" Towards sundown young Long-Eared Owls, when old enough to sit about in trees, call to their 



parents in weird whistling notes." 



THE LONG-EARED OWL 



T 



HE Long-Eared Owl is a 

 handsome bird. When 

 seen in daylight, standing 

 on some dead lichen-clad 

 stump, its upright carriage, 

 bright yellow eyes and long 

 ear-like tufts which it can 

 erect or depress at will 

 give it a striking appearance. Its 

 nocturnal habits, silence, and the nature 

 of the dark gloomy spruce woods in 

 which it loves to dwell, all combine to 

 give the impression that it is rarer 

 than it really is. I have met with it 

 within a few miles of London, and have 

 reason to know that it is fairly common 

 in many Surrey woods. 



It preys upon rats, mice, voles, and 

 small birds, and, from a close examina- 

 tion of the places where the last-named 

 have been struck, I have no doubt that 

 they are captured in the dusk of evening 

 after retiring to roost. How useful it 



is to the agriculturist may be seen 

 when it is mentioned that as many as 

 eight voles and mice may sometimes be 

 seen lying on the edge of a nest con- 

 taining young ones. 



This species does not trouble to build 

 any kind of nest, and if the old habita- 

 tion of a crow, wood-pigeon, heron, 

 magpie, or squirrel cannot be found, it 

 will readily descend to the ground and 

 lay its four or five smooth white oval- 

 shaped eggs under a stunted fir, tuft of 

 heather, or other kind of growth afford- 

 ing suitable cover. 



The Long-Eared Owl does not appear 

 to be much inconvenienced by a strong 

 light, and I have watched it hunting 

 for prey, and bringing short-tailed field 

 voles to its nestlings long before dark. 

 Before the young ones have commenced 

 to feather, the female covers them by 

 day, and when disturbed will fly to and 

 fro over the nest, performing the most 



