OWLS. 
181 
they commit in pigeon- houses, by carrying off the 
young ones ; but this seems to be an unfair charge ; 
their real reason for entering pigeon-houses being 
rather for the purpose of picking up the vermin that 
are constantly harbouring there, than injuring the 
inmates, 
Mr. Water ton observes, that when farmers com- 
plain that the Barn-Owl destroys the eggs of their 
Pigeons, 66 they put the saddle on the wrong horse/' 
It ought, he says, to be put upon the rat ; stating from 
his own experience, that his increase of Pigeons was 
inconsiderable till the rats were effectually excluded 
from the dove-cot, since which time, they have in- 
creased abundantly, though the Barn-Owls frequent 
it, and are encouraged all about it. And he reasons 
very correctly, by saying, that if they were really 
enemies, the Pigeons would be in commotion as 
soon as the Owl began its evening flight, and en- 
tered their premises ; but that they heed him not. 
Whereas, if a Hawk should make its appearance, 
the whole community of Pigeons would be in con- 
fusion and alarm. We have another testimony in 
favour of the Owls with regard to Pigeons. A 
person who kept Pigeons, and had often a great 
number of his young ones destroyed, laid it on a pair 
of Owls which visited the premises, and accordingly, 
one moonlight night, he stationed himself, gun-in- 
hand, close to the dove-house, for the purpose of 
shooting the Owls. He had not taken his station 
long, before he saw one of them flying out with a 
prize in his claws ; he pulled his trigger, and down 
came the poor bird, but, instead of finding the car- 
case of a young Pigeon, he found an old rat nearly 
