Bere cn 
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE, chee 4 
to be their only food. In this irregular country we can stand 
on an eminence and see them beat*the fields over like a setting- 
dog, and often drop down in the grass or corn. I have minuted 
these birds with my watch for an hour together, and have 
found that they return to their nest, the one or the other of 
them, about once in five minutes ; reflecting at the same time 
on the adroitness that every animal is possessed of as far as 
regards the well-being of itself and offspring. But a piece of 
address, which they show when they return loaded, should not, 
I think, be passed over in silence. As they take their prey 
with their claws, so they carry it in their claws to their nest ; 
but, as the feet are necessary in their ascent under the tiles, 
they constantly perch first on the roof of the chancel, and shift 
the mouse from their claws to their bill, that their feet may be 
at liberty to take hold of the plate on the wall as they are 
rising under the eaves. 
White owls seem not (but in this I am not positive) to hoot 
at all ; all that clamorous hooting appears to me to come from 
the wood kinds. The white owl does indeed snore and hiss 
in a tremendous manner; and these menaces well answer the 
intention of intimidating ; for I have known a whole village 
up in arms on such an occasion, imagining the churchyard to 
be full of goblins and spectres. White owls also often scream 
horribly as they fly along ; from this screaming probably arose 
the common people’s imaginary species of screech-owl, which 
they superstitiously think attends the windows of dying persons. 
The plumage of the remiges of the wings of every species of 
_ owl that I have yet examined is remarkably soft and _ pliant. 
_ Perhaps it may be necessary that the wings of these birds 
_ should not make much resistance or rushing, that they may be 
_ enabled to steal through the air unheard upon a nimble and 
watchful quarry. 
While I am talking of owls: it may not be improper to men- 
tion what I was told by a gentleman of the county of Wilts, 
