THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 291 



There can be no doubt that Owls do very great service to 

 farmers, by killing immense numbers of mice as well as 

 rats ; and examinations of the pellets containing the indi- 

 gestible parts of their prey have proved that they do very 

 little damage to game. On this account it would certainly 

 be for the interest of the landowners of the county to pre- 

 vent the destruction of these useful birds on their estates. 



As Mr. Robert Gray records that he saw a young owl 

 of this species with traces of down upon it, which had been 

 shot near Ayton on the 13th of July 1876/ it is probable 

 that a few pairs of Short-Eared Owls remain in the county 

 during summer, and breed on some of the unfrequented 

 moors. It is said that one or two nests have been found 

 in the heather on the Lauderdale hills in the month of June.^ 

 This Owl makes a scanty nest on the ground amongst 

 heather, rushes, or other herbage, and the eggs, which vary 

 from four to seven in number, are smooth, and pure white. 



The Short-Eared Owl has been heard to utter a harsh 

 scream when its nest is disturbed. It may be easily dis- 

 tinguished from our other Owls by the black feathers which 

 surround its yellow eyes. 



1 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. viii. p. 156. 

 " Hid. vol. vii. p. 302. 





