178 Contributions to the 



sorted to by various species of wild-fowl (Anatidse.) The flood never 

 attaining such a height as to cover the banks surrounding these 

 meadows, they are frequented by persons for the purpose of shooting 

 the wild-fowl on their evening flight, and to whom the owl, on as 

 " murderous deeds intent," occasionally falls a victim. On becoming 

 acquainted with this fact, it occurred to me that the owl's visit might 

 be in consequence of the flood driving its prey from the meadows to 

 their banks, where, as the only place of refuge, it would be more 

 abundant ; but I have ascertained that the owl equally haunts them 

 when the flood is gone. From the distance of half a mile I have seen 

 it flying towards them. 



The white owl is a well known visitor to the dove-cot, and in such 

 a place, or rather a loft appropriated to pigeons in the town of Belfast, 

 I am informed by an observant friend that a pair once had their nest. 

 This contained four young, which were brought up at the same time 

 with many pigeons. The nests containing the latter were on every 

 side, but the owls never attempted to molest either the parents or 

 their young. As may be conjectured, this owl's nest was frequently 

 inspected during the progress of the young birds. On the shelf 

 beside them, never less than six, and so many as fifteen mice and 

 yoimg rats (no birds were ever seen) have been observed, and this 

 was the number they had left after the night's repast. The parent 

 owls when undisturbed remained all day in the pigeon-loft. 



. Of the stomachs of four white owls I have examined, one contain- 

 ed the remains of rats ; another of mice ; a third was filled to disten- 

 sion with portions of eight mice ; and the fourth exhibited only a 

 part of a coleopterous insect of the family Harpalidce, that could not 

 when perfect have exceeded nine lines in length. A friend, too, in- 

 forms me, that, on examining the pellets cast by these owls, which he 

 has very frequently done, he has often perceived, in addition to the 

 fur and bones of rats and mice, the wing-cases of beetles shining 

 through them.* The remains of birds he never detected in them. It 

 is only, I believe, in dearth of other prey that this owl attacks any of 

 the feathered tribe. 



A white owl, kept for upwards of a year in a friend's house, was 

 from the first kindly disposed to the servant who fed it, but pugna- 

 cious towards its master, instantly striking with its talons at his 

 finger when placed against the cage, but this he in some degree taught 

 it. When spoken to by any one, it returned the recognition by most 



* I do not recollect these mentioned as the food of the white owl in any work 

 on British Ornithology ; " scarabees" are, however, enumerated as such by 

 Temminck, Man d'Om de I'Eur. Tom. i. p. 92. 



