172 



[Proc. B.N.F.C. 



The Kestrel is one of the most useful birds we have. By far 

 the greater portion of its food consists of mice, rats, and beetles, 

 and the number of injurious creatures it exterminates is enormous 

 — 178 wire worms being found in one bird. Yet this farmer's 

 friend is continually shot down. It is true that it may sometimes 

 take a young Pheasant, but what of that? Two facts about the 

 Kestrels should always be borne in mind. The first is that it is 

 only during a very brief period of the game bird's existence that 

 any danger need be apprehended from the Kestrel, for it will not 

 touch them except during their helpless infancy. Secondly, 

 throughout the rest of the year the Kestrel does incalculable and 

 unmixed good by the destruction of hosts of field mice and 

 injurious beetles. 



The value of farm produce thus saved is almost beyond esti- 

 mation. It is, therefore, a short-sighted policy to exterminate 

 such useful birds because they do a certain amount of harm, that 

 harm being confined to a very few weeks in the year. 



The Sparrow-Hawk is a much more mischievous and less 

 useful bird. On the one hand, it is very fond of both game and 

 poultry ; on the other hand, it kills mice, Wood-Pigeons, and many 

 injurious insects, so that it does a certain amount of good. 



When the Kestrel retires to roost, the good work of destroying 

 mice is carried on by the Owls, which come forth at dusk from 

 barn, or ruin, or ivied tree, to prey upon these small, but expensive 

 animals. Owls, like Hawks, return the indigestible portion of 

 their food through the mouth, and large quantities of their castings 

 may be found in places which they frequent. An examination of 

 these castings should be quite sufficient to convince any reason- 

 able being, not only of the harmlessness of owls, but also of the 

 gigantic service which they render to game preservers and farmers. 



The food of the Barn Owl consists chiefly of mice and rats, 

 bats and various small birds (and voles, in countries where there 

 are voles). Seebohm gives an instance in which 20 freshly killed 

 rats were found in a Barn Owl's nest. He also tells us that in 706 



