458 ASIO OTUS. 



and foremost are the chaffinches. They buffet him, peck at, 

 and menace him on every side, while the Owl turns his eyes 

 from party to party, evading their blows as well as he can. 

 ^he uproar is now great, each bird in his mother-tongue vent- 

 Itig execrations against the poor Owl. On such occasions one 

 may get within a few feet of it, the distance varying according 

 to the depth of shade in which he may be sitting. At length 

 he takes wing, generally flies a short distance, often pursued by 

 a chaffinch or two. On alighting he is still persecuted ; and 

 unless he gain some suitable roosting place among the fir-trees, 

 the alarm-notes of these watchful birds are heard the live-long 

 day. 



" I have seldom seen it hunting for prey before it is quite dusk 

 I have known it occupy the deserted nest of the wood-pigeon 

 and the carrion crow, merely adding a few sticks and wool. 

 Indeed it seldom makes a nest for itself. The young, usually 

 four or five, are hatched in the beginning of May. Its cry, 

 consisting of two or three notes, is plaintive ; I have often heard 

 it when walking through our woods at night. Its food consists 

 of small quadrupeds, as well as of beetles in their season." 



An individual of this species, which was sent to me in win- 

 ter by the Rev. Mr Adam, having been left at night perched 

 on the back of a chair in my drawing-room, tore to tatters six 

 valuable skins of birds from the Rocky Mountains, and an 

 equal number of nearly equally rare specimens from India. A 

 young bird which I kept for some time, on perching, stood at 

 first with the body inclined, afterwards nearly erect, and slept 

 in the latter posture, with its neck rather extended, its feathers 

 drawn close, and its tufts recumbent. When irritated it raised 

 its plumage, threw its body forward, and uttered a sharp cry. 

 It seized its food with its bill ; if large transferred it to one of 

 its feet, but if otherwise retained it in his bill. In flying, it 

 carried a small object in its bill, but a larger in its foot. It 

 could close one eye, while the other remained open, and when 

 placed in a strong light, frequently drew the membrane over 

 the lighted eye, while the other remained unsheathed, though 

 for the most part it winked with both simultaneously. The 

 irides contracted unequally, according to the degree of light. 



