Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-22
Dr.. A. K. Fisher, Biologist,
Proves They Destroy
\ Rodent Pests.
TOWER HOME rs YEARS
OF MANY GENERATIONS
Few Ofenses Chargeable Against
Them-Hawks Also Useful in
Killing Objectionable Life.

In ono Of the towers Of the old build
Ing Of the Smithsonian Institution
here dwel1s a pair Of ordinary barn
owls, undoubtedly tho two most i'm
portHnt owls in the United States
They-and their ancestors for dozen
owl senerations-have represented the
whole tribe Of owls at the capital OF
the United States, and have established
tho fact that they are not outlaws. but
deserve tho protection OF their gov
eminent.
Every day DR.. A. K Fisher Of the
f, biological survey. tho governments lead
fng authority ON owls. ascends into tho
dark tower and examines the daily
report of these ambassadorial birds
Said report IL in tho form OF little
! halls OF feathers, fur and bones, which
! are dtseorged by the birds after they
have eaten all the digestible portions
Of their prey. This indelicate way Of
: feeding has been the salvation OF the
owls.
Friends Of Humanity.
Formerly all hawks and owls were
supposed to be destructive to poultry
and game and songbirds, and were &C
cordingly killed on sight. For quar-
ter of a century the scientists of the
biological survey have been working
hard to prove that most species OF
janitorial birds are really worth money
to man because Of the warfare tney
wage upon rats. mice. gophers and
other destructive rodents. The steady
patrol of the hawks by day and the
owls by night is all that prevents
these rats and mice of field and
orchard from literally eating man on
the face of the earth.
Now in order to establish the inno-
cence of most Of these birds 1t has oeen
necessary to go out and kill thousands OF
them. so that the contents OF their stom-
achs should be examined Not so the
barn owls, however. They were ready to
meet any peace overtureS half way.
About the year 1858. so far as the rec
ords show, the first pair Of barn owls set
up housekeeping in this same tower OF
the Smithsonian building. Prof. Spencer
F. Baird a well known scientist, who
was then secretary of the institution,
noted their presence and mentioned them
In report.
These owls in time persisted Of old age.
but some Of their descendants remained
to occupy the old family homestead in
the tower and to range the parks ana
grounds Of the capital and the marshes
across the river for their prey. At times
there have been as many as three pairs OF
owls nesting in the tower, and it has
never been vacant for nearly half a CEN
fury.
Twenty-Five Years Study.
About 1890 Prof Fisher Of the biologi-
cal survey first became interested in the
Smithsonian owls. When the building
was repaired he saw to 1t that pane Of
glass was left out of the tower window,
so that the owls would not be locked out
of their house.
About that time too he began his study
Of their diet and has continued it ever
since-just about quarter Of century
1t is safe to say that this is the most
extended study Of the diet of any bird
that has ever been made.
Needless to say. this long study has
conclusively proved that the barn owl, or
monkey faced owl. is bird of the high
est character and deserving Of mans
protection and friendship For one thing.
it has always frankly sought both.
This is the same species of owl that is
common in England and Is mentioned in
"Gray's Elegy." 1t has always by pref
erence made its home in barns and other
buildings and has spent its life Riding
farms and other country places Of vermin.
DR.. Fishers Investigations show that
the Smithsonian owls dine on injurious
rodents to the extent of exactly 96.1 per
cent Of their total bill of fare, and
that only 81 per cent of their food is
made up of birds Most of these birds
are English sparrows. of which the
Capital city has an oversupply at all
times The owls have been guilty of
the murder of one young rabbit. and
occasionally of larger birds, such as
redwing blackbirds.
BY far the greater part Of the prey
consists of the loathsome house rat, the
most dangerous and destructive of YER
min. These creatures are all too
abundant about many of the govern
ment buildings. and especially about
the Geological Park, where they are
attracted by the food for the animals.
The owls are their worst enemies, as
cats are rather scarce in the vicinity.
Three Dangerous Species.
In this matter of owls and hawks the
government scientists want 1t brought
to the attention Of all country jewellers
that there are just three species in the
eastern United States which must be
destroyed-the cooper hawk. thesharp-
Skinned hawk and the great horned
owl Learn to identify these three
species and you have your bird enc
mics spotted.
There are two other species that are
destructive, but too rare to be Of much
consequence. These are the duck hawk
and the goshawk.
All other hawks and owls are neces-
sary for the protection of crops. With
out them the balance OF nature would
be seriously disturbed. and the gophers
that pillow your lawn into long ridges,
the field mice that build nests in the
corn shocks. the rats that infest your
barn and kill your young chickens,
and all the rest of the tribe of four
footed vermin would fairly overrun the
earth-even as the insects are over