72 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



LONG-EARED OWL, Asio otus (Linnaeus). This owl loves the 

 shelter of fir woods, especially spruce, and is fairly common in the 

 district, though I scarcely think it is so plentiful as it used to be 

 about twenty years ago, some of its old breeding stations being now 

 occupied by Brown Owls, apparently to the exclusion of this species. 

 In my opinion the Long-eared Owl is one of our best natural checks 

 upon the excessive increase of the Wood Pigeon, sharing this 

 distinction perhaps with the Magpie. I have elsewhere remarked 

 upon the persistent manner in which it steals the young pigeons 

 from their nests, as food for its own offspring. 



This species used frequently to be noticed in our garden, in 

 Ravensdowne, generally in autumn, but amongst other records from 

 my note books are the nth December iSSi, 3ist July 1883, and 

 i4th July 1887. On two occasions, in August 1888, I heard a 

 Long-eared Owl hooting in the garden. 



SHORT-EARED OWL, Asio accipitrinus (Pallas). This species is 

 also occasionally seen in the town on migration. As a rather 

 interesting combination of species, it may be mentioned that on the 

 afternoon of i3th October 1883, my brother disturbed a Short- 

 eared Owl on the sea banks near the Greens Harbour, and within 

 a short distance, also observed a Kestrel, a Merlin, a Richardson's 

 Skua, and several Redwings. The Short-eared Owl commonly 

 hunts for prey during daylight, and is much more like a hawk, upon 

 the wing, than any of its kindred. A tame one in my possession 

 was observed one afternoon to make a most determined attack upon 

 a Grey Crow, which shared its enclosure. 



TAWNY OWL, Syrnium aluco (Linnseus). The most abundant 

 of the owls in the neighbourhood, and the only one which actually 

 nests within the Borough. I have seen it flying to its nest with a 

 mouse carried transversly in the bill. It may frequently be heard 

 hooting as loudly during the daytime as after dark, but I have 

 never seen it persistently hunting during daylight like the last 

 species. 



TENGMALM'S OWL, Nyctala tengmalmi (J. F. Gmelin). An 

 immature female, preserved in the Berwick Museum, was captured 

 by a fisherman, at the Greens Haven, on 4th February 1873 ; it was 

 kept alive until the 8th, when it died. Length 10 inches, expanse 

 of wings 2ii inches. (Brotherston, "Hist. Berw. Nat. Club," vii. p. 

 132.) This is the same specimen which is referred to by Mr. Muir- 

 head as obtained in February. 1874. It has occurred four or five 

 times in Northumberland. 



(To be continued.} 



