66 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. tx. 



the food given is ah\ays doled out in minute shreds, 

 tlierefore tlie hunting is not very strenuous ; but no 

 doubt had I been able to continue my observation a 

 week or two longer, or if I could have stayed in the 

 AAOod all night, I might have seen the male bring food. 



There was often food in the nest all day. I found the 

 remains of very young water-voles, short-tailed field- 

 voles. Chaffinches, and on one occasion the tail end of 

 an adult Swallow, besides the Blackbird already men- 

 tioned. One evening, after dark, while the male Owl 

 was still at his post in the fir tree, an aeroplane circled 

 over the wood. I hoped it was the usual patrol somewhat 

 belated, and astray, and not an oversea migrant ! It 

 was curious to note the behaviour of the birds during 

 this disturbance. The Wood-Pigeons, which had come 

 in to roost, rose in a mass and fluttered noisily round 

 and round ; Pheasants crowed and flew to and fro : all 

 the small birds twittered and called. A Whitethroat 

 and a Willow-Wren began short snatches of song and 

 broke off abruptly — but the Owl, which I could but 

 dimly see, sat tight and showed no fear. 



The photographs reproduced here Avere taken on 

 May 11th. They were the last of the series. I reached 

 my tent at 2.45 a.m. but the young had finished their 

 meal and the male bird was at rest. It was a splendid 

 morning when my host and I started for the mile and a 

 half's roA\-. The Broad lay calm and still, reflecting 

 the stars like a huge mirror, and the air Mas soft and 

 warm as the pageant of dawn slowly \nifolded. But 

 later on the cold grew intense while I waited for the 

 light. When I came out of my tent at 6 a.m. everything 

 was covered with Avhite frost, and tliere was a mist all 

 over my lens. I developed the ])h()tographs ^ith a 

 sinking heart, but luckily the mist on the lens had not 

 affected the ])icture. The rime on tlie bramble leaves 

 shows distinctly. 



Fig. 4 was the only photograph showing the two 

 young nestlings against the old bird. The tiiird C)\\ let 



