10 farmers' bulletin 670. 



barn-owl pellets collected in the towers of the Smithsonian Building 

 in Washington, D. he found 1,991 skulls of short-tailed field mice, 

 656 of the house mouse, 210 of the common rat, and 147 of other 

 small rodents and shrews. Very few remains of birds were found. 

 Figure 7 illustrates the contents of some of these pellets. 



Fig. 7.— Field-mouse skulls taken from pellets found under owl roost in Smithsonian tower, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



In 360 pellets of the long-eared owl Dr. Fisher found skulls of 374 

 small mammals, of which 349 were meadow mice. Stomach examina- 

 tions give similar testimony to the usefulness of this bird. 



The common screech owl, in addition to feeding mainly upon mice, 

 destroys also a good many English sparrows. Its habit of staying in 

 orchards and close to farm buildings makes it especially useful to the 

 farmer in keeping his premises free from both house and field mice. 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ; 1915 



