158 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



by far the best known of its tribe in Devonshire, 

 but of course is not strictly confined to the 

 woods ; its favourite haunts are, as elsewhere, 

 church-steeples, barns and outhouses, and holes 

 in trees in the vicinity of houses. This Owl is 

 occasionally seen out searching for food just 

 about sunset, whilst in the corn harvest it fre- 

 quently may be seen by the light of the moon 

 gliding in and out amongst the stocks in quest 

 of mice. A bird-catcher told me that he has 

 caught this Owl in his nets in broad daylight. 

 It had come after the mice which had been 

 attracted by the seed scattered as a lure. 



Our woodland birds of prey, alas, are few 

 nowadays. The Kite is gone, and must have 

 disappeared many years ago, for Montagu knew 

 it not as a breeding species in his time. There 

 can be little doubt, however, that this fine bird 

 was formerly indigenous to the county. But one 

 example has come within our knowledge during 

 the past eight years, and that was trapped some- 

 where in this immediate neighbourhood in April 

 1891. The Common Buzzard still breeds in 

 some of the Devonshire woodlands, but its great 

 strongholds in the county now are on the marine 



