184 Protection of Wild Life in Yorkshire. 
portion of game birds were brought as food for the young. 
During the whole season not a single game bird was brought to 
the nest and this in a first-class game country. I do not want 
to suggest from this that they never do take the young of 
game birds, but I do insist that the damage done by them is 
greatly exaggerated. In a like manner the Kestrel is greatly 
libelled, the food of Kestrels consists mainly of small mammals 
and occasionally small birds. Individual Kestrels will at times 
make raids on the young Pheasants in the rearing fields, 
though the main attraction there is the number of mice con- 
gregated to feed upon the food thrown to the birds. In a 
case of this kind, one cannot find fault with a keeper for des- 
troying them. He, however, should not damn the whole 
family because one or two individuals stray from the straight 
path. Several of our members have of late years spent some 
time photographing the Merlin at home. A careful scrutiny 
of the food brought to the young has shown, that seldom, if 
ever, are young game birds brought. Photographing wild 
birds from small tents or hides, has helped to dispel many 
erroneous ideas which had pr evailed respecting the habits 
of birds. The tents are pitched quite close to the nests, as a 
rule the birds quickly become familiar with them, and the 
observer is able at his ease to watch and take careful notes 
of the domestic economy of shy birds, which no other method 
would allow. 
The productive power of Hawks and especially of Owls, is 
governed to a great extent by the relative abundance of field 
mice. In a year when they are plentiful, Owls lay larger 
clutches of eggs and have consequently larger families, and 
correspondingly smaller ones when mice are scarce. The chief 
prey of all Owls are small mammals, principally rats and mice. 
The Tawny Owl will occasionally, like the Kestrel, pay undue 
attention to the young Pheasants in the rearing field, and 
consequently deserves the fate meted out to him. The only 
bird (excepting Terns and Gulls) which ever made an attack 
upon me was a Tawny Owl. I had taken her single young one 
from the nest to photograph ; the nest was an old one of the 
Magpie, and situated right on the top of a Scot’s pine. As- 
cending the tree to replace the young one, I suddenly got a 
severe blow on one side of my face; before I could realise 
what had happened I got another one on the other side. Her 
ladyship drew blood on both occasions, but when I tumbled to 
what was happening, I easily prevented futher damage. The 
nest, I might mention, contained besides the young Owl, three 
dead rats about three-quarters grown. 
The Barn Owl is essentially the farmer’s friend. Fre- 
quently nesting in pigeon cotes, they never molset the rightful 
occupants, but in return for their shelter, keep them free from 
Naturalist 
