52 



THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of this bird in various parts of Northamptonshire on 

 good authority, and I was assured by one of Lord 

 Westmorland's gamekeepers, in August 1872, that 

 he had taken four young Long-eared Owls from a 

 nest in a blackthorn thicket near Morehay Lawn 

 during the summer of the previous year. This man 

 was evidently well acquainted with the species, of 



Long-eared Owl mobbed by Tits. 



which he gave a very accurate description. Since the 

 above paragraph appeared in print our decoy man 

 brought me a bird of this species alive that he found 

 hanging, caught by the feet in the net over one of 

 the "pipes," on October 20, 1891 ; I set this Owl at 

 liberty, having in previous years liberated several 

 nestlings sent to me from Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, 



