The Canadian Horticulturist. 



93 



THE SAW WHET OR ACADIAN OWL, 



i J ■■[■; HIS (listrn i is notable tor the manv different kinds of owls 

 which frequent it. Eleven distinct species are known to orni- 

 thologists here. Some of them are nearly as large as eagles, 

 and occasionally play havoc with our domestic fowls when 

 roosting on trees in the fall of the year. Other kinds are of 

 very small size, and live chiefly on small vermin. The saw- 

 whet is the smallest of all the owls, perhaps the smallest of 

 all birds of prey which visit us here. In many respects he 

 may be regarded as a curiosity. The first one I ever saw was 

 when one morning, about thirty years ago, a neighbor called my attention to 

 what he said was a cat-bird killing a pigeon on his barn floor. There I found a 

 little owl grasping with his talons the neck of a blue dove, about three times the 

 owl's size, and nearly dead. It was only by physical force the slayer was 

 compelled to let go his hold. So I slew him in order to 

 procure his skin for preservation, for I strongly suspected 

 him of being the murderer of some of my fine fancy pigeons. 

 Saw-whets are never very numerous hereabout, but 

 last fall a few of them were observed in the orchards in this 

 vicinity. They seem to have little fear of man, or, indeed, 

 of any other animal. For a place of abode in the fall, they 

 seem to prefer an apple tree ; they perch close up to the 

 trunk of the tree and will not fly until closely approached, 

 and then will fly only a short distance. 



It is well known they do not eat fruit, nor do they hunt 

 for food in the day-time, hence we conclude they are in the orchards for the 

 purpose of preying upon field mice during night-time. In winter they are often 

 seen in barns or other farm buildings ; there, of course, for the double purpose 

 of shelter and food supplies. 



On the crossbeam of a large barn, I lately saw one of these little owls 

 surrounded by a multitude of English sparrows making a great noise, apparently 

 trying to get the mysterious looking creature to make a movement, but there he 

 quietly sat, seemingly quite unconcerned, knowing full well how easy it would be 

 for him to procure supper and breakfast from among them after darkness 

 obscured their visions. Probably that was the first time any of those sparrows 

 had ever seen such a prodigy, for, although known widely throughout North 

 America, they are not abundant in any locality. I have not yet met a naturalist 

 who could tell me much about their habits, but it seems they are not migratory, 

 in the ordinary sense of the word. I think, however, there can be no doubt 



Fig. 



519. — Nyctale 



ACADICA. 



