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. The British bird book . however, it takesnearest thicket,is very difficultlodge it. are occasionallydevoured by this owl; but the gamekeeper has no quarrel with it, as it neverseems to carry off partridges or young rabbits, while thefarmer has every reason to regard it as one of his featheredfriends. Here is its dietary for the year, as given by M. PrevostParadol. January, mice ; February, harvest mice ; March, mice ;April, mice and crickets; May, shrews, mice and cock-chafers ; June, beetles ; July, field mice and birds ; August,field mice and shrews ; September and October, field miceand b
. The British bird book . however, it takesnearest thicket,is very difficultlodge it. are occasionallydevoured by this owl; but the gamekeeper has no quarrel with it, as it neverseems to carry off partridges or young rabbits, while thefarmer has every reason to regard it as one of his featheredfriends. Here is its dietary for the year, as given by M. PrevostParadol. January, mice ; February, harvest mice ; March, mice ;April, mice and crickets; May, shrews, mice and cock-chafers ; June, beetles ; July, field mice and birds ; August,field mice and shrews ; September and October, field miceand beetles ; November, mice ; December, mice, spiders andwoodlice. Led by some mysterious instinct, this bird seems toknow where its favourite victims will be plentiful, and in numbers just whereits presence is most needed. In1892, for example, during thegreat vole-plague in Scotland,Short-eared Owls came to therescue, no less than four hun-dred of their nests being found 14. in the infected area. And a precisely similar thing happenedmany years ago in the Forest of Dean. From the other homed owls this bird can be easilydistinguished by the comparative shortness of the ear-tufts.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1921