96 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



wool is sometimes found in them, as well as the pellets or 

 castings of the birds. In many of the fir-clumps on the downs 

 of our southern counties, a pair of Long-eared Owls may be 

 found, the nest being in the most retired and darkest por- 

 tion of the clump, where no sunlight penetrates. Here the 

 Owls rest during the day, either side by side, or perhaps drawn 

 up against the trunk of a fir, and perfectly motionless. On 

 the approach of dusk, however, their awakened interest is 

 manifested by a snapping of the bill, a noise which can be 

 heard a long way .off; and they may be seen quartering over 

 the ground with a slow and noiseless flight, though I have 

 never seen them play or tumble in the air, as Barn-Owls will 

 often do. They never appear to hoot, but are described as 

 uttering a barking kind of note, and also "mewing" like a 

 young kitten. Mr. Norgate, who has contributed some in- 

 teresting notes on the species to Mr. Seebohm's " History of 

 British Birds," believes that this " cat "-like note is that of the 

 young birds, but at Avington in Hampshire, where Captain 

 Shelley and myself have found several nests, this noise, which 

 Mr. Norgate has so correctly described, was often heard by us, 

 but there were no young in the nests we examined, and there- 

 fore it is probably also uttered by the old birds. The food of 

 this species consists of mice, rats, and small birds. 



The Long-eared Owl breeds early in the year, and eggs have 

 been found at the end of February. Besides the above-men- 

 tioned nests adopted by the species, it will also occupy an old 

 Squirrel's drey, or even the nest of a Heron. 



Nest. As mentioned above, this species does not build a 

 nest itself, but uses the old nest of a Squirrel or some bird. 



Eggs. From four to six, sometimes seven. They are some- 

 what oval in shape, pure white, and slightly glossy. Axis, i "5- 

 r8 inch; diam., 1-15-1*35 inch. 



II. THE SHORT-EARED OWL. ASIO ACCIPITRTNUS. 



Strix accipitrina, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs. i. p. 455 (1771). 



Asia brachyotus (Forst.), Macg. Brit. B. iii. p. 461 (1840); j| 



B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 86 (1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. 



B. part xi. (1889). 



