154 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



wood kinds. The white owl does indeed snore and hiss in a 

 tremendous manner ; and these menaces well answer the intention 

 of intimidating ; for I have known a whole village up in arms on 

 such an occasion, imagining the churchyard to be full of goblins 

 and spectres. White owls also often scream horribly as they 

 fly along ; from this screaming probably arose the common 

 people's imaginary species of screech-owl, which they super- 

 stitiously think attends the windows of dying persons. The 

 plumage of the remiges of the wings of every species of owl that 

 I have yet examined is remarkably, soft and pliant. Perhaps it 

 may be necessary that the wings of these birds should not make 

 much resistance or rushing, that they may be enabled to steal 

 through the air unheard upon a nimble and watchful quarry.* 



While I am talking of owls, it may not be improper to mention 

 what I was told by a gentleman of the county of Wilts. As they 

 were grubbing a vast hollow pollard-ash that had been the mansion 

 of owls for centuries, he discovered at the bottom a mass of 

 matter that at first he could not account for. After some- 

 examination he found thit it was a congeries of the bones of 

 mice (and perhaps of birds and bats) that had been heaping 

 together for ages, being cast up in pellets out of the crops of 

 many generations of inhabitants. For owls cast up the bones, 

 fur, and feathers, of what they devour, after the manner of 

 hawks. He believes, he told me, that there were bushels of this 

 kind of substance. 



When brown owls hoot their throats swell as big as an hen's 

 egg. I have known an owl of this species live a full year without 

 any water. Perhaps the case may be the same with all birds of 

 prey. When owls fly they stretch out their legs behind them as a 

 balance to their large heavy heads, for as most nocturnal birds 

 have large eyes and ears they must have large heads to contain 

 them. Large eyes I presume are necessary to collect every ray of 

 light, and large concave ears to command the smallest degree 

 of sound or noise. 



I am, &c. 



* There is perhaps not a more beautiful instance cf the evidence of design, than that 

 exhibited in the whole structure of an owl ; and as a part of it the wing, which is con- 

 structed for a light, buoyant, and noiseless flight. The feathers are altogether soft and 

 downy. They have the webs with the plumules disunited at the tips, and either remark- 

 ably pliable, or separated like the teeth of a saw, allowing a free passage to the air ; or 

 . they possess a pliability to yield to its pressure, and thus give a light or sailing motion and 

 a noiseless flight. 



