STRIX FLAMMEA 25 



heard shrieking here perpetually on the portico, and in the large 

 sycamore trees near the house," he says. " It shrieks equally 

 when the moon shines and when the night is rough and cloudy ; 

 and he who takes an interest in it may here see the Barn Owl the 

 night through when there is a moon ; and he may hear it shriek, 

 when perching on the trees, or when it is on wing. He may see 

 it and hear it shriek, within a few yards of him, long before dark ; 

 and again, often after daybreak, before it takes its tinal departure 

 to its wonted resting place." 



So much at home were these Owls at Walton, that at night 

 they often came into Waterton's room ; and after flitting to and 

 fro on wing so soft and silent that they are scarcely heard, they 

 would take their departure from the same window by which they 

 had entered. 



The dovecot even was frequented by them, without harm or 

 alarm to the inmates. 



In more modern times. Lord Lilford thus demonstrates 

 the folly of destroying the Barn Owl, not only in the interest of 

 game but of agriculture : — " I have examined hundreds of pellets 

 cast up by this species in and under their nesting-places, and 

 never discovered either bones or feathers of any game-bird, the 

 castings consisting mainly of the fur and bones of small 

 mammalia, with feathers and skulls of seed-eating birds, and 

 occasionally a few bones and scales of small fishes." 



Of its feeding capacity he says that he saw an old pair bring 

 food to their brood " seventeen times in half an hour from a rick- 

 yard near their nest." He saw one about half-grown swallow 

 nine full-grown house mice in rapid succession, till the tail 

 of the ninth stuck out of his mouth, yet within three hours 

 the bird was hungry again, and was barely satisfied with four 

 more. 



" This Owl begins to lay early in April," Lilford says, " and 

 begins to sit as soon as one or two eggs are laid, though the full 

 complement is seldom less than six or seven. Young Barn 

 Owls in all stages from newly -hatched down- clad infancy to full 

 feathering may be found in one and the same nest at the same 



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