148 NATURAL HISTORY 



to run) they sally forth in quest of prey, and hunt all round 

 the hedges of meadows and small enclosures for them, which 

 seem to be their only food. In this irregular country we can 

 stand on an eminence and see them beat the fields over like a 

 setting-dog, and often drop down in the grass or corn. I 

 have minuted these birds with my watch for an hour together, 

 and have found that they return to their nests, the one or the 

 other of them, about once in five minutes ; reflecting at the 

 same time on the adroitness that every animal is possessed of 

 as regards the well being of itself and offspring. But a piece 

 of address, which they shew when they return loaded, should 

 not, I think, be passed over in silence. As they take their 

 prey with their claws, so they carry it in their claws to their 

 nest : but, as the feet are necessary in their ascent under the 

 tiles, they constantly perch first on the roof of the chancel, 

 and shift the mouse from their claws to their bill, that the feet 

 may be at liberty to take hold of the plate on the wall as they 

 are rising under the eaves. 



White owls seem not (but in this I am not positive) to hoot 

 at all : all that clamorous hooting appears to me to come from 

 the wood kinds *. The white owl does indeed snore and hiss 

 in a tremendous manner ; and these menaces well answer the 

 intention of intimidating : for I have known a whole village 

 up in arms on such an occasion, imagining the church-yard to 

 be full of goblins and spectres. White owls also often scream 

 horribly as they fly along; from this screaming probably 

 arose the common people's imaginary species of screech-owl, 

 which they superstitiously think attends the windows of dying 

 persons. The plumage of the remiges of the wings of every 

 species of owl that I have yet examined is remarkably soft 



I find that there were six young owls in the nest in the old pollard ash, 

 in a hole in which a pair of this species have bred for many years. I 

 have been assured by more than one of my neighbours that in these cases 

 the first pair assist in nestling the second pair, and these again the third. 

 Mr. Blyth has mentioned this fact ; and he is quoted with confirmatory 

 instances by Yarrell, Brit. Birds, i. p. 128, 1st edit. T. B.] 



* [Although hooting is not the usual, nor even a frequent voice of the 

 barn-owl, there are several instances recorded of its occurrence. T. B.] 



