WELL-KNOWN FEATHERED OUTLAWS 31 



we are most likely to meet with the Long-eared Owl, 

 which reminds one of a cat, with its bright orange- 

 yellow eyes and ear-tufts. This Owl's food consists 

 largely of squirrels and small birds, and we never 

 remember finding game of any description in its 

 " nest," or rather we should say in the disused nest of 

 some other bird, for it never makes one for itseli. 

 We have found its eggs and young in squirrels' 

 " dreys," old Sparrow-hawks'and Wood-pigeons' nests. 

 It is usually a very close sitter, but not invariably. 

 Frequently one has to shake the bird off her eggs, but 

 now and then we have known one take wing before 

 the tree containing the nest was reached. It is always 

 a hard nest to find, even though one knows a regular 

 haunt, for should the Owl refuse to leave its eggs, 

 even though the tree be violently shaken, there is 

 nothing left but to climb tree after tree which holds 

 a likely-looking nest, and we have sometimes ascended 

 thirty or more trees in an afternoon without success. 

 Very often several pairs breed in close proximity, 

 and with luck two or more nests may be found with- 

 out much difficulty, but this must be looked upon as 

 exceptional. This species also is a remarkably early 

 breeder, and eggs may usually be found by the end 

 of March, though we have on more than one occasion 

 found them during June, but in these cases probably 

 the first clutch had been destroyed or taken, as we 

 should say that this bird is single-brooded. 



We are prepared, then, on the evidence given above, 

 to pronounce our friends "not guilty" on the charge 

 of poaching, or to plead for them extenuating circum- 

 stances. 



