Going, Going, Gone. 
BY DR. J. B. PARDOE, BOUND BROOK, X. J. 
Dr. Frank M. Chapman in his book. 
“Birds of Eastern North America,” 
says of the screech owl that out of two 
hundred and fifty-five stomachs exam- 
ined ninety-one contained mice. This 
would seem to prove that this common 
red and gray night flyer is a very good 
friend of the farmer, an agriculturist 
GOING. 
in general. By helping to clear the 
orchard of mice he does a lot of good 
and should be encouraged as much as 
possible. In the thick grass in an apple 
orchard this spring, after the heavy 
snow had dissolved. I found five mouse 
nests under one tree — balls of grass in 
little hollow places on the ground. 
Owing to the deep snow and scarcity 
of food, many small trees were girdled 
or had the bark eaten from around the 
trunk near the ground. In this case 
the owls could not get at the mice, for 
they were hidden under the snow 
banks, as shown by many little bur- 
rows and holes under the snow. 
One morning in early June, after a 
severe storm the night before. I visited 
our old apple orchard to see what had 
happened in birdland. Going to an old 
stump that had blown down, I was de- 
lighted to find five baby screech owls 
that were more like white balls of down 
than birds that had been living in a 
decayed natural cavity in the old apple 
tree. Taking these bright, blinking 
babies in my hand I carried them to 
the house, intending to take full charge 
of them. I thought, “What interest- 
ing pets they will make, and how many 
photographs I will take.” I fixed up a 
GOING. 
