100 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



great, round, staring eyes. On closer exami- 

 nation, we found that a Brown Owl had made 

 her nest in the burrow ; and although it was 

 December, and the ground snow-covered, the 

 nest contained an egg and two young ones. 



A miscellaneous row on the vermin rails com- 

 prises Moles, Weasels, and Cats. The Mole is 

 libelled by being placed there ; he is a destroyer 

 of many creatures which are injurious to land. 

 Domestic cats soon revert to a semi-wild state 

 when once they take to the woods, and are ter- 

 ribly destructive in the coverts. They destroy 

 pheasants, partridges, leverets, and rabbits. 

 The life of these wild tabbies is wild indeed. 

 Every dormant instinct is aroused ; each move- 

 ment becomes characteristically feline ; and 

 when these creatures revert to life in the woods 

 it is impossible to reclaim them. Climatic in- 

 fluences work remarkable changes upon the 

 fur, causing it to grow longer and thicker. 

 The cats take up their abode in some stony 

 crevice or hollow tree. In summer, when 

 kittens are produced, the destruction of game 

 is almost incredible. Of course the domestic 

 cat is quite a distinct species from the Wild 

 Cat of Britain. 



