the slump of an old pollard, and an instance 
lias been also known of its laying- its eggs in 
the deserted nest of a Magpie. 
The nest is of a very slight texture, com- 
posed of such materials as the place may af- 
ford, but when it lays in the cavities of trees 
it mostly deposits its eggs on the decayed 
wood, without any additional materials at all. 
It lays two or three and sometimes four dusky 
white eggs, which are of a roundish form. 
The young are at first covered with a light- 
coloured down. 
The parent birds are very bold and furious 
in defending their offspring, as several in- 
stances have been known of their attacking 
boys who have attempted to rob their nests, 
and the following anecdote, related in the 
Gentlemen's Magazine, will prove that they 
are not to be approached with impunity. 
" A carpenter, some years ago, passing 
through a field near Gloucester, was sudden- 
ly attacked by an Owl that had a nest in a 
tree near the path ; it flew at his head, and 
the man struck at it with a tool that he had 
in his hand, but missed his blow; the enraged 
bird repeated the attack, aftd fastening her 
