AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 51 



same site year after year, although often robbed and 

 disturbed, but I have also several times met with 

 eggs and young birds of this Owl in old Crows' and 

 Squirrels' nests, and am acquainted with more than 

 one instance of nests in rabbit-burrows and on the 

 bare ground. 



The Tawny Owl is a very powerful bird for its size, 

 and no doubt well capable of taking well-grown 

 leverets and rabbits, but my own experience, as I 

 have already stated, convinces me that such captures 

 are exceptional, and that the food of these Owls con- 

 sists for the most part of voles, rats, mice, with an 

 occasional small bird, and a good many small fishes. 

 I think the number of eggs is generally three, often 

 four ; I never met with or heard of more than the 

 latter number. The young birds are easy to rear, 

 become very tame, and, from their solemnity of ex- 

 pression and the grotesque attitudes which they 

 assume, are amongst the most satisfactory inmates of 

 an aviary. 



17. LONG-EARED OWL 



Asio otus. 



In our immediate neighbourhood this species, 

 though w^ell known as the Horned Owl, cannot be 

 considered by any means common ; in fact I cannot 

 call to mind having met with it on more than three 

 occasions, but I am informed by Mr. A. G. Elliot, of 

 Stamford, in a letter dated February 29, 1876, that he 

 had received " a great many from all parts," so that we 

 may presume that it is not uncommon in that neigh- 

 bourhood. I have been informed of several occurrences 



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