92 EVIDENCE NOT CONCLUSIVE. 



says : " Standing in my garden in Bedford Park, 

 Croydon, an evening or two since, I saw a white owl fly 

 to a sparrow's nest lodged on a water-spout under the 

 roof of the house, and as though that visit was not 

 successful, he repeated it, and then went to a nest on the 

 next house, in the same way. It was too dark for me to 

 see if he succeeded in his marauding expedition against 

 the poor sparrows. Is it a common occurrence for an owl 

 to go robbing nests ? I never saw it done before, though 

 I have lived all my life in the country, and of course seen 

 this favourite bird skimming over the water meadows for 

 its supper." To this communication the editor adds the 

 following note : " This fact is extremely interesting, and, 

 we think, generally unknown. It would, however, have 

 added much to the interest, had the robbery actually 

 been proved ; it does not seem quite certain that this 

 was the owl's object in visiting the roof." 



Some years ago, having made the discovery that some 

 stock-doves were building in the wooden spire of our 

 village church, we commissioned the parish clerk to secure 

 a pair of young birds as soon as they were ready 

 to fly. He made several attempts for this purpose, 

 paying occasional visits to see how the young birds were 

 getting on, when, on going to the nest, as he supposed for 

 the last time, to carry them off, he found it empty. This 

 happened three or four times, and he was much puzzled 

 to account for it. The birds could not have flown they 



