38 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



the northern part of the kingdom,* is a migratory 

 species, arriving about the middle of October and 

 retiring again towards March. The greater numbers 

 seem generally to be taken in October and No- 

 vember, at which time they are found in the turnip- 

 fields and long grass,- and ferny or rushy places. 

 They never perch, but always sit humped up on the 

 ground, crouched away under the covert. At times 

 these Owls seem to make their appearance in much 

 greater numbers than usual, the cause of which un- 

 usual appearance has been traced to an equally 

 unusual increase in the number of mice : on one 

 occasion this seems to have been the case near 

 Bridgwater, mice having appeared there in such vast 

 quantities as to destroy a large portion of the vege- 

 tation, and in that autumn a very great number of 

 Shorteared Owls resorted to that part in order to 

 prey upon them.t 



I again have recourse to M. Prevost's series for 

 the food of this species : he says " January, mice ; 

 February, harvest mice ; March, mice ; April, crickets 

 and field mice ; May, shrew mice and cockchaffers ; 

 June, beetles ; July, field mice and birds ; August, 

 field mice and shrews ; September, field mice and 

 beetles; October, the same; November, common 



* They have been known to breed as far south as 

 Norfolk. See Yarrell, vol i., p. 137. 



| Montagu's Dictionary, by Newman. 



