ASIONIDJE. 120 



spondiug. The normal colouring of an adult male is pure white on the 

 underparts, with a pale buff' back, the buff being mottled and streaked with 

 black. But varieties are frequently met with having dark reddish fawn- 

 coloured backs, thickly spotted with black ; while others are very pale buff, 

 with large patches of white upon the wings, giving the birds a pied ap- 

 pearance. Females have the breast and flanks flecked with a few small 

 spots of black, and varieties are sometimes met with in which all the 

 underparts are fawn-colour. We have seen a specimen with a pure white 

 tail, without any markings : it was killed near Exeter Jan. 22nd, 1877. 



In the summer-time we have noticed that Barn-Owls are often found 

 quartering the newly-mown hay-fields in the evening, short-tailed field-mice 

 being then numerous there and easily seen. During the long-continued 

 snow and frost of the severe winter of 1890-91 many Barn-Owls perished. 

 Several attempted to come into houses for warmth and shelter in our 

 village, but were driven out by the inhospitable people, some of whom were 

 frightened at them, and their frozen and famished bodies were found stiff 

 ■ upon the snow in the courtyards. We ourselves picked up several lying 

 dead in the fields. 



The economy of the Owl's nest is well-known, how the birds lay and sit, 

 and how, when the first Owlets are hatched, they go on laying further eggs, 

 the warmth of the Owlets' bodies assisting in incubating them, so that an 

 Owl's nest will be found to contain Owlets in various stages, fresh eggs, 

 and the addled egg which we have found to be the invariable tenant of 

 every Owl's abode. 



There is probably an immigration of Barn-Owls in the autumn and 

 winter. They appear to have been especially numerous in 1859 at 

 Plymouth, 



On September 22nd, 1871, a female Kestrel and a young Barn-Owl 

 were brought to us ; they were taken on board a vessel a few miles off 

 the south coast, as it was coming up the English Channel. The Kestrel 

 was seen chasing the Owl for several miles, and both alighted on the 

 vessel for rest. 



■4' 



Family ASIONID^. 



Long-eared Owl. Ash otus (Linn.). 



A winter visitor, being met with in the autumn and winter months of 

 almost every year in some part of the county ; but it is rarely numerous, and 

 very seldom remains to breed. The Kev. Thos. Johncs says he found tliis 

 species only in the autumn and winter in the ncighbonrliood of tlie moors 

 (Bray's ' Tamar and Tavy,' i. p. .'347). Many occurred in the winter of 

 l87;{-74, and from September to December lb79 there seems to have been 

 a very large flight in the south-western part of the county. 



A pair were shot at Buckland Abbey in Ajtril 1^40 (E. M., Kowe's 

 Perumb. Dartmoor, p. 2;j;j). One occurred at Plymouth, April 7t!i, 1800, 



