BAWKEE. 
23 
The weight of this species is about eleven ounces ; length between 
thirteen and fourteen inches. The bill is light coloured ; irides dusky. 
The feathers round the eyes yellowish ; the circle round the face white ; 
the upper parts of the body, coverts, and secondary quills, pale dull 
yellow, with two white and two grey spots placed alternately on each 
side the shafts ; prime quills dull yellow on the outer webs, the inner 
white, marked on each side with four black spots ; the whole under side 
white ; the interior webs of the tail-feathers are white, the exterior 
marked with obscure dusky bars ; legs covered with white down ; the 
toes only with short hairs ; middle claw serrated. 
This elegant bird mostly frequents the habitations of man; is rarely 
found in woods, but resorts chiefly to barns for the sake of mice, for 
which reason it is a welcome guest to the farmer. Like the rest of the 
genus, it chiefly lies concealed in the day, but will sometimes, when 
pressed by hunger, prey by daylight, especially in winter, or when it 
has young’. It breeds in old decayed trees in the neighbourhood of 
farm-houses or villages, and oftentimes in barns ; makes very little 
nest ; lays three or four white eggs, not so round or so large as that 
of the tawny owl. 
Their food is chiefly mice, which they swallow whole, and, like 
other predacious birds, eject the bones and fur in large pellets, which 
are termed castings. Some bushels of this ejected matter are found in 
the hollows of old trees. This species is never known to hoot, but 
its notes are screaming and harsh ; besides which it makes a snoring 
and hissing noise. *Sir W. Jardine asserts in a note to the late edition 
of White’s Selborne, that the White Owl does hoot, that he has shot 
them in the act, and that at night, when not alarmed, hooting is their 
general cry.* When alarmed it snaps its bill together with great 
force. 
I-t becomes exceedingly tame when taken young’. We bred up one 
together with a sparrow hawk and a ring dove, who were confined 
together, and lived in great harmony, but the latter was the most 
quarrelsome, and was master of the triumvirate. After living together 
for six months, they were given their liberty, and the owl was the 
only one that returned. *Cats are known to kill but never to eat the 
shrew, which has been supposed to possess some poisonous quality. 
We have, however, taken from the stomach of one of these birds no 
fewer than five shrews.* 
BASS COCK. — A name for the Plover. 
BASTARD PLOVER.— A name for the Lapwing. 
BAWKEE. — A name for the Razor Bill. 
