Field and Covert Poachers. 237 



woodlands are also mighty hunters, and an exam- 

 ination of their pellets showed equally interesting 

 results. It must be remembered in this con- 

 nection that Britain is essentially an agricultural 

 country, and that if its fauna is a diminutive one 

 it is not less formidable. We have ten tiny 

 field creatures constituting an army in them- 

 selves, which if not kept under would quickly 

 devastate our fields. These ten species consist 

 of four mice, three voles, and three shrews. In- 

 dividually, so tiny are these that any one species 

 could comfortably curl itself up in the divided 

 shell of the horse-chestnut. But farmers well 

 know that if these things are small they are no 

 means to be despised. Now that the corn crops 

 are cut and the hay housed, the field vole and 

 meadow mouse are deprived of their summer 

 shelter. Of this the barn-owl is perfectly aware, 

 and at evening he may be seen sweeping low 

 over the meadows seeking whom he may 

 devour. And with what results we already 

 know. 



Much unnatural history has been written of 

 the owls, and unfortunately most people have 

 their ideas from the poets. 



The barn-owl, when she has young, brings to 

 her nest a mouse every twelve minutes, and, as 

 she is actively employed both at evening and 

 dawn, and both male and female hunt, forty 

 mice a day is the lowest computation we can 



