THE BIRD STUDY BOOK 



and took them to his laboratory. A painstaking 

 examination showed that they contained four 

 hundred and fifty-three skulls. Here is his list 

 made out at the time: two hundred and twenty-five 

 meadow mice, two pine mice, twenty shrews, one 

 star-nosed mole, and one Vesper Sparrow. It is 

 plain to be seen that great good was accomplished 

 in the community by this pair of Owls and their 

 young, for the evil effects of the rodents in life must 

 have far overbalanced the good service of the one 

 useful Vesper Sparrow. 



A Seldom Recogn^ed Blessing. — There are some 

 large predatory birds which destroy the lives of 

 many game birds and others of the weaker species. 

 On game farms, therefore, an unpleasant but nec- 

 essary task is the shooting or trapping of Hawks 

 and Owls. At first thought it might seem best to 

 wage a war of absolute extermination on these offend- 

 ers, and some game-keepers urge that this should 

 be done. Personally 1 am opposed to any such course 

 of action, one reason being that this would not 

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