Show MICE INSECTS AND SPARROWS S P ARROWS owl fat eat all three besides gophers goche rs i rabbit and other rests of the farm the little screech owl well known in roost parts of the country is indefatigable in its work ot of destroying mice z and 1 nd insects it may often be seen at dusk dusic hovering about barns and out buildings watch watching ing for mice mice or skimming along the fields and along hedge bedge rawsin rows in search of grasshoppers I 1 is hoppers crickets and beetles many birds of this species have taken up a residence in the cities having learned to feed upon the boston transcript calls that most destructive nuis nuisance the english sparrow in winter rural residents resident often soften notice the tracks of mice which form networks in the snow crossing and re crossing passing in and out of walls and stacks tending to show how active these small rodents rodent are when most of the world sleeps occasionally such a track stops abruptly and while the ob seiver sei ver is trying to read more of the history written in the snow his bis eyes catch the faint impression of a pair of wing tips near where the trail ends and instantly he is made aware that a tragedy has been enacted screech owls also feed on chipmunks shrews moles and occasionally sio nally bats during warm spells in winter they forage extensively and store up in their homes quantities q quantities uan of I 1 food as a provision against inclement weather probably the most important from an economic point of view among owls is the barn owl its food is almost entirely made up of injurious mammals inam mals in the west it feeds largely ion pouched gophers 7 and the stomach contents of many individuals examined have revealed little else than the ra remains of these rodents to appreciate properly the services of this owl it must be remembered that pouch pouched ed gophers are among the most if not the most destructive mami mammals nals which inhabit this country in various other localities it feeds extensively on the common rat the ac great horned homed owl which in the east cast is persistent in its attacks on poultry and game kills idus immense numbers of rabbits in rabbit in bested parts of the west where its assistance si is invaluable to the farmer it Is is much addicted to eating skunks of which it devours great numbers wherever these objectionable animals are common |