AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 65 



acquainted, and in our park, where there are many- 

 hollow trees frequented by the Owls, I have often 

 remarked that when disturbed in the daytime they 

 blunder into the first shady tree that offers itself, 

 apparently not knowing the way from one haunt to 

 the next. The digestion of all the Owls, and of this 

 species in particular, is marvellously rapid : I have 

 seen a young half-grown Barn Owl take down nine 

 full-ffrown mice one after another till the tail of the 

 ninth stuck out of his mouth, and in three hours' 

 time the young "gourmand" was crying, or rather 

 snoring, for more food, and would, I have little 

 doubt, have disposed of nine more mice had I had 

 them to give ; he was, at all events, not satisfied with 

 four. 



There is a prevalent idea that Owls kill but will 

 not eat Shrews ; but I can positively assert the con- 

 trary with regard to this species, at all events when 

 in confinement. It is certainly true that the little 

 animals above named are often to be found dead 

 without any apparent external injury, and the few of 

 those so found by me, which I have examined closely, 

 appeared, to my unskilled eyes, to be equally free 

 from any morbid condition of the vital organs, though 

 generally very thin. I cannot ofier any solution of 

 this question, except possibly a failure of some special 

 food, and the physical inability of the'Shrew to adapt 

 itself to a new diet, but this of course is merely 

 theory, and would be very difficult to prove. I have 

 often seen cats bring in Shrews, and after playing 

 with them for some time leave them, and I cannot 

 recollect any instance of a dog eating one, but the 

 Barn Owl and Kestrel certainly will do so, and though 

 I cannot positively recall the particulars, I feel sure 



