ASIONIDM—OWLS. 155 



sound myself ; but know they did, most certainly. Mice, slugs, sometimes a large 

 insect apparently, or a small bird, very rarely a mole or rat of no large dimen- 

 sions, were brought in continuous succession, and in the claw, not with the bill. 

 When the animal was of small dimensions, the old Owl flitted off again with 

 scarcely any pause at the nest. If a large one, it seemed b}^ the time which elapsed, 

 and the sounds which became audible— most vehement snorings and hissings — 

 that partition had to be made, and that the said partition was a matter of the 

 greatest interest to the parties concerned." 



This is the same nest described by Mr. Atkinson's father in the first volume 

 of the Zoologist {21. \. 384). 



Fifty years ago, before scientific farming came in, and before a cheap, 

 abundant supply of coal was obtainable in Essex, numerous large old pollarded 

 trees stood in the hedge-rows in all parts of the county, and afforded logs for the 

 winter fires. 



" These were, I think," says Dr. Laver [50. iii. 33] " invaluable to the farmers, 

 as they formed the retiring and nesting-places of numerous Owls. Most of these 

 pollards are now gone, and with them have disappeared the Owls to a great 

 extent. Formerl}', rats were rarely found in the fields ; but now, from the des- 

 truction of Owls and other so-called vermin, they abound, and may be found in 

 almost every hedge. I think, could a balance be struck, it would be found that 

 the Owl-tenanted pollard did not occasion anything like the loss to the farmer 

 now caused by the numerous rats and mice. * * * The destruction, therefore, of 

 pollards has, in my opinion, resulted in great injury to the county generally." 



Henry Doubleday, on March 23rd, 1843, says (10), "A short time since a 

 person here [Epping] shot a common Barn Owl with the whole of the under 

 parts, legs, &c., of a deep ochre-yellow, with a few black spots. The face alone 

 was white." He also records (34. 522) that in December, 1864, a similar variety 

 was killed near Epping, having " the whole under-parts tawny yellow, spotted 

 with black. The upper-parts were more mottled with grey than usual. It was 

 a large bird and a female." These specimens, in all probability, belonged to the 

 " very darkly coloured " Danish form of this bird, mentioned by Prof. Newton 

 (37. i. 198)' and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. (^Birds of Norfolk^ p. 22). 



Family ASIONID^. 



Long-eared Owl : Asia otits. 



A resident in many parts of England, but in Essex I think we 

 can only regard it as a rather uncommon winter visitor. I never 

 actually heard of its breeding in the county, except at Harwich, 

 though it has probably done so elsewhere. It seems once to have 

 been much more common than it now is. 



Mr. Clarke says (24) that "one or two are killed every season round Saffron 

 Walden." He mentions specimens killed at Newport in 1829, at Siward's End on 

 August 31st, 1831, at Wenden in i833,and at Audley End (two) in 1834. Mr. Travis 

 says they are now quite uncommon there. He received one shot near Ashdon on No- 

 vember 1st, 188 1. In 183 1 it was "not uncommonin the wooded districts of Hadleigh 

 and Hockley, and [was] occasionally met with in the more open parts and small- 

 groves at Southchurch, the Wakerings, and Shoeburyness " (Parsons). W. H. 

 Hill (12, viii. 573) met with two at Southminster about 1834, According to King 

 (20), it was "rare " round Sudbury in 1838. One was shot at Stondon Massey on 



