BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 45 



the mice are entirely protected by it, then the owls go south. This bird 

 is peculiarly adapted to act as a check upon the undue increase of field 

 mice. It lives and breeds entirely in the places most frequented by 

 them, and so long as these destructive creatures can be obtained, the 

 Owl will feed upon them ; apparently preferring them to any other food. 

 When the supply of mice fails, however, these Owls will feed upon such 

 small birds as may be found in their haunts, and will at times kill more 

 than they can devour. 



Dr. C. K. Clarke informs me that it has been found nesting in the 

 marsh near Kingston, and as I have seen it during the summer months 

 in other marshes, no doubt it breeds sparingly in southern Ontario and 

 more abundantly in suitable places in the northern part of the Province. 



If these Owls were less persecuted than they are, they would cer- 

 tainly breed here whenever their favourite food was abundant, as they do 

 in Great Britain, and we should then hear less about the damage done to 

 grain and fruit trees by meadow mice. 



GENUS SYRNIUM. 

 (368) Barred Owl. 



(Syrnium varium.) 



This bird is generally distnuuted through the Province, as far north 

 as Lake Superior and the Ottawa River, but is not common anywhere; 

 there are certain places at which it appears regularly every autumn, 

 while in other localities it is rarely, if ever, seen. Nests have been found 

 all through its range. 



It is not sufficiently abundant to be of importance from an agricultural 

 point of view. Those I have taken here always contained mice, but to 

 the south of us, where the poultry are allowed to roost on trees, it is 

 accused of killing half-grown chickens. 



GENUS SCOTIAPTRX. 



(370) Great Grey Owl. (Cinereus Owl.) 



(Scotiaptex nebulosa.) 



An irregular winter visitor, occasionally occurring in considerable 

 numbers and a few are found here nearly every season. Breeds in the 

 Arctic regions. 



GENUS CRYPTOGLAUX. 



(*) (37 1 ) Richardson's Owl. 



(Cryptoglaux tengmalmi richardsoni.) 



A winter visitor from the far north, seldom seen in southern Ontario. 



(372) Saw-whet Owl. 



(Cryptoglaux acadica.) 



Although this little Owl is a resident of Ontario, it is peculiar in 

 its distribution. It is most frequently seen in winter and will in some sea- 



