370 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
My dovecote is one of the old-fashioned buildings with an entrance at the 
top down into a room with holes in the walls all round. Since writing the 
above a month ago, I found yesterday (July 26th) a couple of young Owls 
in the dovecote. Iam very glad of it, as it proves there is a pair of old 
Owls about, although I never see more than one at a time. — ReainaLp 
Kew.y (Lifton, N. Devon). 
[This confirms the view long ago expressed by Charles Waterton, in 
his ‘ Essays on Natural History,’ first series (p. 14). He says :—‘ When 
farmers complain that the Barn Owl destroys the eggs of their Pigeons, 
they lay the saddle on the wrong horse. They ought to put it on the Rat. 
Formerly I could get very few young Pigeons till the Rats were excluded 
effectually from the dovecot. Since that took place it has produced a great 
abundance every year, though the Barn Owls frequent it, and are 
encouraged all around it. The Barn Owl merely resorts to it for repose 
and concealment. If it were really an enemy to the dovecot we should see 
the Pigeons in commotion as soon as it begins its evening flight! but the 
Pigeons heed it not: whereas, if the Sparrowhawk or Hobby should make 
its appearance, the whole community would be up at once; proof sufficient 
that the Barn Owl is not looked upon as a bad, or even suspicious, 
character by the inhabitants of the dovecot.”—Kp. ] 
Black Guillemot breeding in Co. Waterford.—On the 2nd June last 
I took, for the first time, two eggs of the Black Guillemot on a rocky part of 
this coast. I subsequently received another clutch of two eggs of the same 
species, taken on May 29th on another part of the coast. Both clutches 
were in an early stage of incubation. A third clutch was reported to have 
been taken about the same time. I have heard of Black Guillemots 
breeding in Co. Waterford for many years, but have not had an opportunity 
of verifying the statement until this year. These birds are not numerous, 
so far as I know, on any part of the Irish coast, but I have seen them in 
Co. Kerry.—R. J. Ussuer (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). 
Sparrowhawks’ Eggs.—This summer, near Beckenham, Kent, I found 
a Sparrowhawk’s nest in a fir tree, containing no less than eight eggs. 
The nest apparently was not an appropriated one, as is often the case, but 
built by the hawk. It was composed of sticks and lined with a few oak 
leaves. The number of eggs laid is sufficiently unusual, I think, to be 
mentioned in ‘The Zoologist.—A. Kennarp (18, Wood Street, Cheapside). 
REPTILES. 
Viper swallowing its Young.— The following facts may be worth 
publication, as corroborating Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydell’s notice in last 
month’s ‘ Zoologist’ (p. 340). A labouring man described accurately to 
me last mouth, in the New Forest, the fact of his having surprised and 
