BARN OWL. 233 



British Isles, and is usually seen in the dusk of even- 

 ing, when it leaves its haunt where it has been sleeping 

 all day to search for its food. This haunt is usually 

 the place in which its young are reared — some old 

 ruin, a hole in a tree, an old ivied wall, or perhaps 

 even a dovecot. It was generally held that the 

 young Pigeons were looked upon by old Madge Howlet 

 as among his greatest delicacies, but it has now been 

 pretty conclusively proved that he does not interfere 

 with them at all, and that his ejected pellets never 

 contain any trace of Pigeon, old or young ; he feeds 

 chiefly on mice, rats, and moles, also less frequently 

 on small birds, beetles and slugs. Charles Waterton 

 says: " If it were really an enemy to the dovecot we 

 should see the Pigeons in commotion as soon as it 

 begins its evening flight ! but the Pigeons heed it not : 

 whereas, if the Sparrow Hawk or the Hobby should 

 make its appearance, the whole community would be 

 up at once ; proof sufficient that the Barn Owl is not 

 looked upon as a bad or even suspicious character 

 by the inhabitants of the dovecot ". 



As many as twenty dead rats have been found in a 

 Barn Owl's nest, all fresh killed, and yet the stupid 

 farmer will kill so good a friend indiscriminately, under 

 the impression that it is harmful to his young fowls 

 and birds. 



The flight of the Barn Owl is very weird and silent, 

 and there is something quite awe-inspiring and " un- 

 canny " in the noiseless motion of one of these birds, 

 as it flits past you in the dim twilight of evening when 

 you are wending your way through some quiet wood- 

 land path or country lane. Its loud screech is familiar 

 to all of us who have ever lived among rural sur- 

 roundings, and even to town dwellers as well^for I 



