334 
Wild Ih'ixh in lielaiion to Agrimltnrc. 
Tliis paper, written at tlie last moment, must be brought to 
a conclusion by a rapid review of the Commons’ Committee 
Keport, which, as I have said, I hope will be the foundation- 
stone of our proposed little school of Agricultural Ornithology, 
Like the meat of the beaver, the best is in the tail, so also in 
this report there is in the appendix fine literary food for inward 
digestion. Dr. Morris, M.D., of Nottingham, put in a table of 
British land birds and waders, and their food, as given by the 
best English authors, which, miserably inexact as it is in regard 
to food habits, is nevertheless invaluable, and should, in an im- 
proved and modernised form, be widely circulated. A complete list 
of all British ratting and mousing birds is a matter of public interest 
at this time, when mice ' are rampant and rats are on the warpath. 
Citing Dr. Morris and leaving the eagles, the spotted and 
the golden, as ratters only, we come to the kestrel (Falco iinnvn- 
cidus), a great mouser, the goshawk, the sparrowhawk, the kite, 
the common buzzard (JBideo the rough-legged buzzard, 
the honey buzzard, the marsh harrier, the common ' harrier, the 
ash-coloured harrier, the eagle-owl (Bid>o maxhmis), the scops- 
eared owl, the long-eared owl, the short-eared owl, the white 
or barn owl, the tawny owl, the snowy owl, the hawk owl, the 
little owl, Tengmalm’s owl (^Noctiia Tengmahni), an occj^sional 
visitor, ash-coloured shrike, red-backed shrike, woudchat (Lanivs 
rufus), raven, carrion-crow, magpie, and jay. Of these two last, 
Mr. J. E. Harting says they destroy quantities of young field 
mice, systematically searching for the nests and turning them 
out.^ Great bustard, great plover, crane, common heron, common 
bittern, white stork, landrail, and water-rail, at least one of 
these birds is known to have devoured a shrew-mouse (Morris). 
Here is a goodly list of thirty-five English mousing birds — 
go to the mouse-stricken districts and inquire how many of 
these mousing birds are known to be in existence ? In all 
probability it will be found that man, knowing better than 
Nature, has improved them — or most of them — off the face of 
the earth. 
Birds are often unduly blamed ; the bite of a snail or a slug is 
frequently taken for that of a bird. The bird, however, always 
makes a sharp bite, leaving an edge; the attack of the slug or 
snail appears as a round cup-like wound. And further, this 
piece of advice to young economic ornithologists I cull from 
the evidence, but the rendering is not that of the Blue-book. 
condition; so also Ihey are busjbodies greatly occupied in llie fertilisation 
of plants. 
' Voles, “ Appendix, p, 187, ® 2898, * 2900. 
