OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1904. 
233 
Long-eared Owl (Asto otus). —I have heard of a party of four 
of this comparatively rare species visiting one of the woods near 
Watford, and I much regret to state that all were shot. It seems 
almost useless to plead for a cessation of the persecution which has 
so long and so ruthlessly been directed against our native owls 
of all species. Not only are they comparatively harmless birds ; 
they are positively beneficial in many respects to the farmer, the 
agriculturist, and the landowner, by reason of the enormous quantity 
of small vermin they clear off the land. An incident that was 
brought to my notice some time ago may illustrate the point. 
A certain gamekeeper had experienced considerable losses of young 
pheasants from his coops, and in spite of all his watchfulness he 
could not discover the cause. One evening at dusk he saw an owl 
flying round, and naturally enough he fastened on this bird as the 
cause of all the mischief. He therefore lay in wait, and on the 
subsequent evening the owl again came wheeling round near 
the coops, made a sudden swoop down, and rose again with 
something struggling in his claws. Naturally 7 thinking that he 
had caught his victim red-handed, the keeper fired and brought 
down the owl. To his amazement he found that the owl’s 
“quarry 7 ” was not, as he had supposed, a young pheasant, but 
a rat, and that he had therefore taken the life of one of his best 
helpers and friends. 
I am not going to say that an owl will never, and under no 
circumstances, take a young pheasant or a young partridge. When 
a pair of owls have a family of hungry owlets to feed, and they are 
hard put to it for food, I daresay they will pick up a young 
pheasant or two, or a chicken, if such come in their way. But 
that owls, even when they have young, regularly and systematically 
feed on young pheasants, partridges, and chickens, and on nothing 
else, as some of their persecutors would seem to believe, I totally 
deny. The great bulk of their food is undoubtedly mice, voles, 
and rats, as an examination (1) of the “pellets” ejected by them, 
(2) of the contents of the stomach, has proved over and over again. 
No ; when the owl’s account with the farmer and the landowner is 
balanced up, there is a very big credit balance on the side of the 
owl, and he ought to be protected as a valuable asset. 
Peregrine Palcon ( Falco peregrinus). —Mr. E. P. Thompson 
reports that a peregrine was seen to be again haunting the district 
about the Elstree Reservoir during March. It is worthy 7 of remark 
that of the eighteen records we now have of the peregrine in 
Hertfordshire, five are from Elstree. 
Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus). —Mr. Yaughan (Haileybury) reports: 
“ Hawks are now very scarce. An odd kestrel is all one sees, and 
it soon meets an untimely fate.” 
Common Heron ( Ardea cinerea).~~M.v. Headley reports having 
seen fourteen herons together in the Lea Valley. 
Little Bittern ( Ardetta minutd). —Mr. Yaughan also reports 
that a specimen of this exceedingly rare visitor was shot not far 
from Haileybury a few years ago. Although this item does not 
