OWLS. 151 



that these birds, unlike others, seem to breed at all seasons, 

 as he found a young brood hatched in September, and another 

 in December \ and he adds that he considers himself as amply 

 repaid for the pains he has taken in protecting and encouraging 

 his Barn-Owls; conceiving that it pays him a hundred-fold 

 by the enormous quantity of mice destroyed throughout the 

 year. Many, however, condemn thera on account of the 

 ravages they commit in pigeon-houses, by carrying off the 

 young ones : but this seems to be an unfair charge ; their real 

 reason for entering pigeon-houses being rather for the purpose 

 of picking up the vermin that are constantly harbouring there, 

 than injuring the inmates. 



Mr. Waterton observes, that when farmers complain that the 

 Barn-Owl destroys the eggs of their Pigeons, " they put the 

 saddle on the wrong horse." It ought, he says, to be put upon 

 the rat ; stating from his own experience, that his increase of 

 Pigeons was inconsiderable till the rats were effectually ex- 

 cluded from the dovecot, since which time they have increased 

 abundantly, though the Barn-Owls frequent it, and are en- 

 couraged all about it. And he reasons very correctly, by say- 

 ing, that if they were really enemies, the Pigeons would be in 

 commotion as soon as the Owl began its evening flight, and 

 entered their premises ; but they heed him not. Whereas, if 

 a Hawk should make its appearance, the whole community of 

 Pigeons would be in confusion and alarm. We have another 

 testimony in favour of the Owls with regard to Pigeons. A 

 person who kept Pigeons, and had often a great number of 

 his young ones destroyed, laid it on a pair of Owls which 

 visited the premises, and accordingly, one moonlight night, he 

 stationed himself, gun in hand, close to the dove-house, for 

 the purpose of shooting the Owls. He had not taken his 

 station long before he saw one of them flying out with a prize 

 in its claws ; he pulled his trigger, and down came the poor 

 bird, but instead of finding the carcase of a young Pigeon, he 

 found an old rat nearly dead. Mr. Waterton met with a 

 similar proof. He was one evening sitting under a shed, 

 watching for rats, when he killed a very large one as it was 



