THE OWLS 103 



Europe and America. Unlike most of the Owls, it hunts by day, 

 feeding on mice and lemmings ; but in winter, when this prey fails 

 it, hares, grouse, and ducks are captured, and, it is said, even fish. 

 The Snowy Owl, like the Eagle Owl, possesses long tufts of feathers, 

 which can be raised like a pair of ears at the will of the bird ; but 

 in the case of the Snowy Owl they appear to be but rarely brought 

 into play. 



Though it occurs occasionally in a wild state, the Little Owl 

 (Plate XX. fig. 4) had never been known to breed in Great Britain. 

 Many attempts have been made, however, of recent years to induce 

 this little bird to take up citizenship with us, considerable numbers 

 having been turned down by Lord Lilford and others. These have 

 bred freely, and the race seems to be increasing with us. 



In the Tawny Owl (Plate XX. fig. 2) we have a species met with 

 both in Great Britain and America. It is an interesting bird, inas- 

 much as it is often met with in two distinct phases of plumage, some 

 individuals being very grey, others red, in hue. This species is further 

 peculiar in that the apertures of the ears are not alike on the two sides 

 of the head, though both agree in being covered by a large flap of 

 skin known as the ** operculum." 



The Tawny Owl is subject to a ruthless persecution at the hands 

 of Game-preservers and other ignorant people, who, from lack of 

 intelligence or incapability of reasoning, refuse to believe those who 

 assure them that neither this Owl nor the Barn Owl is injurious to 

 Game-birds. 



The Long-eared Owl (Plate XX. fig. 3) is another common 

 British Owl, and in this species the apertures of the right and left 

 ears are still more asymmetrical ; they are, indeed, with those of the 

 short-eared species, more complex than in any other Owl except 

 Tengmalm's Owl. 



The '* Long-" and the " Short-eared " Owls, it may be remarked, 

 though very similar in appearance, yet differ conspicuously in their 

 nesting-habits, inasmuch as while the first chooses to deposit its eggs 

 in some old squirrels' drey, or some deserted nest of a Ring-dove, 

 Magpie, Crow, or Heron, the short-eared species makes its nest on 

 the ground. In the fens this is a mere hollow formed on the top of 

 a clump of sedge or in the side of a mass of mown weeds ; but on the 



