104 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



escape), its flat, toad-like head, its small feet and legs, and its remarkable 

 plumage, lichen-grey in colour, barred and streaked with buff and chestnut. 

 It is so like the branches and boughs and bracken where it nest? that it is 

 extremely difficult to discover. It has a habit of crouching along, and not 

 across, a branch, thus enhancing its similarity to its environment ; when 

 in daylight, it keeps its eyes nearly closed to lessen the possibility of being 

 discovered by them. It haunts commons, uncultivated lands, and open 

 woods, where it nests on the ground, the eggs being laid among dead sticks 

 and leaves, usually among bracken. These are two in number, a creamy 

 white, with spots and mottlings of brown and grey, very long and elliptical. 



It flies at night, catching insects, chiefly beetles and moths. It has a 

 curious middle claw, serrated along its inner edge like a saw. The purpose 

 of this peculiarity is unknown. Gilbert White thought it caught insects 

 with its foot, this saw-toothed claw helping it to retain its prey ; but this is 

 not proved. Other explanations are : the claw is used to clean the mouth 

 bristles ; or to help it to clutch firmly the bough on which it rests longitudinally. 

 None of these theories are proved. 



The chicks are hatched covered with down, and are able to move about 

 at a day old ; and thus quickly leave the " nest " to hide in the neighbouring 

 undergrowth. The parent birds will try to distract the attention of an 

 intruder by feigning to be injured, their movements being those of a wounded 

 or dazed bird. 



Ouzel, Ring. This bird is found on moors and hillsides, where it is a summer 

 visitor, arriving about the middle of March. It is the same size and build as 

 a Blackbird, but the plumage is a rusty black, and the bird is at once identified 

 by the crescent-shaped patch of white on the breast. The hen is browner, 

 with a narrower and indistinct crescent. The note is like the Blackbird's, 

 but not so sweet and mellow. The nest is also like the Blackbird's, but is 

 placed far more frequently on the ground, among rocks or heather, and only 

 rarely in a bush ; and the eggs also resemble the Blackbird's, but with bolder 

 markings. 



Owl, Little. The smallest British owl, no larger than a Thrush ; distinguished 

 by its size, its greyish brown colour, spotted and barred with white. It is 

 increasing as one of our residents in Southern England and Wales, owing 

 to its importation by Lord Lifford and others. Like other owls, it makes 

 no nest, but lays four or five white eggs in a hole of some sort, whether in 

 tree, wall, or bank. 



Though so small, it is a bold and even savage species, and is said to attack 

 small birds and game more than other owls, and to feed by daylight as well 

 as night. In addition, it devours voles, mice, and beetles. 



The introduction of this bird has not proved an unmixed blessing, for 

 gamekeepers charge it with working no small havoc amongst young pheasants 

 and partridges. There is no doubt, however, of its usefulness in destroying 

 beetles, such as cockchafers. Its cry, unmistakable, is " Cu " or " Cu-cu." 



