120 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 
Owls, one White or Barn Owl, a Honey Buzzard, a Raven, and a 
Kestrel. I am sorry to add that the fate of the Long-Eared Owls 
was a tragic one—one night they had apparently a pitched battle, 
as in the morning I found two out of the four dead. The next 
night a third also demised, and the fourth, which I suppose was the 
strongest of the lot, I at once executed, having it now preserved in 
my collection. ; 
Otus Brachyotos, “ Short-Eared Owl.” This species is also not 
unfrequently met with in this district, but not so commonly or regu- 
larly as the former bird. I had a fine specimen brought me-alive 
some years ago, which had been captured in rather a peculiar manner. 
The old “ Drowner” (as the man is called in these parts who floods 
the water-meadows—an appellation which sounded formidably in 
the ears of a friend of mine, who was one day caught bathing in a 
tempting but forbidden place by the aforesaid functionary, and who, 
to a question from my friend in the water, returned the answer from 
the bank above him, that he was “the Drowner,”’) told me he had 
caught a fine bird alive for me, such as he had never seen before, 
and that he kad got it in a tub, unhurt. What led to its detection 
was its bright yellow eye, peering out from a bunch of rushes, and 
the old man cautiously making a circuit, bent the rushes over it, 
with a prong that he happened to have in his hand, and secured it. 
It was a fine Short-Eared Owl, and was feeding upon a Dabchick, 
which it had just caught—which says a good deal, I think, for 
Owlish dexterity, as you do not often catch a Dabchick asleep. 
This bird showed a marked difference to the Long-Eared species in 
disposition. It seemed quite tame; and let me stroke it and handle 
it without any opposition.. It may have but lately arrived from its 
migration, as shortly after, another specimen was picked up dead in 
the neighbouring parish of Coombe Bissett, and brought to me. I 
may add that another fine specimen of this bird was sent me in 
November, 1876, which had been trapped near Bathford. I notice 
that this species is called by Meyer, in his book of British Birds, 
“the Hawk Owl,’ which unfortunately confounds it with Surnia 
Ulula, ‘The Canadian Owl,” which is also generally called by the 
same name, and of which I have somewhat to say in its turn. 
