Class II. W H I T E O W L. 207 



haylofts, and other outhoufes ; and is as ufefiil 

 in clearing thofe places from mice, as the conge- 

 nial cat : towards twilight it quits its perch, and 

 takes a regular circuit round the fields, ikimming 

 along the ground in quell of field mice, and then 

 returns to its ufual refidence : in the breeding fea- 

 fon it takes to the eaves of churches, holes in 

 lofty buildings, or hollows of trees. During the 

 time the young are in the nefl:, the male and fe- 

 male alternately fally out in queft of food, make 

 their circuit, beat the fields with the regularity of 

 a fpaniel, and drop inftantly on their prey in the 

 grafs. They very feldom (lay out above five mi- 

 nutes ; return with their prey in their claws •, but 

 as it is necefiary to fliifc it into their bill, they 

 always alight for that purpofe on the roof, before 

 they attempt to enter their nefl;. 



This fpecies I believe does not hoot ; but fnores 

 and hifles in a violent manner ; and while it flies 

 along, will often fcream mofl: tremendoufly. Its 

 only food is mice : as the young of thefe birds keep 

 their nefl: for a great length of time, and are fed 

 even long after they can fly, many hundreds of 

 mice will fcarcely fuffice to fupply them with food. 



Owls cafl: up the bones, fur or feathers of their 

 prey in form of fmall pellets, after they have de- 

 voured it, in the fame manner as hawks do. A 

 gentleman, on grubbing up an old pollard afli that 

 had been the habitation of owls for many generati- 

 ons, found at the bottom many bufliels of this re- 

 P 4 jected 



