11 



numbers, corresponding to the amount of 

 snow to be found north of us. They fre- 

 quent the stacks and outhouses about the 

 farm, and often remain for days about the 

 one locaUty, unless shot down by the farm- 

 er, who immediately concludes that the 

 owl must die because he is on the barn or 

 stack, without any consideration as to what 

 he is there for. I will not go extensively 

 into this species, as I have already in two 

 papers dealt with its economic value, 

 simply quoting figures from the last article, 

 which appeared in a recent issue of The 

 Nor' -West Farmer. 



In the season of 1896-7, I received some 

 70 snowy and 20 horned owls.. The stom- 

 achs of the former failed to reveal the Lrace 

 of poultry, but contained from four to ten 

 mice, the result of the previous nigiit's 

 hunt about the stacks and barns, where 

 they wer killed. From this revelation znd 

 the result of an experiment vith living 

 specimens, it will be seen that the birds re- 

 quired at least seven mice or their equal in 

 other flesh daily to keep them in good con- 

 dition. The first birds were received about 

 November 15 and the last about March 15, 

 so that in 120 days they would have fed, if 

 not disturbed, in the locality, and in which 

 time they would have consumed over 840 

 mice each. 



The amount of grain destroyed by mice 

 is so great that the service rendered by the 

 owls in their destruction will be readily 

 seen. Dr. Fisher's record of stomachs 

 of this species shows two in 29 full stom- 

 achs (7 per cent.) contained poultry or 

 game, while 20 contained mice and other 

 mammals, the balance other sm;all birds. 



This is one of the few species of owls 

 which hunts by day as well as by night, but 

 it is always most active at twilight and 

 early dawn. 



Syrnium ncbulosum, the Barred Owl, 

 comes next in size, but it is considered 

 rare in Manitoba. I have never secured 

 it, and have only seen one specimen in two 

 and a half years. They frequent the deep- 

 er woods, seldom showing themselves in 

 daylight. Regarding the defective vision 

 of this species, Audubon speaks of seeing 

 one alight on the back of a cow, which it 

 left so huriedly on a movement of the ani- 

 mal, as to show it had mistaken it for a 

 more stationary perch. Another record is 

 made of a collector having one alight sud- 

 denly upon the barrel of his gun, which it 

 left as suddenly, but not soon enough to 

 save its life. This is authenticated by 

 Mr. Girard, in his ''Birds of Long Island." 



The stomach record of the species shows 

 that in 8g full stomachs five contained 

 poultry or game and 13 other birds, while 

 all conta'ned rfm.ains of mice, injurious 

 miammals, reptiles and insects. 



This owl IS usually resident wherever 

 found. 



Ulula cincrca (Gmel.) The great gray 

 owl is at first appearances a large and fer- 

 ocious bird, but upon examination is found 

 to be nearly all feathers, the body and limbs 

 being much smaller than the barred owl. 

 It is the most northern of any in its range, 

 and inhabits the wooded countries, and is 

 nowhere common, save in seasons when 

 the great amount of snow and ice in its 

 compels it to move south in search of food, 

 which consists almost entirely of mice and 

 small mammals. In nine stomachs exam- 

 ined only one contained trace of feathers, 

 while all had mice or other mammals. This 

 certainly proves the great gray owl as the 

 most beneficial of his class, but his small 

 numbers render his services less effective 

 than many commoner species. 



Asio Wilsonianus. The Long-Eared 

 Owl and the Short-Eared Owl (Asio acci- 

 pitrinus) are two species of much the same 

 size, the former inhabiting the bush and 

 small blufifs, while the latter lives in the 

 open marshes and fields. Both are quiet 

 and inofifensive birds and are constant en- 

 emies of the mice and other small mam- 

 mals. The long-eared species is the more 

 nocturnal of the two, while neither species 

 are wild and permit of a close approach, 

 making them excellent targets for the ruth- 

 less sportsman out to kill. The record for 

 Wilsonianus is in 92 full stomachs 90 con- 

 tained remains of mice and other mammals, 

 insects, etc., while only one revealed a 

 trace of a game bird and 13 contained 

 traces of other birds. 



The short-eared owl hunts frequently by 

 day, and during mrigrations they move 

 about in flocks in the twilight in search of 

 prey. This bird is frequently dropped by 

 the wanton sportsman for practice as it 

 rises suddenly in front of him in the field 

 or marsh, and is usually left to rot or die 

 from wounds. 



Their stomach record shows in 87 full 

 s'romach all contained mice, small mam- 

 mals or insects, and only 11 showed any 

 trace of small birds, thus proving him ex- 

 ceedingly beneficial. 



Surina ulula caparoch. (The Hawk 

 Owl) is a winter visitant with us, and 

 while here hunts during the day as much 

 as by night, much more so than any of the 

 owls from which characteristic it derives 

 its name. While with us it feeds upon 

 mice and small mammals almost entirely, 

 with an occasional small bird, but as I have 

 no stomach records. I can say nothing more 

 than that all cases which have come under 

 my notice have proven the bird to be en- 

 t-irelv beneficial. In the vicinity of the 

 Riding Mountains the bird is very numer- 

 ous during the winter. It never moves 



