

mixed. 'I'll is will go on for a few days, . >r unt il I In- ,\\ I i.-a \ Uld 6OCh 



the number of dead i>inls lying ;I!MHII will li.-i\ increased After th. 



the destruction c :ily to begin aga in when I li- \\>-\ t I- >t < >f o\vb ;irn\ ..-. Tin- 



-i null birds thus destroyed are o|' tin- gri ated value to ;m agricultural com nun, 

 and their loss is much to he deplored ; hut on tin- other h;in.| the 



i III 111. -I is, number of mice SO th;it t he good they do probably balance, the ,-\ j| and 

 in such a C.MSC tin- best way is t< . let u;i t inv t;i !< itsCOUne .vithoiit our int -r\ .-nt ion 



T/ Barred o//7 is BO ran- with us th;it its influence on agriculturi 



t'or good or ill. is practically nothing Tin- i'c\v I have found in thi- I'n.\: 

 have ;il\\ ;i\ s c. >n t ;i i m-i 1 inici-. hi it to t h<- soiit h of us wln-iv tin- poll It ry ;ir' allov 

 to roost in trees, it i-> cli;ir^v<l \vitli Occasionally killing h;ilt' '_;' " A n chick- i 



Tin- noisy little Screech 'V/' 1 /, that may in som.- wintcix }, I'oiiii'l in half 



hams in tin- country, is wdl known to every one, and should be ] ly 



every I'ariner. It watches t he granary, the harnyanl aii'l the ^ ;m li.|i. ; IM <1 i- the 

 most iiMld'atiuahle moiiser we have It seeing not only to kill mice !'>> 

 immediate wants hut also tor the pleasure of hunting them. It' the roo-tin _' j.lac.- 

 of one il' these birds is examined after the hird h,-is iisi-d it fora -hurt ti 

 nunihei-s of dc.-id mice will h<- found, most of th<'iii untouched after l-iu^ kilh-rl 

 and deposited there: jirohahly they lay up thisMniv in or<l<-r t<)]n\id" a-.-iin-t 

 nie-'hts of scai-city. but in nearly all cases it will be found that they mv well ahead 

 of any danger <>i' famine. Not only does this little owl rid the country of num- 

 berless mice but in towns and cities it does useful work in keeping tin- common 

 House Sparrow within proper limits. During the winter particularly, il i 

 often he seen hunting about verandahs, under eaves and ani<n;r the Virginia 

 creeper ^Towin^ around dwelling houses, for the sparrows that must then- and ir 

 will <n> regularly over the same beat night after night, until the aec.-ssibl,' 8] 

 rows are thinned down, so that it finds it more profitable to change its hui, 

 ground. Besides its ^i-eat \ - alue as a destroyer of mice and H>u>e Spai-i-o\\>. the 

 Screech ( )wl eats large numbers of large beetles, particularly the wMl-biri-r- 

 and May heetles. both of which classes of insects are capable of doing great injury 

 if suffered to become too numerous. Grasshoppers also form a considerable article 

 of this bird's diet. The good qualities of this little owl cannot be overestim,v 

 Its food consists entirely of such creatures as are most injurious to the crops, and 

 it has not a single evil habit. It should, therefore, be carefully protected and 

 encouraged to tike up its abode in and about the farm buildings. This I beli 

 it would readily do if it was left unmolested. All it asks in return fur its valu- 

 able services, is peace and quiet, and a dark corner to roost in during the day. 



The (Ireat <iray Owl, the Snowy Owl, the Hawk Owl, Richardson's ( )\vl 

 the Saw-whet Owl are only irregular visitors, usually occuring in the winter. The 

 two tirst named are large birds whose food consists chietlv of game birds when 

 in their northern home ; here they feed upon the small ro lentv 



The island and sandbar to the south of Toronto is usually visited by a ' 

 Snowy Owls ,-\ ,-ry winter. Here the birds fee* 1 upon the common hoiis,- rats 



which are altogether too abundant at this sp,>t. A- every owl of any kind that 



\ isits the place is at once shot the rats, having it all their own wav. are in. 



rapidly, 



The Hawk Owl hunts by day on the prairies of the Northwest, and where it 

 o.-curs in sufficient numbers it must do much good by the destruction of meadow 

 Its visits to us are ao rare, however, that it need not be considered i 



Richardson's Owl and the Sa w-whet Owl are two little owls that de-- 

 m my mice and noxious inserts, but are too rare to need further mention. 



