12 USEFUL OR HARMFUL? 



Then, as regards the owl that bird of the night, who 

 shuns the light of the life-giving sun ; for w-hich reason 

 man distrusts and persecutes him. The other birds also 

 regard him with disfavour, and mob him when he 

 ventures forth from his holes by day, big birds and little 

 ones, in common dislike of the uncanny creature. They 

 know 7 full w^ell that this is the nocturnal disturber of 

 woods and fields, .and they resent his ways and his 

 manners. 



When the twilight is over all and the birds of day have 

 betaken themselves to rest, then most of the owls go 

 forth to hunt for quarry. Noiselessly they flit over the 

 quiet meadows and fields; with those eyes which shun 

 the light they can detect through the dimness of evening 

 the nest where small birds are, and this they rifle. And 

 so in that respect they are harmful. The Short-eared 

 owl will take birds from the size of a lark to that of 

 a plover. 



On the other hand, when mice have got the upper hand 

 in house and barn, devouring and spoiling man's 

 provision . then every species of owl is welcome, even 

 he the superstitious countryman calls the Death-bird. 

 And, again, when the weather favours that pest the 

 field-mouse, and the voles, and they swarm in meadows, 

 cornlands and everywhere, so that the land is full of 

 mouse-runs; from all sides comes that gentle singing 

 from tiny throats and the farmer is at his wits' end 

 to know how to be rid of the plague. Then in 

 Hungary the mouse buzzards circle by day over the 

 pastures and fields, making war on the gnawing little 

 beasts; and the whole night long the owls take up 

 the* same useful work. They fill their crops, each of 

 them, with from twenty to thirty mice, fly to their several 



