STRIX OTUS. 157 



eggs, as I saw from their blae colour and the bird's reluctance to 

 quit the nest that they were nearly hatching. I returned in a 

 fortnight, climbed the tree and found the young all dead — no 

 doubt the work of civilization and the gun. 



Next year, in the end of March, a nest was got with two 

 young ones and two eggs — all were taken. A fortnight after, the 

 same bird had four eggs in an old carrion crow's nest a few yards 

 away. These being also taken the owl returned to the first nest 

 and had other four eggs. I have known of six eggs being 

 found, and as many as eight taken from one nest, possibly some 

 of them old ones ; but four is the usual number. This year, 

 (1892) I know of two nests being got on the 3rd and 5th of 

 April, with four eggs each. 



If, as Lady Macduff says, " the poor wren, the most diminutive 

 of birds, will fight for her young ones in the nest against the 

 owl," even so will the owl fight against man. To prove this 

 and to show the owl's courage — On May 14th, 1887, a nest with 

 three ripe young ones was found in Magusmuir wood — near 

 where Archbishop Sharpe was murdered; on climbing up to 

 harry them the lad was so violently attacked by the old bird 

 that he was forced to come down the tree and get a long-pointed 

 stick, with which he made a hole in the under side of the nest 

 to let the young ones fall through. 



I have often seen the owl in autumn sailing noiselessly over 

 stooky fields hunting after field mice, floating, like a feather, on 

 the air ; then suddenly pounce down amongst the stooks or 

 stubble, and remain — possibly devouring its prey — until I came 

 near, when it would rise and fly away. It could easily be shot 

 when thus engaged in dusky twilight and near dark, also in the 

 moonlight. When it is known that an owl will destroy from 

 6,000 to 8,000 mice annually for itself, the great number 

 destroyed for its brood — thus silently and at night when the 

 farmer is asleep — proves that it is one of his best and most 

 faithful servants. As it is questioned if it destroys rats, the 

 following paragraph which recently appeared in the East of 

 Fife Record speaks for itself : — 



" On Sunday evening, while a number of people were going homewards 

 to Pittenweem from the Waterworks at Ovenstone, and while passing oyer 

 the bridge which crosses the Dreel burn south of Grangemuir, an amusing 

 incident was observed. The flutterings of a large bird (which was after- 

 wards discovered to be an owl) over the course of the burn drew the 

 attention of the onlookers. After viewing the movements of the bird for 

 some time it was seen to make a sudden dart downwards into the water 

 course, and rise again with what was distinctly seen to be a large water rat, 

 which struggled hard to gain release from its captor. The owl, however, 



