The Court of the Animals and Birds 191 



Finley 6* Bohlman 

 The screech owl at home. This is a well-known bird, of great economic value 

 because it catches so many mice. 



members as well as bad and he could not condemn them all 

 to death. The owls proved that they were of even more 

 benefit to the farmers than were the hawks, because of the 

 large number of rats which they ate. The great horned 

 owl and the barred owl only were singled out for punish- 

 ment. 



The case of the meadow lark was called next. An old 

 farmer complained that this bird had destroyed his young 

 grain. Then the hunters made the plea that the meadow 

 lark was really a game bird and that they ought to be al- 

 lowed to shoot it. In defense of these birds the stomachs 

 of many of them that had been killed were shown in court. 



