290 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



accentuated combination of chirrup and snore, and has a 

 starthng effect when heard from the invisible bird. During its 

 nightly rounds, for it has regular beats, it screeches repeatedly, 

 a habit calculated to discount the advantage gained by its 

 silent flight. The suggestion that small mammals are startled 

 into movement is hardly supported by experience, for the 

 alarmed mouse or shrew instantly " freezes " and is then difficult 

 to detect. 



In the daytime the Barn-Owl roosts in some regular spot, 

 either in a building, hollow tree or a sheltered bank ; I have 

 seen it under the brambles overhanging a small coastal inlet. 

 Its pose is bolt upright, its long legs distinctly knock-kneed, its 

 toes, if standing on the flat, point in all directions, but when 

 perched two are, as a rule, in front, two behind the object 

 grasped ; my captive occasionally perched with three toes on 

 one foot in front. The Barn-Owl uses its feet for grasping its 

 prey ; they are strong and armed with sharp talons ; the claw 

 on the middle toe is pectinated. The bird fights with the feet, 

 and will throw itself on its back ready to repel an attack ; the 

 grip of the feet drives the sharp claws into an incautious hand. 

 When at rest the round facial disc becomes oval, but the bird 

 watches through slits of the apparently closed eyes, and follows 

 the movements of the observer by turning the head without shift- 

 ing the body or legs. I found that a loud noise seldom disturbed 

 my tame Owl, but that a slight scratching always interested 

 it. It would turn its head sideways, until at right angles to its 

 body, or even entirely reverse it, for the neck, though so fully 

 feathered as to be hardly visible, is long and thin. Displeasure 

 is shown by more grotesque contortions ; an angry Owl will 

 lower the head and swing it to and fro, close to the ground, like 

 an irate bull, or, hissing, will stretch its head forward, drooping 

 its wings, and snap its bill. 



The Barn-Owl is one of our most useful agricultural allies, 

 feeding extensively on rats, mice, voles and shrews ; small birds 



