60 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTOXSHIRE 



and are most amusing. One which I kept for a long 

 time at Corfu preferred the Humming-bird moth, 

 which abounded there, to any other food I could give 

 him, I think that these Owls devour a greater 

 weight of food for their size than any bird with which 

 I am acquainted. 



20. BARN OWL. 



Str'ix jiammea. 



This bird, perhaps better known in this country as 

 White or Screech-Owl, is common throughout North- 

 amptonshire, and in this immediate neighbourhood 

 may be called abundant. Few summer evenings pass 

 without two or more of these birds being on view 

 hunting over the meadows close to this house, and 

 many more are to be heard than seen. I think that 

 in most parts of England gamekeepers are beginning 

 to find out that in killing the Barn Owl they are 

 murdering a most efficient ally in the destruction of 

 the worst, because the most numerous, enemies to 

 game in this country, i. e. the Brown Rat, to say 

 nothing of those little pests, tlie various species of 

 mice and voles. 



The present species, as is probably well known to 

 my readers, selects a hollow tree, a hole or crevice in 

 old buildings, or a dense dark fir tree as its usual 

 resort, where, during the daytime, it remains appa- 

 rently fast asleep till dusk, when it sallies forth in 

 quest of food. I have several times climbed up to 

 various holes in old trees in this neighbourhood just 

 to see if my friends were at home, and often watched 

 them for some time without disturbing, or apparently 



