50 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



of birds and bats) that had been heaping together for ages, 

 being cast up in pellets out of the crops of many genera- 

 tions 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. 1 



[I am, with the greatest respect, 

 Your most obliged, and 

 humble servant 



Gil : White. 



We have had a sad cold, black 

 summer solstice, but not 

 a very wet one.] 



It will be proper to premise here that the sixteenth, eighteenth, 

 twentieth, and twenty-first letters have been published already in the 

 " Philosophical Transactions " ; but as nicer observation has furnished 

 several corrections and additions, it is hoped that the republication of 

 them will not give offence ; especially as these sheets would be very im- 

 perfect without them, and as they will be new to many readers who had 

 no opportunity of seeing them when they made their first appearance. 



The hirundines are a most inoffensive, harmless, enter- 

 taining, social, and useful tribe of birds ; they touch no 



1 Professor Bell gives several instances of the occurrence of both the Long- 

 eared Owl (Asio otus) and the Short-eared Owl (Asia accipitrimts) in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Selborne. The former would doubtless breed there in suitable places, 

 as it does at Avington. A nest of the Brown or Tawny Owl (Syrnium aluco), con- 

 taining two young birds, was found this year (1900) in an old tree at The Wakes 

 by Mr. Paxton Parkin. [R. B. S.] 



