78 Forest Birds. 
armed with strong curved claws, and the bird having 
an exceedingly powerful grasp, the curved claws are 
an additional help to it in securing its prey. 
The plumage is abundant, and so very soft that 
the bird flies in perfect silence, and steals unawares 
on its prey. Voles, rats, mice, shrews, moles, 
squirrels, small birds, and even insects are pounced 
upon by this prowler of the night. The prey is 
seized with the feet, and borne, either in the beak 
or claws, to a place of safety. The owl then devours 
it entire—bones, fur or feathers—and by a beautiful 
economy of nature, when the digestible portion is 
absorbed, the bird rejects the remainder in the form 
of a pellet, which is vomited up. These pellets, 
grey in colour, are about the shape and size of an 
emperor moth’s cocoon (Fig. 17), and when macerated 
in water, they are often found to contain three or 
more entire skeletons of mice, together with the fur. 
They may be picked up in open ground, or under a 
tree frequented by owls. 
This beautiful and most useful bird is still much 
persecuted by the gamekeeper and farmer, notwith- 
standing all that has been said im its favour, 
Occasionally the Tawny Owl may take a young 
rabbit. Why should we grudge him this, when we 
consider the vast numbers of mice and rats that he 
consumes? Gamekeepers have said that they have 
