116 



BIRDS, CONSIDERED WITH 



ibis was with the Egyptians. When it has young, it will bring a mouse 

 to the nest about every twelve or fifteen minutes. But in order to have a 

 proper idea of the enormous quantity of mice which this bird destroys, we 

 must examine the pellets which it ejects from its stomach in the place of 

 its retreat. Every pellet contains from four to seven skeletons of mice. In 

 sixteen months from the time that the apartment of the owl on the old 

 gateway at W alton Hall was cleaned out, there has been a deposit of above 

 a bushel of pellets." (Essays on Nat. Hist. 3rd edit. p. 13.) The tawny- 

 owl (/S'trix AlxxQO Temm.) with reddish-brown plumage, is found only in 

 woods, where it builds in the hollows of old trees, or amongst ivy. It preys 

 upon various small quadrupeds and birds ; it comes abroad only during the 

 night, and has a clamorous and hooting note. By destroying small birds, 

 this owl becomes injurious to the gardener as well as useful, and therefore 

 he ought chiefly to encourage the barn-owl. For this purpose a picturesque 

 tower might be formed in some retired situation in the flower-garden or 

 shrubbery, or on one of the angles of the kitchen-garden wall, like a watch- 

 tower, where it would prove ornamental ; and a brood of young owls might 

 be brought to it, and supplied abundantly with mice till they were full-growTi, 

 and able to provide for themselves. The time to procure the young birds 

 is about the end of April ; or the eggs might be procured and hatched ia 

 the bark-bed of the stove, &c. There are some other species of owl occa- 

 sionally found in England, but they are too rare to be of any practical use. 



865. Insessdres (PercJiers). — Birds with feet adapted for perching : food, 

 chiefly insects and the smaller quadrupeds, but partly fruits and seeds. This 

 order includes a number of birds which are interesting to gardeners. The 

 shrikes (Lanius Z,.), of which there are two species, feed on small birds, mice, 

 snails, and insects. The fly-catchers (Muscicapaj L.) feed on insects taken 

 on the wing ; and among these the cultivated or hive-bee does not escape. 

 The water ouzel (Cinclus aquaticus Bechst.) feeds on aquatic insects, and 

 is capable of diving for them. The missel- thrush (Turdus viscivorus L.) 

 lives on insects and berries, particularly on those of the mistletoe. The 

 field-fare (T. pilaris L.) feeds on haws and other berries, and also on in- 

 sects and worms. The song- thrush ( T. musicus L. ) feeds on berries, in- 

 sects, and snails; as does the blackbird and the redwing (T. iliacus i.) 

 The red-breast (Sylvia Rubecula Lath.) feeds on insects and worms; and 

 also, when the food is scarce, on seeds or crumbs of bread. The black-cap 

 (Sylvia Atricapilla Lath.^j lives chiefly on insects ; the wag- tail (itf otaciUa, 

 L.) on aquatic insects. The titmouse (Parus L.) lives chiefly on insects, 

 but will also eat seeds. The greater titmouse (P. major), when hard 

 pressed for food, lives upon the honey-bee ; and, according to Mr. Main, 

 sometimes destroys great numbers of them. The bird " seats himself at 

 the door of the hive, and taps with his bill to provoke the bees to come 

 forth. The first bee that comes out is instantly seized by the middle and 

 carried off" to a tree, and there beaten against a branch till it is nearly dead. 

 The bird then separates the head and thorax, which it sw^allows, from the 

 abdomen, which it rejects, as containing the sting, and then flies back 

 for another victim." {Ladies' Mag. of Gard. vol. i. p. 52.) The bearded 

 titmouse, an inhabitant of fenny districts, lives on snails and other land 

 moUuscae. The lark (^lauda L.) feeds on insects and small seeds. The 

 bunting (Emberiza L.) feeds principally on seeds. The Cirl bunting, 

 found in Devonshire and some of the adjoining counties, is said to feed on 



