OWLS. 185 



brood hatched in September, and another in De- 

 cember; and he adds, that he considers himself as 

 amply repaid for the pains he has taken in protecting 

 and encouraging his Barn-Owls ; conceiving that it 

 pays him a hundred-fold by the enormous quantity 

 of mice destroyed throughout the year. Many, 

 however, condemn them, on account of the ravages 

 they commit in pigeon -houses, by carrying off the 

 young ones ; but this seems to be an unfair charge ; 

 their real reason for entering pigeon-houses being 

 rather for the purpose of picking up the vermin that 

 are constantly harbouring there, than injuring the 

 inmates. 



Mr. Waterton observes, that when farmers com- 

 plain that the Barn-Owl destroys the eggs of their 

 Pigeons, " they put the saddle on the wrong horse." 

 It ought, he says, to be put upon the rat; stating from 

 his own experience, that his increase of Pigeons was 

 inconsiderable till the rats were effectually excluded 

 from the dove-cot, since which time, they have in- 

 creased abundantly, though the Barn-Owls frequent 

 it, and are encouraged all about it. And he reasons 

 very correctly, by saying, that if they were really 

 enemies, the Pigeons would be in commotion as 

 soon as the Owl began its evening flight, and en- 

 tered their premises; but that they heed him not. 

 Whereas, if a Hawk should make its appearance, 

 the whole community of Pigeons would be in con- 

 fusion and alarm. We have another testimony in 

 favour of the Owls with regard to Pigeons. A 

 person who kept Pigeons, and had often a great 

 number of his young ones destroyed, laid it on a pair 

 of Owls which visited the premises, and accordingly, 



