284 OWLS. 



industrious white owl was to be seen skirting, with noise- 

 less wing, the lawns and fields about Eossdhu, though 

 nearly a mile from the island. I have often admired its 

 expertness. Whenever it saw or heard a mouse, it settled 

 in the air, like the osprey, and then, with its legs hanging 

 down, ready to seize the moment it came to the ground, 

 appeared rapidly to alight on its prey. The ways of the 

 brown owl are different. It does not appear to hunt on 

 the wing, but, perched on the top of the highest tree, hears 

 the slightest rustling among the grass, and instantly 

 descends upon its prey. The grotesquely large head of 

 this bird, which also implies large eyes and ears, are no 

 doubt wise provisions to enable it to see and hear acutely 

 in the darkness from such a height. An instance of the 

 very quick ear of the buzzard once came under my own 

 notice, and is probably still more remarkable in the owl. 

 This buzzard, scarcely full-fledged, was standing, erect as 

 a drill-sergeant, in the midst of a noisy group, all distract- 

 ing his attention, when a field-mouse was let out of a trap 

 among the grass behind him. He listened, wheeled to the 

 right about, instantly detected the little fugitive, and 

 fastened his claw in its back. 



I have been a good deal puzzled by the observations 

 of an ingenious naturalist, which certainly are in direct 

 opposition to my own. This gentleman resolved to see 

 whether some young white owls, in his barn, could remain 

 without food during the long summer day. He watched 

 for about twelve hours, and avers that in that time 

 the old birds fed them a hundred and fifty times. For my 



