236 THE ZOOLOGIS!I. 
for they heard the dying moans. I went out to listen, and I cer- 
tainly felt puzzled as to what animal produced the sound. At first 
I thought that some of the cattle might be choking from becoming 
entangled in the neck-chains, but on going to the cattle-house 
1 found everything quite still and quiet, and the moans coming 
from the trees, showed that it was some bird; but as I had never 
read any description of the cry of the male Long-eared Owl in the 
breeding season, I could not imagine what bird it was. However, 
the night being moonlight I followed the sound, and when I got 
near the tree I saw a dark bird glide silently away, giving a slight 
flap of its wings when just leaving its perch, the noise made by the 
flap being scarcely audible. I thus followed the bird about the 
place for over an hour, but could never see it in the act of calling, 
as the only sight I could get of it was on its leaving one tree for 
another when disturbed; so I had to return without being satisfied 
as to its identity, though at the same time I was quite confident it 
was same kind of owl. For several nights I followed the bird 
with my gun, but was unsuccessful in obtaining a shot at it, though 
after a time I began to be almost certain that it was the Long-eared 
Owl; but, of course, unless I shot the bird or distinctly saw it in 
the act of calling, I could not be certain of its identity. ‘This 
tantalizing state of things continued until the succeeding month of 
March, when one evening I was riding home from Ballina, and 
just before dark, as I was passing a grove, I heard the call from 
some trees close to the road. I immediately stopped, and closely 
watching the trees in a few moments had the satisfaction of seeing 
a fine Long-eared Owl sitting on the branch of a larch tree in the 
very act of “moaning”; and about a month later I had a good 
view of another, close to the house here, also calling. The young 
when half fledged, before they leave the nest, and for several weeks 
after they leave it, may be heard calling incessantly for food, and 
their loud plaintive cries readily attract attention to their retreat. 
The female has a very queer yelping kind of alarm-note when the 
young are approached, quite different from the moaning of the 
male bird or the cry of the young. 
Short-eared Owl, Stria brachyotus.—A regular winter visitor to 
the heaths and low grounds, and is sometimes found in small flocks 
by snipe-shooters. 
White Owl, Stra jlammea.— Resident and common in the 
numerous old ruins throughout the country. 
