The Barn Owl, as its name imports, is a pretty conftant 
refident in barns or out-buildings, where by devouring the 
vermin it amply repays the farmer for fhelter ; its principal 
food is mice and fmall birds. Mr. White, in his hiftory of 
Selbourn, gives the following entertaining account, We have 
had ever fince I can remember, a pair of White Owis, that 
conftantly breed under the eaves of this church (Selbourn) ; as 
I have paid good attention to the manner of life of thefe birds 
during their feafon of breeding, which lads the fummer 
through, the following remarks may not perhaps be unaccept- 
able : about an hour before funfet (for then the mice begin 
to run) they fally forth in queft of prey, and hunt all round 
the hedges of the meadows and fmall enclofures for them, 
which feems to be their only food. In this irregular country, 
we can ftand on an eminence and fee them beat the fields over 
like a fetting dog, and often drop down in the grafs or corn. 
I have minuted thefe birds with my watch for an hour 
together, and have found that they return to their neft, the one 
or the other of them, about once in five minutes ; reflecting 
at the fame time on the adroitnefs that every animal is poflefled 
of, as far as regards the well-being of itfelf and offspring. 
** But a piece of addrefs, which they fhew when they re- 
turn loaded, Ihould not I think be pafled over in filence. As 
they take their prey with their claws, fo they carry it in their 
claws to the neft ; but as the feet are neceffary in their afccnt 
under the tiles, they conftantly perch firfl on the roof of the 
chancel, and fliift the moufe from their claws to their bill, 
that the feet may be at liberty to take hold of the plate on the 
wall, as they are rifing under the eaves." Mr. Montague 
remarks. 
