List of Birds Examined. 61 



Food of Nestlings. 



The food of the nine nestlings consisted entirely of the remains 

 of insects, amongst these a small Lepidopterous larva, aphids and 

 beetle remains were prominent. In two cases wireworms were 

 present. 



Conclusion. 



The lark, generally speaking, does more good than harm. The 

 migratory birds arriving in the autumn should to some extent be 

 destroyed. 



BARN OWL. 



Strix flammea, Linn. 



The habits of this much maligned bird will bear the strictest 

 investigation ; indeed, the more we know of the details the more 

 manifest is its beneficial character shown to be. Few who have 

 studied it, have anything but good to record, thus Archibald (3) 

 writes: "It subsists mainly on mice and shrews, including the 

 destructive little vole, or, as it is more commonly called, the 

 short-tailed field mouse. . . . The quantity of these small 

 devastating animals thus consumed is, indeed, enormous ; and, even 

 if the barn-owl were mischievous in other ways which it is not its 

 very great services in keeping down an enemy, capable of such 

 wholesale destruction, sliould cause it to be rigidly protected 

 throughout the year. 



" Its diet is frequently varied with rats, moles, and water-rats, 

 whilst bats, large insects, and even fish are also sought for, . . . 

 Small birds are occasionally taken, but not often ; thus, in the 

 examination of 706 pellets, Dr. Altum found the remains of nine- 

 teen sparrows, one greenfinch, and two swifts." 



Smith (105) states : " I must say a good word for our friend the 

 owl. I am sorry to say he will soon be a rare bird unless something 

 can be done to save him. There is a general idea among keepers 

 that the owl is a destroyer of game, but I do not think he deserves 

 that character; he lives chiefly on mice, rats, beetles and moles. I 

 once gave a tame owl eleven mice; the last one certainly stuck out 

 of his mouth for some time, but by jumping vigorously, with his 

 head pointing straight upward, the bird succeeded it getting it 

 down!" 



Hooper (68) says: "The Barn Owl is a most valuable mouse 

 killer, nine-tenths of its food appears to consist of mice ; the number 



