82 GMIE PRESERVEES AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



these are to disappear at tlie rate of five or six 

 a day ; but it is all right. He must not inter- 

 fere ; it is only a kestrel. This is an unusual 

 case, but when it happens this bird should be 

 watched for and shot. He is exceeding his 

 orders and wandering out of the path of duty. 



The owl will much more rarely offend in 

 the 'same way. We never had an owl shot, 

 but they never increased in the Highlands. 

 Probably the chmate is too wet for the mice. 

 They had plenty of ivy-mantled rocks, if not 

 towers, to breed on, but two pair were all we 

 ever saw. 



As a hawk can rarely kill a rat because he 

 is a noctiu-nal animal, so an owl can rarely kill 

 young game bh'ds because they are nearly 

 always asleep when he is about. But instances 

 will occur ; there is no use in denying it. 



An owl is returning later than usual. It 

 has been a wet night, and he has had bad luck. 

 The mice preferred ' to sit by the fire and spin.' 

 He is low-spmted, for he knows that Mrs. 



