OWLS AND FIELD MICE. J'.' 
low trees. Owing to it* greatei size, its food include? larger mam 
mals ;iikI birds than thai of the last three pecie . Thu . it is able 
to earn off :i good sized domestic fowl, and no « I < > 1 1 1 » t occasionally it 
raids poultry. However, Doctor Fisher's examination of 109 torn 
ichs of ilii- species indicates that it is far less harmful than is g 
erally supposed. Five stomachs contained poultry or game; 13, 
other birds; h-. mice: L8, other mammals ; I, frogs; L, lizard; 2, fish; 
11. insects; '.'. crayfish; and 20 were empty. Field mice were posi- 
tively identified in more than half of the h- stomachs that contained 
nice. 
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is the largest owl resi- 
lient in the United States. It- range, including the subspecies, 
extends from Costa Rica t<> the northern limit of deep forests and 
from ocean to ocean. In South America occur a number of closely 
related forms. 
The great horned owl ha- an evil reputation with most farmers 
on account of its destruction of poultry. The bad reputation i- only 
partly merited. Doctor Fisher examined [27 stomachs of tin- species. 
Of these, 31 contained poultry <>r game birds; s . other birds; L3, 
mice: <»;>. other mammals; 1. a scorpion; 1. a fish; 1<>. insects; and 
17 were empty. About hall" the mice found were meadow voles and 
the majority of the "other mammals" were rabbits. In central 
Kansas, some years mho. I examined over a dozen nests of this species 
in which young were being fed. The nests contained rabbits (Lepus 
moridana mearnsi), fox squirrels (Sciurus rufiventer), wood rats 
i V >toma baileyi), skunks (Mephitis), field mice, and in two cases 
feather- of the flicker [('<>l<ij>t<s auratus !"f<t>s). but in no case any 
feather- or remain- of poultry. In the few cases in which these 
owl- were observed by me to raid poultry the fowls were roosting 
upon tree- late in the fall, and hence were unnecessarily exposed t<> 
attack. Where rats are abundant this owl has been known to prey 
hrgely upon that rodent. (). E. Niles, in a letter to Charles Dury, 
dated March ■>. l vv ~>. stated that at one time the remain- of no less 
than L13 rats had been counted tinder the ne-t of a great horned 
|wl. # On the whole, the great horned owl is not a very harmful 
kecies, and as it i- rapidly disappearing in most part- of the United 
State- warfare against it may be suspended. 
The screech owl (Of us <!*;<>) i- probably the most familiar of 
American owl-. Including it- ten or more geographic race-, it has 
a wide distribution. It is too -mall to prey upon domestic fowl- or 
irame and is beneficial. Doctor Fisher reported on the content- of 
|55 stomachs, of which 1 contained a tame pigeon; 38, other birds; 
01. mice: 11. other mammals; 6, Lizards and batrachians; 1. fish; 
"Jour. Cin. Soc Nat. Hist., vol. 8, p. 63, L885 86. 
