46 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



hawk's nest was tenanted in the following year by a pair of Long-eared Owls. 



These weird, cat-like birds do not build a nest of their own, but, like the 

 Hobby, lay their eggs in the disused nest of some other bird — often a crow or 

 magpie — ^and sometimes even on an old squirrel's drey. 



I have never found their eggs in a wood-pigeon's nest, and should hardly 

 have thought such a flimsy collection of twigs a suitable receptacle, but it is 

 said that they frequently do appropriate such a home. 



The fact that the Sparrow-hawk's nest had been taken over by the owls 

 was first discovered, when, on passing through the wood, we happened to glance 

 up at the ill-fated nest, to see a small head with projecting ears looking over 

 its edge at us. 



Yet once more the branchless trunk was negotiated, and when I had 

 ascended about half the distance to the nest, the owl flew silently off, and 

 quickly disappeared amongst the innumerable pine stems. 



Instead of the richly blotched eggs of the Sparrow-hawk, the nest now 

 contained four pure white ones of the Long-eared Owl ; laid upon the small 

 twigs, and fir needles that had fallen upon the nest during its tenantless months, 

 intermixed with a few of the Owl's breast feathers. 



It is rather remarkable perhaps that these eggs were discovered on May 

 12th' — for it is generally understood that the Long-eared Owl lays her eggs in 

 March, or very early in April — and as far as my experience goes, generally 

 does so. 



In due course, four of the Owl's eggs hatched, the young ones, contrary to 

 the usually accepted theory, varjang but little in size. 



For it has been stated by many authorities that, owing to the fact that 

 owls, including the Long-eared variety, invariably commence to sit from the 

 moment that the first egg is laid, they always hatch their young at such long 

 intervals that, by the time the eldest is almost fully fledged, the youngest has 

 only just emerged from the egg. 



The words ' always and never ' are however dangerous to use where 

 natural-history subjects are concerned, and I have frequently discovered nests 

 of Little, Tawny, Barn, or Long-eared Owls containing families of young, 

 amongst which there has been no more diversity of size than among a normal 

 family of Kestrels — and one often finds that the eldest of a family of these 

 little hawks is somewhat further advanced than his brothers and sisters. 



Photography of the young owls was not attempted until they were about 

 half-grown, when it was found that the nest only contained two yoiuig ! 



At first I wondered whether the missing two had tumbled out, or had 

 been carried off by some enemy ; but eventually discovered them sitting side 

 by side at the top of a dark pine-tree, at about sixty yards from the nest. 



I have since noticed repeatedly that young Long-eared Owls are pecuharly 

 addicted to this habit of clambering about in the branches above the nest 



