THE COMMON CREEPER 27 



of owlets has come forth and are hatched by the warmth of these 

 young, so that owlets in various stages of growth may be found in 

 the same nest. 



The barn owl is found in all parts of the British Islands, though 

 it is somewhat rare in the northern parts of Scotland, and fre- 

 quents barns, pigeon-cots, stackyards, ruins, and hollow trees, 

 the two latter being its chief haunts, and from its dwelling and 

 nesting places scours the surrounding districts of field mice and 

 rats, particularly young rats, its mousing proclivities being 

 very pronounced, four species of mice having been found at the 

 same time in one nest : the common house mouse, harvest mouse, 

 Jong-tailed field mouse, and the short-tailed grass mouse (vole). 

 It has been noted that forty mice have been brought to the nest 

 of the barn owl in one hour. Mice and voles, with rats, varied 

 with cockchafers, larger moths and other injurious insects form 

 the chief dietary of the barn or white owl. 



The COMMON CREEPER (Certhia familiaris), Fig. 24 (left hand), 

 belonging to the family Certhidse, or creeper kind, is remarkable for 



FIG. 24. THE COMMON CREEPER (LEFT HAND) ; NUTHATCH (UPPER) ; AND 

 SPOTTED WOODPECKER (LOWER FIGURE). 



