OWLS. 1 79 



tiling so mournful and dismal in its night-shriek, 

 and such a ghostly sort of motion in its silent, 

 gliding movements, when seen glancing through the 

 twilight, or hunting for food in a bright moonlight 

 night, that we can scarcely be surprised at the 

 strange opinions and prejudices of ignorant or super- 

 stitious people. Generally speaking, however, a 

 more harmless, we may say, a more useful, race of 

 birds does not exist, since, with the exception of one 

 or two of the larger and rarer species, their food 

 consists entirely of vermin and insects, very pre- 

 judicial to our crops, and which, but for these 

 nocturnal hunters, might do serious mischief. A 

 striking instance of their utility occurred some years 

 ago in the neighbourhood of Bridgewater, in Somer- 

 setshire, where, during the summer, such incredible 

 numbers of mice overran the country, as to destroy 

 a large portion of vegetation; and their ravages 

 might have extended to an alarming degree, had it 

 not been for a sudden assemblage of Owls, which 

 resorted from all parts to prey upon them. Short- 

 eared Owls (Strix Irachyotos), to the number of 

 twenty- eight, have been counted in a single field, 

 collected together no doubt, by swarms of mice, 

 which in a favourable season had been bred there. 

 This particular Owl only frequents England between 

 the months of October and April, migrating in the 

 spring to the northern islands of Scotland, where 

 they breed. Its usual and favourite food is, as we 

 have observed, field-mice, but they are bold, power- 

 ful birds, and when their young are to be provided 

 for, will chase Pigeons, and even larger birds, in the 

 open day, particularly if the weather is gloomy. In 



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