386 THE OWLS 



or wood-pigeon. Most of these nests are old and deserted by their former owners, 

 but I have known a pair of longeared-owls to eject magpies from a newly built 

 nest. Squirrels' dreys are also frequently utilised, and occasionally a nest may be 

 found on the ground, not only in treeless situations, but also occasionally in planta- 

 tions (cf. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1898, p. 50 ; 1902, p. 200 : Field, Nov. 22, 1902 : 

 Zoologist, 1901, p. 31 ; 1904, p. 250; 1900, p. 193, etc.). By preference a nest in a 

 thick belt of spruce or other evergreen conifer is generally selected. 1 (PI. 81.) The 

 usual number of eggs is from 3-5 or rarely 6, but on the Continent clutches of 7 

 and even 8 eggs have been recorded. They are white, closely resembling those of 

 the white-owl, but are rather more rounded in shape and have a more decided gloss, 

 though, of course, much less than the eggs of pigeons. Average size of 100 eggs, 

 1'58 x 1'26 in. [40*3 x 32'2 mm.]. The breeding season is generally during the latter 

 half of March or early in April, exceptionally as early as the end of February. 

 With regard to the period of incubation there is considerable difference of opinion, 

 but probably about four weeks is the correct time. An egg hatched out in an 

 incubator on the 27th day (W. Evans), and Mr. S. E. Brock gives the period as 

 28-30 days (cf . W. Schuster, Zeitschr. fur Oologie, xiii. p. 53). Incubation is certainly 

 chiefly, and probably entirely, performed by the hen, who is supplied with food by 

 her mate. There is some evidence that occasionally a second brood is reared. 

 [F. c. B. J.] 



5. Food. This is a woodland haunting species, whose food consists chiefly of 

 longtailed field-mice, but it also kills many brown rats. Other mammals whose 

 remains have been discovered in pellets are the common and lesser shrews, house- 

 mouse, field-vole, water-vole, dormouse, and bats. Sparrows and other small birds 

 are not infrequently taken, and remains of toads as well as frogs have been found in 

 castings, besides numerous large beetles, especially Oeotrupes stercorarius and 

 Mdolontha vulgaris. In Germany voles appear to furnish 81 per cent, of the food 

 of this species ( Jour. f. Orn., 1906, p. 544). [F. o. B. J.] 



6. Song Period. Most vociferous during the breeding season, [w. P. P.] 



1 On the Continent the eggs are said to have been found occasionally in holes of trees, but 

 there seems to be no clear evidence of this habit in the British Isles (cf. Naumann, Natur- 

 geschichte d. Vogel Mitteleuropas, v. p. 57). On the Continent it also makes use of the nests of 

 the larger birds of prey buzzards, goshawks, kites, etc. 



