the day time when they were about the banks of the creeks, driven there by the 

 high water of our usual spring freshet. These owls are very powerful birds, 

 usually killing for themselves all the food they eat, and only resorting to carrion 

 in the direst, extremity of hunger. Turkeys and guinea fowls, from their habit 

 of roosting in trees, frequently fall victims to the strength and rapacity of these 

 creatures. In such cases only the head and neck of the slain will be eaten, the 

 bodies being left to animals of less power, or meaner ambition, to finish. 



The Long-eared Owl is a much smaller bird than the last (being about fifteen 

 inches in length), and contents itself with much humbler fare than its big cousin. 

 It is fairly common throughout the cultivated districts, particularly in the autumn, 

 when it may often be found in clumps of willows and alders that have been left 

 in the low places about the tields and pastures. Quite frequently a pair will be 

 found together. These are not, however, always male and female. 1 have never 

 seen any evidence to show that this owl ever attacks poultry, and I do not believe 

 that it could kill any domestic fowl larger or stronger than a pigeon. Its 

 chief food consists of mice, varied occasionally by small birds and insects, more 

 particularly the wood-boring beetles ; of these one or more will generally le 

 found in the stomach or crop of every specimen examined. It is nocturnal in its; 

 habits, rarely moving about during the day unless disturbed, and even then it seems 

 loth to move. Only once have I seen it attempting to hunt in daylight, and that 

 occurred in western Ontario on a very dull, still day in November, when about 

 four o'clock in the afternoon 1 saw a pair of them hovering over a field of long grass 

 into which we had driven a bevy of quail. I suspected the owls of quail-hunting on 

 their own account so followed them and shot both, but their stomachs contained no 

 trac<* of feathers nothing but mice. The only harm these owls can ever 

 justly be accused of doing is the occasional killing of a small bird, and that is so 

 far overbalanced by the great amount of good they do, that they are entitled to 

 all the protection possible. 



The Short-eared Owl is about the same size as the last named species, but 

 may be distinguished from it by the absence of the long ear-tufts, which are a 

 conspicuous feature in the latter. This is probably the most abundant of all our 

 owls, but it seldom frequents cultivated land, usually resorting to low-lying 

 meadows and marsh hay lands. It is most commonly seen in 'the autumn, and 

 appears to be somewhat gregarious, large numbers sometimes arriving at one of 

 their feeding grounds together, and remaining there for a few days, then all move 

 off again as they came, to be replaced after a short interval by another lot. The 

 great bulk of them leave this Province by midwinter, or before if the snow 

 should become deep, their movement towards the south being regulated entirely 

 by the depth of snowfall. Whilst the ground is uncovered they are able to obtain 

 a full supply of mice, which form the staple article of their diet ; when the snow 

 is deep the mice work underneath it. The supply being cut off, they are driven 

 southward, whither the small birds have already gone, so they cannot fall back 

 upon them. Unfortunately this is a bad failing with the Short-eared owl in lact 

 my experience shows that it feeds upon mice and small birds indiscriminately, 

 and what is worse, I am satisfied that it kills far more birds than it can eat. 

 Near my home there is a large marsh partially surrounded by low meadows, 

 which support a rank growth of grass, rushes and weeds of various kinds. This 

 place is much frequented in the autumn by sparrows and warblers, migrating 

 southward; in fact at times the place fairly swarms with them. Suddenly a 

 number of Short-eared owls will appear on the scene, and then numbers of small 

 birds will be found lying about dead, some partly eaten and others with only 

 the skull crushed and a few feathers plucked off. At these times I have shot many 

 of the owls, and found the crops and stomach to contain mice and small birds 



