672 Wild Birds Useful and Inftrious. 
the minds of the ignorant with wild presentiments and a 
murderous desire to silence the author of the dreadful warning. 
I have known a wood-owl’s nest in a hollow beech tree for 
several years, and have frequently inspected it. On one occasion 
in May I went to see the owlets, and, after trying to obtain a 
good view of the nest, I looked up, and suddenly became aware 
of a little fluffy sprite, within a few feet of my face. It was 
framed by the fresh gi’een beech leaves, and gazed at me wtli 
an intensely solemn and inquiring expression in its large liquid 
eyes. I caught it, whereupon it snapped its bill loudly, and one 
of the old birds came and expostulated, notwithstanding which, 
1 took it home for a little while. It was most self-possessed 
and did not look at all frightened, but, on the contrary, ate 
pieces of rat with much apparent satisfaction. Its dignity was, 
however, somewhat marred by the unfortunate circumstance of 
its being being rather top-heavy. 
With regard to the accusation that the brown owl habitually 
destroys game-birds, a small amount of reflection makes the prac- 
tical impossibility of such a proceeding manifest, for the simple 
reason that young pheasants and partridges are safely hidden 
beneath their mother’s wing long before the tawny owl con- 
siders it fit to stir abroad. Even the most uncompromising 
preserver could hardly consider its fancy for the young of ground- 
game a very great sin , whilst tliis taste is in itself an additional 
claim upon the sympathies of the agricultural world. It is pos- 
sible that both the wood-owl and the barn-owl may occasionally 
take winged game, but such behaviour is certainly most excep- 
tional. 
The Long-eared owl (Asia of us) and the Short-eared owl (/Isio 
accipitrinus) deserve a passing notice. Both species are about 
fourteen inches in length and are adorned with tufts of feathers, 
usually called “ horns ” or “ ears,” though they have nothing 
whatever to do with the true ear. The distinctive names of the 
two species are derived from the relative length of these orna- 
mental appendages, which are respectively an inch and a half, 
and three quarters of an inch long. 
Both are beautiful birds and very useful, for they feed 
chiefly on rats and mice. On no account, therefore, should they 
be destroyed, either from a mistaken idea of their habits, or for 
the gratification of idle curiosity. The destruction of “ fancy ” 
birds, more particularly in the breeding season, is a most 
unfortunate custom, and cannot be too strongly deprecated. 
The long-eared owl is particularly fond of clumps of ever- 
green firs, and in most wooded districts is not a very uncommon 
species. It rears its young in the former abode of other birds, 
