52 OWLS 



saucers, and the bird seemed a perfect ogre. A few 

 days later, we were fishing one of the tributaries of 

 the Tweed near its source, and had to walk over a 

 mile or more of almost flat moorland, where there 

 was hardly a bush, much less a tree to be seen. 

 Wherever there was rise enough in the ground to 

 form a little bank, the soil was perfectly honeycombed 

 with what appeared like miniature colonnades, or 

 rather cloisters, and we caught frequent glimpses of 

 the voles within, as they flitted along their galleries. 

 When we were well into this dreary place, a couple 

 of short-eared owls positively mobbed us, and as 

 we walked along with our fishing-rods over our 

 shoulders, they followed us till we reached a dry 

 gully, where they became more than ever demon- 

 strative, coming well within the points of our rods. 

 We searched the gully to see if we could find the 

 nest or the young birds, which we were sure must 

 be close by ; but, as fishing was our main object, 

 we had to give up the quest. You will observe, 

 that, on both occasions, the hour was between 

 eleven and twelve o'clock, and the sun was shining 

 brilliantly." 



The cries of the different species of owls differ 

 much from each other, but they are always weird, 

 sonorous, solemn, and they have always been 



