The journal of the Ministry of Agriculture. . Fig. 1.—The Barn Owl [Strix flammea). i greatly increased and is imposing a severe tax upon the agricul-turist. Too often the farmer and landowner do not bear in mindthe enormous number of rats, mice and voles that are destroyedby this and other species of wild birds. If any professional rat-catcher were to guarantee the destruction of a tithe of these, hewould be welcome to take payment in a brace or two of gamebirds; — 1922.] The Barn-Owl. 927 The Barn-Owl is common and resident throughout GreatBritain and Ireland, though it is less numerous in t
The journal of the Ministry of Agriculture. . Fig. 1.—The Barn Owl [Strix flammea). i greatly increased and is imposing a severe tax upon the agricul-turist. Too often the farmer and landowner do not bear in mindthe enormous number of rats, mice and voles that are destroyedby this and other species of wild birds. If any professional rat-catcher were to guarantee the destruction of a tithe of these, hewould be welcome to take payment in a brace or two of gamebirds; — 1922.] The Barn-Owl. 927 The Barn-Owl is common and resident throughout GreatBritain and Ireland, though it is less numerous in tlie north ofScotland. It is strictly nocturnal, remaining asleep during thedaytime in old ruins, bams, church towers and other buildings,and occasionally in the hollows of trees. At dusk it flies abroad,seeking its sheltered retreat as day breaks. If unmolested itfrequents inhabited places, indeed seems to prefer the vicinityof houses, etc., to the open FI5-. 2.—Diagram showing percentages of food consumed. The call is a loud, harsh, and most weird-sounding shriekwhich is more frequently uttered during the pairing season thanat any other time; and early in the evening, when the bird com-mences its nocturnal peregrinations, the cry is most oftenheard. Its eggs, 3 to 6 in number in a clutch, are laid at intervalsof indefinite duration, and several broods are reared in the year,fiom the middle of April onwards. The eggs are pure white,somewhat dull, without any gloss, and shghtly elongated. Practically every investigator who has inquired into the feedinghabits of the Barn-Owl has acclaimed it as one of the birds mostbeneficial to the farmer and landowner; it is therefore to be [Jan., greatly regretted that others should endeavour to besmirch itscharacter and destroy it. An analysis of the stomach contents shows that the food con-sists entirely of animal matter. Of the total bulk consumed cent, is composed of mice and voles, 9.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
