284 THE BARN OWL. 



Mr. Tillie, Lauder, informs me that he has not known of its 

 occurrence in Lauderdale for the last thirty years. In the 

 neighbourhood of Paxton it has not been observed since 

 1872, when a specimen was unfortunately shot on the banks 

 of the Whitadder, near Clairvale. Mr. George Turnbull tells 

 me that the last Barn Owl noticed at Abbey St. Bathans 

 was found dead there about sixteen years ago. One was 

 shot at Nisbet House in 1872, as it flew out of the dovecot ; 

 and in December 1878 another, which had perished in the 

 snow, was discovered near the forester's house at the Grange 

 Wood, in Coldingham Parish. The next record of the appear- 

 ance of this bird in the county is of an example which was 

 shot by Mr. W. Eobeson, Langrig, as it rose out of a double 

 hedge on the march between Eavelaw and Leetside, on the 

 27th of October 1886 ; and about that date a second was 

 got near Chirnside Bridge. In the same year a Barn Owl 

 was seen at Blanerne;^ and on the 20th of December 

 1887, a beautiful specimen was observed in a plantation 

 on Milne Graden estate, near the old Tollhouse at Skaith- 

 muir.^ 



The Barn Owl inhabits rocky precipices on the banks of 

 rivers, old ruins, towers, and barns, as well as hollow trees ;'' 

 and it continues to occupy and breed in the same retreat for 

 many years in succession, if not molested. Here it dozes 

 from sunrise to sunset, when it leaves its place of repose to 

 skim over the meadows and corn-fields or along hedge- 

 rows, in search of prey. It also visits stackyards and farm 

 buildings ; and, when it has young, it has been known to 



1 Information in letter from Mr. Bruce, gamekeeper, Blanerue, dated 27th 

 AprU 1888. 



2 Information in letter from Mr. Alexander Miller, hedger, Milne Graden, 

 dated 20th December 1887. 



3 Mr. David Richardson, gamekeeper, Broomhouse, informed me on the 2nd of 

 June 1888, that about five -and -twenty years ago the White Owl bred regularly 

 every year in a hollow tree there. 



