Birds of Britain (1907) (14755410415)

Identifier: birdsofbritain00bonh (find matches)
Title: Birds of Britain
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Bonhote, J. Lewis (John Lewis), 1875-1922 Dresser, Henry Eeles, 1838-1915
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



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darkness has usuallyfallen before it sallies forth from its hiding-place in a barn,an old church tower, or a hollow tree. It feeds almost entirely on rats, mice, and such smalldeer, and rarely takes any small birds, as they are alwayssecurely roosting by the time the Barn Owl comes out.From its habits of choosing barns and old buildings, thisspecies more than any other is deserving of mans protection,since its favourite hunting-grounds are round the farm-yards,where it destroys those vermin that are of most immediatenuisance to the farmer. The note is a harsh high-pitched scream, which hasearned for it the name of Screech Owl, but when in itshole it makes a heavy snoring sound, and has also a curioushabit of waving its head from side to side. When seenfrom above down a dark hole, the motion being just dimlyvisible, it has a very uncanny appearance. The eggs, oval in shape and pure white like those of allOwls, are laid without any attempt at a nest. They are 190 BARN 0\\XStrix flanimea
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The Barn Owl generally laid in clutches of two, at intervals of some days,so that four or six young of varying ages are generally foundin the nest together. Unlike most of the other Owls, thefirst plumage of the young is composed of true feathers,whereas in most of the other species the young are at firstclothed, with the exception of the wings and tail, in aplumage of downy feathers, which after being worn for ashort time is exchanged for the full plumage. The general colour above is huffish orange, minutelyspeckled and vermiculated with grey. The under parts arewhite, sometimes slightly huffish on the chest, and with afew minute black specks. The sexes are alike, but thefemale is said to be more speckled on the under parts.The young resemble the adults. Length 13-5 in.; wing11-25 in. THE LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus (Linnaeus) Though it is distinctly commoner in Scotland, this speciesis not rare in any of the wooded districts of our islands.It is very partial to fir woods or evergreen p