162 BRITISH BIRDS. 



August. This bird is also occasionally taken in the flight-nets on the 

 Lincolnshire coast. 



The Long-eared Owl is an early breeder : fresh eggs may be obtained 

 by the second week in March ; and the young are hatched by the end of 

 April or beginning of May. It is doubtful if this bird ever builds its own 

 nest. It usually takes possession of a deserted Crow's nest, sometimes a 

 Wood-Pigeon's, and more frequently the deserted " drey " of a squirrel. 

 Norgate informs me that at Didlington he was told that this bird nested 

 habitually in the Herons' nests, and he himself saw quantities of pellets 

 beneath the trees in which the nests were built. On one occasion he 

 climbed up to a deserted nest in a pine tree, from which he looked 

 down upon a deserted squirrel's " drey " in a neighbouring tree, and saw a 

 pair of Long-eared Owls sitting side by side on the top, which was slightly 

 flattened, and on which were laid seven eggs. At this nest were the 

 remains of a Yellow Bunting. Dixon has found the eggs of this bird in 

 old Wood- Pigeons' nests, amongst dense masses of ivy growing on trees. 

 The selected nest does not appear to undergo much alteration, although 

 many naturalists have asserted that it is lined with wool and feathers; but 

 pellets are often found in it in great numbers. The eggs of this bird 

 are from four to seven in number, generally five or six ; and it appears 

 that, as is the case with many other birds of this family, the eggs are 

 sat on as soon as laid, as young birds and fresh eggs are seen in the same 

 nest. The eggs of the Long-eared Owl are somewhat oval in form, 

 possessing some little gloss, and are pure white in colour. They measure 

 from 1*76 to 1'5 inch in length and from 1'35 to 1'26 inch in breadth. 

 The young birds remain in the nest some weeks, and when able to fly 

 usually take up their quarters in the adjoining branches, where they 

 are fed for some time by the parents. 



My friend Mr. A. W. Johnson writes to me as follows respecting the 

 habits of the Long-eared Owl in Northumberland : " The Long-eared 

 Owl breeds somewhat sparingly, in suitable localities, throughout Northum- 

 berland and Durham plantations of black firs, bordering upon moors or 

 other open ground, being its favourite haunt. If this bird was only 

 allowed to dwell in peace, and was not so commonly and erroneously 

 regarded as vermin by the keepers, and destroyed accordingly, it would 

 soon become a fairly common bird here. In proof of this, some years 

 ago, in one district of Northumberland, where the birds were undisturbed, 

 my friend Isaac Clark, of Blaydon, used to find large numbers of their 

 nests for several consecutive seasons. A letter of his just received (25th 

 August 1882) proves how common they were in 1871. He writes, ' In 

 answer to your note about the Owls breeding, they always repair an old 

 Wood-Pigeon's or Magpie's nest. The earliest date I have found a 

 nest containing young was one which had three young birds and two 



