OWL. 
411 
mark of attachment was repeated for fourteen nights 
successively. The game which the old ones car- 
ried to it was chiefly young partridges, for the most 
part newly killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. 
A moor-fowl was once brought so fresh as to be still 
warm under the wings. At another time they 
procured the prisoner a piece of lamb ; but as this 
was in a putrid state, it was supposed they brought 
it for want of something better. This singular 
instance of attachment excited the curiosity of 
M. Cronstedt, who sat up with his servant, several 
nights, in order to observe, if possible, when this 
supply was deposited. But these sharp-sighted 
owls were not to be deceived ; they knew they 
were watched, and no longer paid their nocturnal 
visits to the hen-coop, This was evident, from the 
usual food being left the yery night they ceased to 
watch them, The young owl was taken in duly, 
and in the month of August the parents discontinued 
their attendance, it being the usual time when 
they abandon their young to their own exertions. 
From this instance, we may readily suppose that 
these birds must be very unwelcome visitors in a 
sporting country, since they destroy such a quantity 
of game during the time they are employed in rear- 
ing their young. 
The great-eared owl has been occasionally used 
by falconers to deceive the kite, when they want 
to catch that bird and train him for the sport. 
Up on this occasion they clap the tail of a fox upon 
the great owl to render his figure extraordinary : 
