but 

 owing to the enormous decrease in bird life that 

 period has gone by. To-day the horned owl is an 

 aerial murderer and robber, and the benefits he 

 confers in rat-killing are completely buried under 

 a mass of slaughtered song-birds, ruffed grouse, 

 quail, pigeons, ducks and other birds. I advise 

 every forest ranger to kill every great horned owl 

 that he can kill, and thereby save hosts of useful 

 birds. In British Columbia the great horned owl 

 has been, and still is, a great scourge to the upland 

 game-birds grouse, ptarmigan and quail. The 

 game-birds were so abundant that presently the 

 owls became epicurean in their tastes and often ate 

 only the brains of their prey. Then systematic 

 warfare began, and in two years, 1910 and 1911, 

 3,139 great horned owls were killed. The provin- 

 cial game warden, Mr. A. Bryan Williams, declared 

 in his last annual report that since the destruction 

 of those owls the grouse had visibly increased. 



The rather small and slender Long-Eared Owl 

 should live. He destroys a few sparrows, but these 

 are paid for three times over by his slaughter of 

 wild mice of many species. Of all owls he is the 

 greatest mouser. 



The Short-Eared Owl is in all respects an under- 

 study of the long-eared, and deserves similar 

 immunity from slaughter, and protection. 



The Barred Owl is as omnivorous as the raccoon. 



