ASIONIDAE—OWLS.
155
sound myself ; but know they did, most certainly. Mice, slugs, sometimes a large
insect apparently, or a small bird, very rarely a mole or rat of no large dimen-
sions, were brought in continuous succession, and in the claw, not with the bill.
When the animal was of small dimensions, the old Owl flitted off again with
scarcely any pause at the nest. If a large one, it seemed by the time which elapsed,
and the sounds which became audible—most vehement snorings and hissings—
that partition had to be made, and that the said partition was a matter of the
greatest interest to the parties concerned."
This is the same nest described by Mr. Atkinson's father in the first volume
of the Zoologist (23. i. 384).
Fifty years ago, before scientific farming came in, and before a cheap,.
abundant supply of coal was obtainable in Essex, numerous large old pollarded
trees stood in the hedge-rows in all parts of the county, and afforded logs for the
winter fires.
" These were, I think," says Dr. Laver [50. iii. 33] " invaluable to the farmers,
as they formed the retiring and nesting-places of numerous Owls. Most of these
pollards are now gone, and with them have disappeared the Owls to a great
extent. Formerly, rats were rarely found in the fields; but now, from the des-
truction of Owls and other so-called vermin, they abound, and may be found in
almost every hedge. I think, could a balance be struck, it would be found that
the Owl-tenanted pollard did not occasion anything like the loss to the farmer
now caused by the numerous rats and mice. * * * The destruction, therefore, of
pollards has. in my opinion, resulted in great injury to the county generally."
Henry Doubleday, on March 23rd, 1843, says (10), "A short time since a
person here [Epping] shot a common Barn Owl with the whole of the under
parts, legs, &c, of a deep ochre-yellow, with a few black spots. The face alone
was white." He also records (34. 522) that in December, 1864, a similar variety
was killed near Epping, having " the whole under-parts tawny yellow, spotted
with black. The upper-parts were more mottled with grey than usual. It was
a large bird and a female." These specimens, in all probability, belonged to the
" very darkly coloured " Danish form of this bird, mentioned by Prof. Newton
(37. i. 198) and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. {Birds of Norfolk, p. 22).
Family ASIONIDAE.
Long-eared Owl: Asio otus.
A resident in many parts of England, but in Essex I think we
can only regard it as a rather uncommon winter visitor. I never
actually heard of its breeding in the county, except at Harwich,
though it has probably done so elsewhere. It seems once to have
been much more common than it now is.
Mr. Clarke says {24) that " one or two are killed every season round Saffron
Walden." He mentions specimens killed at Newport in 1829, at Siward's End on
August 31st, 1831, at Wenden in 1833, and at Audley End (two) in 1834. Mr. Travis
says they are now quite uncommon there. He received one shot near Ashdon on No-
vember 1st, 1881. In 1831 it was "not uncommon in the wooded districts of Hadleigh
and Hockley, and [was] occasionally met with in the more open parts and small
groves at Southchurch, the Wakerings, and Shoeburyness " (Parsons). W. H.
Hill (12. viii. 573) met with two at Southminster about 1834. According to King
(20), it was " rare " round Sudbury in 1838. One was shot at Stondon Massey on