220 
THE RAT. 
Here Mr. Waterton and nature establish two most valu- 
able facts : first, that mice are the natural food of the barn 
owl, among which it is very destructive ; and, second, that in 
a state of nature it never destroys poultry, or birds of any 
kind ; for if it did, the remnants of feathers and birds' 
bones must of necessity be found in the pellets. This is a 
matter which any farmer, having owls about his premises, 
can test for himself, by dissolving the pellets in warm water. 
But until he has tested them, and can prove to the contrary, 
let him esteem the barn owl as his best friend and protector 
against the whole of the mouse and shrew tribes. 
Again, when we consider the fact that Mr. Waterton 
gathered up in one roost nearly a bushel of pellets, that 
had been deposited there within a few months, and that 
each pellet contained the skeletons of several mice, pray 
what must have been the amount of mice destroyed in that 
time ? Now let us suppose the juices and action of the 
owl's stomach to soften and compress the bones and fur of a 
mouse into barely a quarter of the animal's original size, 
what fact would it then establish? Why, that these few 
owls, in those few months, had destroyed over four bushels 
of mice. 
The author of " British Ornithology " says that at twilight 
the barn owl may be seen issuing from its retreat to 
the adjoining meadows and hedge-banks in search of food, 
hunting with the greatest regularity, and pouncing upon its 
prey with deadly aim. This it swallows whole, without any 
attempt to tear it in pieces. He also observes that the owl 
is of most essential service in checking the increase of the 
various species of mice and shrews upon which it subsists. 
He says it is easily domesticated, and will become very tame, 
if taken when young, and kindly used. Montagu i-eared 
together a barn owl, a sparrowhawk, and a ringdove, who 
lived in great harmony for six months. They were then 
set at liberty ; but the owl was the only one of the three 
that returned. 
Now let me quote another able authority in behalf of the 
barn owl's valuable services to farmers. The author of the 
" Natural History of Selborne " tells us that he once watched 
a pair of barn owls that had a nest of young ones in the 
roof of the church. He says they went out at sunset in 
