39 



and field mice ; December, mice, spiders and wood- 

 lice." The Shorteared Owls do not appear by any 

 means to limit their bird-eating propensities to the 

 month of July, for Montagu says he received one in 

 the month of November, in the stomach of which 

 were the remains of a Sky Lark and a Yellow- 

 hammer. The mere fact, however, of these birds 

 preying on birds at different times of the year hardly 

 detracts from the value of M. Prevost's notice, which 

 still shows the immense quantities of mice devoured 

 by these birds at all times of the year, and the 

 consequent benefit both to the farmer and to the 

 gardener. 



The nest is said to be placed upon the ground 

 amongst heather ; the bottom is scooped until the 

 fresh earth appears, on which the eggs are placed, 

 without any lining or covering.* 



The Shorteared Owl differs much in appearance 

 from the Longeared, the general colouring being 

 much lighter. The bill is dark horn-colour; irides 

 brilliant orange-yellow; the face is nearly black 

 round the eye, yellowish white and black beneath 

 the eye, the rest nearly white, grizzled with black ; 

 the border of the facial disk speckled light buff and 

 brown; ear-tufts brown, margined with light buff; 

 head streaked light buff and brown ; nape and back 

 the same, but with broader streaks ; scapulars, wing- 



* Yarrell, vol. i., p. 157. 



