270 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



instinct at fault, which has not been recorded, was com- 

 municated to me some time ago. In the autumn of 1865 

 a fine owl was brought to be stuffed. It belonged to a 

 Mr. Wallis, farmer, of Leigh, near Tonbridge, Kent. The 

 farmer's wife told me she had picked up the bird dead on 

 the barn floor, and that beside it, also dead, was a very 

 large rat. There is little doubt but that an encounter 

 had taken place between them, the injuries received by 

 each being sufficient to cause death. The bird had 

 evidently been severely bitten by the rat." — J. H. Gurney, 

 jun. {Zoologist, 1876, p. 4871). 



Mr. G. Dowker, in his Birds of East Kent, 1889, 

 says : " In confinement owls are most interesting birds, 

 and they are constantly advertised as domestic pets. 

 So this may have something to do with their being 

 found in diminished numbers. I had once a Barn-Owl 

 for some time in confinement, and it was quite as partial 

 to sparrows as to mice. The specimen was a lady, and 

 received clandestine visits from one of the male sex, until 

 one night the gentleman managed to undo the door of the 

 cage and let his lady-love free. I gave him credit for 

 great intelligence and was rather glad he had so gallantly 

 rescued the captive." 



Mr. J. F. Green, in his Fauna of the " Cedars," Lee, 

 Kent, remarks that the Barn-Ovvls love to sit at night, in 

 a friendly way, by the West Lodge Pigeons, looking, no 

 doubt, for mice." 



This year (1907) Mr. K. J. Balston completed the 

 restoration of Bilsington Priory. A pair of Barn-Owls, 

 which had nested in the old building for some years, came 

 back to a turret where a place was left on purpose for 

 them. On May 28 the first egg was found. May 29 the 

 second, June 1 the third, June 4 the fourth, June 12 the 



