246 Wild Life in Wales 



amongst the branches of a thick spruce, will content a 

 Long-eared Owl as a receptacle for its eggs. These are 

 sometimes laid early in March, but frequently not before 

 the beginning of May. Six is a very ordinary clutch. 

 Neither in this, nor in any of the other owls, have I noticed 

 any tendency to lay the eggs in batches at considerable 

 intervals of time, as so frequently referred to by some 

 writers, and I cannot think that anything of the kind can 

 be more than quite exceptional. 



The Short-eared Owl (Dylluan glustiog) seldom visits this 

 district, and I was unable to meet with any evidence of its 

 remaining to breed here. Although by most intelligent 

 people all the owls are now recognised as amongst the 

 farmer's best friends, Grahame's lines, in his British Georgics, 

 may be commended to those who are still disposed to think 

 otherwise 



" Let the screeching Owl 

 A sacred bird be held j protect her nest, 

 Whether in neighbouring crag, within the reach 

 Of venturous boy, it hang, or in the rent 

 Of some old echoing tower, where her sad plaint 

 The livelong night she moans, save when she skims, 

 Prowling, along the ground, or, through your barn, 

 Her nightly round performs ; unwelcome guest ! 

 Whose meteor-eyes shoot horror through the dark, 

 And numb the tiny revellers with dread." 



If some of my good friends amongst the farmers on the 

 Merionethshire mountains could only be induced to view, 

 with like regard, the Buzzards which hover by day over 

 their vole-eaten pastures, the result might be reflected in 

 their pockets, in a more substantial manner than they dream 

 of, and would, moreover, preserve to their beautiful country 

 a charm not reckoned its least by other sojourners at their 

 gates besides the writer. 



