aac) WER © IE! OW 'L: 
haylofts, and other outhoufes; and is as ufeful 
in clearing thofe places from mice, as the conge- 
nial cat: towards twilight it quits its perch, and 
takes a regular circuit round the fields, fkimming 
alone the ground in queft of field mice, and then 
returns to its ufual refidence: in the breeding fea- 
fon it takes to the eaves of churches, holes in 
lofty buildings, or hollows of trees. During the 
time the youge are in the neft, the male and fe- 
male alternately fally out in queft of food, make 
their circuit, beat the fields with the regularity of 
a {paniel, and drop inftantly on their prey in the 
erafs. They very feldom ftay out above five mi- 
nutes; return with their prey in their claws; but 
as it is neceffary to fhift it into their bill, they 
always alight for that purpofe on the roof, before 
they attempt to enter their neft. 
This fpecies I believe does not hoot; but fnores 
and hiffes in a violent manner; and while it flies 
along, will often {cream moft tremendoufly. Its 
only food is mice: as the young of thefe birds keep 
their neft for a great length of time, and are fed 
even long after they can fly, many hundreds of 
mice will {carcely fuffice to fupply them with food. 
Owls caft up the bones, fur or feathers of their 
prey in form of fmall pellets, after they have de- 
voured it, in the fame manner as hawks do. A 
gentleman, on orubbing up an old pollard afh that 
had been the habitation of owls for many generati- 
ons, found at the bottorh many bufhels of this re- 
| igs jected 
207 
