86 



Craiginillar and its Environs. 



Two years ago a farm-servant caught one sleeping in 

 a field near the castle. Getting possession of it, we 

 kept it in a kennel, where we made some experiments 

 by shutting a live rat in beside it. It usually sat on 

 a high shelf, and as the rat remained on the floor, 



the two did 

 not inter- 

 fere with 

 each other. 

 We were for 

 a long time 

 of the opin- 

 ion that the 

 owl never 

 flew to the 

 Thk barn owi. ground, but 



in this we had been mistaken, for shutting a badger 

 in beside them, both rat and owl found their way 

 into his capacious maw, much to our regret. 



The Tawny Owl is plentiful in the locality, and 

 at certain seasons their eerie cries may be heard 

 in all the woods surrounding Craigmillar. Though 



