1891-92-] The Mice Plague. 25 



put the owlets into the box, and though only three o'clock in 

 the afternoon, I discovered that a young rabbit, minus the 

 head, but quite warm, had been placed beside the young birds. 

 On visiting them next morning, I found that every bit of the 

 rabbit — flesh, skin, fur, and bones — was devoured, and that 

 mice, blackbirds, thrushes, chaffinches, yellow-hammers, spar- 

 rows, and other small birds are included in their bill of fare. 

 As is well known, owls, like most predatory birds, eject bones, 

 fur, feathers, and other indigestible parts of their food, in the 

 shape of an oblong bolus. On dissecting some of these cast- 

 ings found under a cedar-tree in the garden at The Inch, I dis- 

 covered quantities of the fur of rabbits and mice, with the 

 feathers, feet, bills, and bones of the birds referred to, as well 

 as the remains of beetles. Having had observations taken in 

 different parts of Scotland as to the food of tawny owls, I have 

 found that it consists of young pigeons (wild and tame), young 

 pheasants, partridges, grouse, a large number of the small 

 birds already mentioned, with a young mallard as an occasional 

 treat, young rabbits, small leverets, a large number of mice, 

 and a few small rats. 



Eeverting to the young birds in confinement, on going near 

 the box the old ones would frequently attack a person, strik- 

 ing, like the Irish assassin, from behind. With my coat neck 

 up, and my hat well drawn down, they could not hurt me, but 

 I scarcely could have believed that an owl could strike my 

 back and shoulders with such violence. While out with my 

 gun one evening to shoot some rats for my pet kestrels, I 

 passed the box where the owls were confined. After a few 

 defiant threatenings from different trees, the male bird flew to 

 attack me, making straight for my face. When within eight 

 or ten feet, he seemed so resolute in his purpose that I threw 

 the gun hurriedly upwards and backwards with the view of 

 scaring him, or striking to protect my face if he should persist 

 in his attack. Unfortunately, at that moment the female was 

 approaching me from behind, and as the gun was thrown 

 quickly backwards, prior to bringing it down to strike the 

 male, it met the female with such violence that it knocked her 

 to the ground. She was only stunned, however, and quickly 

 getting up, flew on to an adjoining tree. From the number of 

 feathers on the ground and adhering to the muzzle of the gun, 



