CHAP, vii THE SHORT-EARED OWL 7Z 



October, sometimes in flights of some number. , I have heard 

 from perfectly good authority of sixteen or seventeen of these 

 birds having been found in one turnip-field on the east coast, 

 evidently having just arrived. It is a long-winged bird, and 

 more active in its manner of flight than most of the other owls, 

 nor is it so completely nocturnal. I saw one of this kind hunt- 

 ing a rushy field and regularly beating it for prey at mid-day. 

 The owl was so intent on his pursuit that he flew straight in 

 my direction and nearly close to me before he observed me. 

 When he did so, he darted off with great quickness and with 

 a most hawk-like flight, but too late to escape, I killed him 

 (though it is against my usual rule to shoot at an owl) because 

 he appeared to, me to be of a different species from any with 

 which I was acquainted. Before I shot him he had put up 

 and made a dash at a snipe, but did not follow up his pursuit, 

 probably perceiving that it would be useless. I have very 

 frequently flushed this kind of owl in rushes, furze, and other 

 low cover. When put . up, instead of being distressed and 

 confused by the light of the sun, he flies boldly and steadily 

 away. Sometimes I have seen one, when put up, rise high in the 

 air and fly straight away until I could no longer distinguish him. 



The owls that breed here are the long-eared owl, the 

 tawny owl, and the barn-owl : the latter, though so common 

 in England, is by far the rarest in this country. 



The long-eared owl ^ is a fine bold bird, and his bright 

 yellow eye gives him a peculiarly handsome appearance : 

 altogether he, is of a lighter make and more active than the 

 other owls ; they are very common in the shady fir- woods. 

 I often see this bird sitting on a branch close to the stem of 

 the tree, and depending on the exact similitude of his colour 

 to that of the bark, he sits motionless with his bright golden 

 eye watching earnestly every movement I make. If he fancies 

 himself observed, and likely to be molested, down he dashes, 

 flies a hundred yards or so, and then suddenly pitches again. 



^ This owl is common enough in the fir-woods. It generally tal^es possession of the 

 deserted nest of the crow or some other large bird. When it has youug it hunts and 

 destroys a great number of birds. — C. St. J. 



The habits of pouting noticed in the text are common to this bird and the tawny owl. 

 I have seen the latter on the top of a farm-house in the moonlight, puffing out its throat 

 as it hooted. Virgil, no mean ornithologist, had probably noticed this habit — 



Solaque culminibus ferali carmine bubo 



gaepe tjueri, et longas in fl^ium duger$ voces, — Aep. 4. 46?, 



