88 STRIGIDiE. 



his view, one of these birds was always stationed, until it succeeded 

 in killing the whole of the inmates, consisting of a pair of old, 

 and nine well-grown young ones. They were invariably seized 

 with its foot by the back of the neck, so that the bird never 

 suffered the slightest injury. Living rats, too, (as in the case of 

 the kites already mentioned,) let out of the cage-trap, and a fair 

 start given to them, were always captured by these owls, which 

 kept up a violent screaming during the chase ; as they also did, 

 when by their unaided efforts they had seized a rat, and, flapping 

 their wings, hurried away to some retired spot to eat their prey. 

 These owls had free access to the dwelling-house, and cleared it 

 completely of mice ; as they did the yard and store, of rats. They 

 were great pets, and very fond of having their ears rubbed. 

 When the finger was applied to these organs, they were fully ex- 

 panded, and the application was so pleasing to the bird that it 

 gently fell asleep. Mr. E. Ball had once a young long-eared owl, 

 which was permitted to fly wherever it pleased, and by choice it 

 generally remained during the day in a grove of tall fir-trees. 

 His call to it from a considerable distance was always answered 

 by a loud melancholy cry, and when he reached the base of the 

 tree on winch the owl was, it came down and perched upon his 

 hand. 



THE SHOET-EAEED OWL. 



Otus brachyohbs, Forster (sp.) 

 Strix „ Gmel. 



Can only be announced with certainty as a regular 

 winter visitant. 



Sir William Jardine has met with this species in its breeding 

 haunts in Dumfries-shire, and given a most interesting account of 

 it, as observed there.* Mr. Selby, too, considers from the cir- 

 cumstance of Ins meeting with the short- eared owl on the Nor- 

 thumbrian moors about the 1 2th of August, that it breeds on 

 them ; f and Mr. Hoy ascertained that it bred in the south-west 



* His edition of Wilson's Aracr. Orn. vol. ii. p. 63 ; ami Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 286. 

 t " A few of them remain upon the moors of Northumhcrland, where Mr. Charlton 



