186 NATURAL HISTORY ° 
people’s imaginary species of screech-owl, which 
they superstitiously think attends the windows of 
dying persons. ‘The plumage of the remiges of the 
wings of every species of owl that I have yet ex- 
amined is remarkably soft and pliant. Perhaps it 
may be necessary that the wings of these birds 
should not make much resistance or rushing, that 
they may be enabled to steal through the air un- 
heard upon a nimble and watchful quarry. 
While I am talking of owls, it may not be im- 
proper to mention what I was told by a gentleman 
of the county of Wilts: As they were grubbing a 
vast hollow pollard ash that had been the mansion 
of owls for centuries, he discovered at the bottom 
a mass of matter that at first he could not account 
for. After some examination, he found that it was 
a congeries of the bones of mice (and perhaps of 
birds and bats), that had been heaping together for 
ages, being cast up in pellets out of the crops of 
many generations of inhabitants. For owls cast 
up the bones, fur, and feathers of what they devour, 
after the manner of hawks. He believes, he told 
me, that there were bushels of this kind of sub- 
stance. 
When brown owls hoot, their throats swell as 
big as a hen’s egg. I have known an owl of this 
species live a full year without any water. Per. 
haps the case may be the same with all birds of 
prey. When owls fly, they stretch out their legs 
behind them as a balance to their large heavy 
heads; for, as most nocturnal birds have large 
eyes and ears, they must have large heads to con. 
tain them. Large eyes, I presume, are necessary 
to collect every ray of light, and large concave 
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