The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1908-06-27
sARM, scRHEcH AND sAw.wHEr
vARl9vigs WAR ON RATS,
Mice, oRAssHoPPERs.
g u IN III ! 'fsffi !.
ONLY ONE INJURIOUS KIND
Hernsd Owl Destroys Poultry and
.oa"ef eirds and Has Fendnsss see.
Skunk = Many Other Points In
Connection with Day-eisspsrs.
~ EDWARD .. CLARK.
associate Member American Ornithol-
ogists' Union)

~ EDWARD D. CLARK.
associate Member American Ornithol-
ogists' Union.)
Copyright. Joseph B. Bowlss)
For many centuries owls have been
objects OF superstition ON the part Of
the unthinking. The feeling exists to-
day. and to some extent is responsible
Tor the killing of these beneficial
birds every time they are bold enough
to show themselves In daylight.
With the possible exception Of the
great horned owl. the bird whose dis
NAL boot strikes terror to the heart of
the belated night wanderer. the owls
do much more good than harm. The
lives Of most of them are ~ innocent
a. 10 the life Of the canary. and yet.
with the hawks. they are marks for
the shotgun OF every farmer.
II Dick Wilmington had taken .
barn owl with him instead Of = cat
the lord mayorship Of London would
not have been the limit Of the political
rewards for his sagacity. One barn
owl 10 worth I'VE cats ~ . mouser
and ratter.
The bird gets its name from its
habit Of nesting frequently in barns.
where II hides during the day to sally
forth at night on its work Of Kidding
the farmers corn cribs and other
structures of injurious rodents. The
barn owl 10 not a. numerous a. It vas
in former years. the chief reasons be-
ing that II II shot frequently ON sight
BY the farmer. who thinks It Is .
chicken thief. and by the collectors.
who have tho mistaken Impression
that bird looks better stuffed like .
mummy and placed in 4 glass case
than It does when enjoying the liberty
which 10 its birthright Observations
made BY Dr.. A. X. Fisher for the
biological survey have shown fairly
conclusively that the barn owl (Strix
pratincola) 10 probably the most valu-
ablo rat aud mouse catcher In the
United States.
Most u the sins. that are laid at the
door a tho other owls are committed
by the great horned owl (Bubo vir.
ginJanus). . savage and powerful bird,
which II some sections Of the country
destroys annually large numbers Of
poultry and game birds There II,
however. another side to the life Of
this night terror. It IL ~ fond OF
rodents - It 10 OF poultry. and Il
feeds large quantities Of them to it,
nsstlings. In and near . nest which
contained young horned owls there
were fouad the remains OF lis house
rats. When there 10 taken Ia consid.
Grafton the fact that the young are In
the nest Q comparatively short time
the valus OF the work done BY the
pareats b Kidding the world Of vermin
can b appreciated.
II 70 oaly fair to say. however. that
tato the scale must b thrown the
damage that the bird does. Dr.. c.
Hart Merriam reports that there came
under bic observation an instance
where . great horned owl decapitated
three turkeys and several chickens 10
. siasis aisAG Like The shriks. bird
WHOSE habits we're described IN Q
previous article. the great horned
owl dearly loves brains. II chickens
- pisatiful sad the danger Of ap-
preach b slight the owl will live on
brains entirsiy. ieavins the bodies Of
It's victims 10 he four.footsd prowisrs
Of the night who are not above dining
at the sscnnd table.
bubo virglniAaus likes . varied diet.
Ia one nest OF on the ground directly
osasatA Il were soand the remains Of
. mouse. . osskraA two eeis. four
bullhsads. . woodcock. four ruled
grouse. one rabbit and II rats. The
bird 10 GO aireotios ~ Q perverted
tasts. Il h extremely toad oe skuales.