1922.] Feeding Habits of the Little Owl. 1139 



Little Owl consists of injurious and neutral insects, and voles 

 and mice. There is no escape from the conclusion, for it is 

 corroborated and borne out by an examination of upwards of 

 260 pellets, the stomach contents of 18 nestlings and numerous 

 field observations. Moreover, quite a number of gamekeepers 

 state that they have never seen this bird attack game birds, 

 although living in close proximity to them. 



Respecting the value to the agriculturist there cannot, in the 

 writer's view, be any doubt. In sixteen years' experience he 

 knows of no bird (other than the Lapwing) which destroys so 

 large a percentage of click beetles and wire worms. A bird that 

 feeds largely upon wireworms and click beetles by day and 

 voles and mice by night is surely worthy of protection. Even 

 supposing that this bird became much more destructive to 

 game birds than at present, its value to the agriculturist would 

 still more than compensate for the injury. 



It is patent to any unprejudiced mind that any policy of 

 destruction is robbing the farmer of a most valuable aid in the 

 destruction of farm vermin and some of the most troublesome 

 crop pests, and it is sincerely to be hoped that they will raise 

 their protest against any such inimical action. 



In carrying out this work I have placed myself under many 

 obligations. Firstly I wish to acknowledge the financial assist- 

 ance given me by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of 

 Scotland, who have defrayed the major portion of the expenses 

 of this investigation. 



I wish to record my thanks to the Editors of the Field, the 

 Gamekeeper, and the Shooting Times, for the wide publicity they 

 have given to this investigation, without which I should have 

 failed to obtain the bulk of material examined. Finally, to 

 the following ladies and gentlemen I am indebted for a con- 

 stant supply of specimens, pellets and observations and in- 

 formation relating to this species : — 



Miss C. M. Acland, Fred S. Beveridge. Esq., William C. Blake. Esq.. 

 A. H. Burge, Esq., the Rev. R. B. Caton, W. M. Christy, Esq., W. Cooke, Esq., 

 H. J. Fordhara, Esq.. Charles T. Freeman, Esq.. the Rt. Hon. Viscount 

 Harcourt, W. Hugh Huttley> Esq., Robert Jardine, Esq., J. E. Knight. Esq., 

 the Rt. Hon. Viscount Knutsford, Xoel T. Lloyd, Esq.. R. B. Lodge, Esq., 

 Capt. W. S. Medlicott, E. G. B. Meade- Waldo, Esq., Dr. F. G. Penrose, 

 Major H. 0. Peacock, A. H. Batten Pooll, Esq., A. L. Sadler. Esq., the Rev. 

 Julian G. Tuck, D. Milne Watson. Esq., C E. Wright, Esq., and to numerous 

 gamekeepers throughout the country. 



