STRIGIDA. 39 
and field mice; December, mice, spiders and wood- 
lice.” The Shorteared Owls do not appear by any 
means to limit their bird-eating propensities to the 
month of July, for Montagu says he received one in 
the month of November, in the stomach of which 
were the remains of a Sky Lark and a Yellow- 
hammer. ‘The mere fact, however, of these birds 
preying on birds at different times of the year hardly 
detracts from the value of M. Prevost’s notice, which 
still shows the immense quantities of mice devoured 
by these birds at all times of the year, and the 
consequent benefit both to the farmer and to the 
gardener. 
The nest is said to be placed upon the ground 
amongst heather; the bottom is scooped until the 
fresh earth appears, on which the eggs are placed, 
without any lining or covering.* 
The Shorteared Owl differs much in appearance 
from the Longeared, the general colouring being 
much lighter. The bill is dark horn-colour; irides 
brilliant orange-yellow; the face is nearly black 
round the eye, yellowish white and black beneath 
the eye, the rest nearly white, grizzled with black ; 
the border of the facial disk speckled light buff and 
brown; ear-tufts brown, margined with hght buff; 
head streaked light buff and brown; nape and back 
the same, but with broader streaks; scapulars, wing- 
* Yarrell, vol. 1., p. 157. 
