PLATE I 

 BARN OWL. Strix flammea 



June 26th, 1898. Mildenhall, Suffolk. This Plate gives a very usual site for 

 a Barn Owl's nest. In many of the old, well-timbered parks, most of the very 

 old elms and oaks are hollow in the centre, access to the cavity being gained 

 by the hole where some limb has rotted off. In such localities the Barn 

 Owl is plentiful and nests not difficult to locate. I thought that the hole 

 shown in the Plate looked a very likely one for a nest, and on striking the 

 tree once or twice with my stick out flew a Barn Owl. The nest cavity was 

 four or five feet below the hole, and contained four nearly full-fledged young 

 Owls, who ' snored ' and snapped their bills at me. 



Taking the photograph of it was rather a [difficult task. Fortunately there 

 was a dead tree standing quite close, and from one of the larger branches of 

 it I managed to get a good view of the nesting-hole. 



The young when first hatched are covered with a pure white down. The 

 eggs seem to be laid at intervals, the bird commencing to sit as soon as the 

 first is laid, as I have frequently observed eggs and young birds of different 

 age in the same nest. The number of mice, rats, etc., which the Barn Owls 

 bring to their young in one day is simply surprising; in a nest containing 

 four half-fledged young I found no less than eleven mice, and parts of five 

 or six others, besides two full-grown rats untouched. 



