The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-12-27

hawks feed upon them, some Destroy
ing large numbers of the two most
destructive species, NJ. pennsylvania
Gus and NJ. austerus. Pine mice live
mostly below the ground and aresless
frequently caught by birds of prey.
The habit Of shrikes of catching
me adow mice is well known, and
most farmers have seen these birds
in the corn fields at husking time, as
they hover in the air or sit poised
| upon fence or hedge ready to pounce
upon every mouse that escapes from
the shocks.
Grows destroy many young mice In
the nests and sometimes kill the
adults, and, no doubt, Investigations
will show that meadow mice form a
considerable part of the diet of bit
terms and herons.
Owls are especially efficient as de-
stroyers of field mice, and all the spe-
cies whose food habits have been in
vestigated by the biological survey
were found to feed upon these ami
mails. In bulletin No. Of the survey
| 1t Is recorded that of 80 barn-owI
| stomachs examined, contained
meadow mice; of 107 long-eared owl
stomachs, 50 contained them; of 101
stomachs Of the short-eared owl, 52
had meadow mice; 81 out of 100 stom-
achs of the barred owl, out Of OF
the great grey owl, 4 out of % Of the
saw-whet owl, IS out Of 254 of the
screech owl, ~ out of 1877 of the great
horned owl, 10 out of 80 Of the snowy
owl, and the stomach Of the single
hawk owl, contained meadow mice.
They were mostly the common
meadow mouse (Microtus pennsylva-
nicus), as the birds were collected for
the most part where this species Is
common
The examination of owls nests and
OF the curious pellets cast up by owls
reveals r,uch as to the nature OF their
food DR.. Fisher has recorded the re-
suits of the examination Of many pei
let's of TIE barn owl, and few or
those of the long-eared owl. with the
following result Six hundred and
seventy-Hve barn-owl pellets con-
tanned i,fG3 skulls of the meadow /,
mouse; SO pellets of the long-eared
owl contained ia meadow mouse
skulls. This is an average Of almost
two to each pellet.
A writer in the London Field states
that on April 26, 1901, he found
81 dead mice in nest of barn owls.
Three We're the common house mouse
and IS were the bank vole (Evotomys
glareous) a mouse of closely allied
genus.
The short-eared owl inhabits the
temperate and subtropical parts OF
both continents, except West Africa,
Australia and Polynesia. In both con.
tinents it occurs beyond the arctic cir
Gle. Its range is thus even wider
than that of the meadow mice, which
form great part of its food. In every
invasion of the mouse pest OF which
careful records have been kept 1t is
reported that these owls became ex-
tremely plentiful in the infested coun-
try, and that they were important aids
in checking the evil
Notwithstanding the unanimous tes-
timony of careful students of bird
life to the effect that almost all owls
are wholly beneficial to the farmer,
few laws for the protection OF these
birds have been enacted, and a wide
spread prejudice exists against them.
They are destroyed as relentlessly as
IL they were enemies instead of friends
of the farmer. 1t Is to be hoped that
an enlightened public will soon come
to recognize the good offices OF the
owls and extend to them the protes-
ton necessary to prevent the extins-
ton of any American species.
Next to insects, mice form the most
important item In the food Of snakes.
Meadow mice are most easily OBJ
tanned, but other mice, and, indeed.
most of the small rodents, including
ground squirrels, wood rats, prairie
dogs and young pocket gophers and
rabbits, are eaten. This important
service CT snakes in the interest OF the
farmer Is rat generally understood or
appreciated, but an inherent and deep
ly rooted prejudice induces thought
less people to destroy them whenever
possible aud for no other reason than
because they are snakes.
The value of domestic cats and OF
dogs in destroying mice Is well
known, and many Of these animals
learn from experience to prefer the
large meadow mice to the species
found in houses and barns.
Mhu They Steal Their Nests.-Ono