OWLS. 
175 
thing so mournful and dismal in its night-shriek, 
and such a ghostly sort of motion in its silent, 
gliding movements, when seen glancing through the 
twilight, or hunting for food in a bright moonlight 
night, that we can scarcely he surprised at the 
strange opinions and prejudices of ignorant or super- 
stitious people. Generally speaking, however, a 
more harmless, we may say, a more useful, race of 
birds does not exist, since, with the exception of one 
or two of the larger and rarer species, their food 
consists entirely of vermin and insects, very pre- 
judicial to our crops, and which, hut for these 
nocturnal hunters, might do serious mischief. A 
striking instance of their utility occurred some years 
ago in the neighbourhood of Bridgewater, in Somer- 
setshire, where, during the summer, such incredible 
numbers of mice overran the country, as to destroy 
a large portion of vegetation ; and their ravages 
might have extended to an alarming degree, had it 
not been for a sudden assemblage of Owls, which 
resorted from all parts to prey upon them. Short- 
eared Owls ( Strix hrachyotos\ to the number of 
twenty-eight, have been counted in a single field, 
collected together no doubt, by swarms of mice, 
which in a favourable season had been bred there. 
This particular Owd only frequents England between 
the months of October and April, migrating in the 
spring to the northern islands of Scotland, v r here 
they breed. Its usual and favourite food is, as we 
have observed, field-mice, but they are bold, power- 
ful birds, and when their young are to be provided 
for, will chase pigeons, and even larger birds, in the 
open day, particularly if the weather is gloomy. In 
