228 



HARDWICKE'S science-gossip. 



[Oct. 1, 1869. 



would doubtless remain out all night. Partridges 

 would surely be lower down among the dry heather, 

 and very possibly we might find a Jack Snipe or 

 two, for we have known the last-named to arrive as 

 early as the 2nd of October. Inserting a couple 

 of cartridges, we walked quietly on, when suddenly 

 the dog stood, and before we could reach him, a 

 brown long-winged, bird rose out of the heather, 

 and was sailing away. " It's one of these ere owls," 

 exclaimed the keeper, with his usual disregard for 

 species, and immediately brought it down. What 

 a pity ! It was a Short-eared Owl sure enough, and 



the Woodcock, is often spoken of as the Woodcock- 

 Owl. In the North of England and in Scotland this 

 bird frequently remains throughout the year, and 

 makes its nest upon the ground amongst heather, 

 or in a marsh amongst sedge and rushes. 



Mr. A. G. More, who has been at great pains to 

 ascertain the distribution of this species in Great 

 Britain during the nesting season,* says that it 

 breeds in Suffolk, Norfolk, f and Cambridge; for- 

 merly also in Huntingdon (Mr. P. Bond). The 

 nest has been once or twice taken near Scar- 

 borough (Mr. A. S. Bell) ; in Durham and North- 



Pig. 206. The Short-eared Owl (Stria; bmchyotits). 



as we stretched out its beautiful barred wings, 

 smoothed its soft plumage, and gazed into its large 

 golden eyes, we felt pained to think that in another 

 moment its life would be gone. The keeper said 

 it was a destructive bird, but he was not prepared 

 with any evidence to support his statement. To 

 judge from the habits of other owls with which we 

 are better acquainted, we should say that small 

 birds, field mice, and beetles constitute its principal 

 food. 



In the South of England, and in Ireland, the 

 Short-eared Owl is known only as a winter visitant, 

 and from usually arriving about the same time as 



umberland (Mr. Hancock and Rev. H. B. Tristram) : 

 Sir William Jardine also mentions the moorland 

 ranges of Westmoreland and Cumberland as pro- 

 bable breeding-places. In Scotland the Short-eared 

 Owl nests regularly in Dumfries (Sir W. Jardine) ; 

 on Ailsa (Mr. P. Gray) ; in the counties of Selkirk 



* See the Ibis for 1865, p. 15. 



t With regard to Norfolk, Mr. Stevenson says : " In the 

 spring these birds again proceed northwards towards the end 

 of March, having, 1 believe, entirely ceased to breed in Nor- 

 folk, where, especially in the once fenny districts of the south- 

 western parts of the county, they were commonly met with 

 during the breeding season."— " Birds of Norfolk," 1866, 

 vol. i. p. 60. 



