154 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



sion, imagining the church-yard to be full of goblins and 

 spectres. White owls also often scream horribly as they 

 fly along ; from this screaming probably arose the common 

 people's imaginary species of screech-owl, which they 

 superstitiously think attends the windows of dying per- 

 sons. The plumage of the remiges of the wings of every 

 species of owl that I have yet examined is remarkably 

 soft and pliant. Perhaps it may be necessary that the 

 wings of these birds should not make much resistance or 

 rushing, that they may be enabled to steal through the air 

 unheard upon a nimble and watchful quarry. 



While I am talking of owls, it may not be improper to 

 mention what I was told by a gentleman of the county 

 of Wilts. As they were grubbing a vast hollow pollard- 

 ash that had been the mansion of owls for centuries, he 

 discovered at the bottom a mass of matter that at first 

 he could not account for. After some examination,, 

 he found it was a congeries of the bones of mice (and 

 perhaps of birds and bats) that had been heaping 

 together for ages, being cast up in pellets out of the 

 crops of many generations of inhabitants. For owls cast 

 up the bones, fur, and feathers of what they devour, 

 after the manner of hawks. He believes, he told me, 

 that there were bushels of this kind of substance. 



When brown owls hoot their throats swell as big as 

 an hen's egg. I have known an owl of this species live 

 a full year without any water. Perhaps the case may be 

 the same with all birds of prey. When owls fly they 

 stretch out their legs behind them as a balance to their 

 large heavy heads ; for as most nocturnal birds have 

 large eyes and ears they must have large heads to contain 

 them. Large eyes I presume are necessary to collect 

 every ray of light, and large concave ears to command 

 the smallest degree of sound or noise. 



I am, etc. 



