66 British Birds^ 



they did, and I have seen them still at work in the 

 morning long after sun-rise, once as late as between 

 eight and nine in the morning in the height of summer. 

 As the inmates of a dove-cot, they are on very excellent 

 terms with the proper dwellers therein, although from 

 the known habits of other Owls, the human owners of 

 the dove-cot are apt to assume, most groundlessly and 

 unjustly, that they are sure to destroy the young 

 Pigeons. I don't believe, however, that if all the 

 rejected pellets of bones, fur, feathers, etc., from all the 

 Barn Owls in the kingdom could be examined, that 

 any trace of Pigeon, old or young, would be discovered ; 

 and that farmer is a foolish farmer who either destroys 

 a Barn Owl himself or suffers any one else, whom he 

 cowld prevent, to destroy one. They are perfectly 

 harmless, exceedingly useful, and strangely interesting 

 to the observer. I may add that since I began to 

 write these lines, I am told that the self-same tree is 

 still occupied by a pair of the self-same Owls, and has 

 continued to be from the days of my boyish recollec- 

 tions — a period of more than thirty years.^ The 

 young of this and the Tawny Owl are very bold, 

 resolute little creatures, if taken when rather more 

 than half -grown. They will throw themselves on their 

 backs, and defend themselves pertinaciously with bill 

 and claw against any foe, or supposed foe, human or 

 other. The Barn Owl has been known to take fish by 

 plunging upon it in the water. The eggs are about 

 \\ inch long by IJ broad. 



1 And that is now more than 30 years ago. 



