120 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



it of sea plants, lined with dry grass. It is to be found in colonies with guille- 

 mots, razorbills, and other sea birds. It breeds late in the season, and 

 young may be found in the nest in July. The three eggs are stone-coloured, 

 olive-tinged, or bluish in ground colour, with dark brown and grey spots and 

 blotches. 



The bird may be identified by the black or dark-coloured legs, the absence 

 of the white " mirror " on the tips of the outermost primaries, and the plain 

 triangular black tip to the wings, seen when flying. Only the mantle and 

 wings are grey, the rest is white. 



The food is chiefly small fish and their ova. 



Magpie. This handsome black and white bird, with its long, wedge-shaped 

 tail, can hardly be mistaken. It is a resident, common throughout the British 

 Isles, but is often massacred wholesale by the gamekeepers. It has a harsh, 

 grating cry. 



It builds a massive nest of sticks, domed or roofed above, with only a 

 small opening, usually high up in a tree or bush. (A curious habit of the 

 Magpie is to commence building more than one nest at a time.) It lays five or 

 more eggs, greenish white, thickly spotted and speckled with brown. It will 

 eat almost anything, but, like the Jay, performs some useful work in killing 

 mice and other " vermin." One of the interesting features of this bird is its 

 habit of assembling in companies in spring, apparently for the purpose of 

 selecting mates. In the winter also it is seen in flocks. 



Owl, Barn (WHITE or SCREECH OWL). When flying in the evening appears 

 white, and has a very quiet, noiseless flight. This owl may be distinguished 

 by its orange-buff upper parts and white under parts. Its note is not a " hoot," 

 but a screech. The young emit a sound like a snore when disturbed. It 

 nests in holes in trees, ruins, or rocks, laying four to six white eggs on the bare 

 floor. It is a fairly common resident, but scarce in Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland. Its staple diet consists of field mice, shrews, and rats ; sparrows 

 and other small birds are also taken. 



Owl, Long-eared. Noted for its long " ear " tufts, which are i| inch ; 

 its yellow eyes, and its general buff colour ; is a resident and winter visitor, 

 not rare in our wooded districts. It prefers the flattened nest of some other 

 bird, such as crow or hawk, but occasionally uses the ground. The eggs are 

 white, rounder and more glossy than the Barn Owl's. The food is much the 

 same field mice, voles, rats, sparrows, etc. 



The note when disturbed is like the spitting and swearing of a cat, whilst 

 the female " quacks " " Kyack-kyack." The call-note is a long-drawn " Oo." 



Owl, Short-eared. As its name implies, has short ear tufts, and has a less 

 decorated buff plumage than the preceding. Whilst the Long-eared Owl 

 prefers woods, this species chooses open country, moorland, etc., where it 

 makes a scrape in the ground, among heather, rushes, or grass, for its four or 

 more white eggs. It is found chiefly in the north as a breeding species, but 

 is fairly widely distributed as a winter visitor, often found at the lanterns of 



