Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/113

 of Norfolk. But as to its breeding in Ireland, — which from the nature of the country, we should certainly expect, — no informa- tion can be given. Sportsmen and gamekeepers, whom I have questioned on the subject, know the bird only as a winter visitant. One friend, who for about forty years shot over the mountains of several of our northern counties, and in no instance was a day after the legal one (20th of August in Ireland) in commencing grouse-shooting, — always, too, having exercised his dogs prepara- tory to the sport, for some time previously, — never met with it at that season ; nor at any other than when woodcocks are to be found. The short-eared owl is then well known to him as fre- quenting the mountain heaths. He has never observed it on wing, except when sprung, nor seen it pursue prey by day. It has, however, been observed to do so in Scotland.' 35 '

To the neighbourhood of Belfast, — Down and Antrim, — this owl generally comes in the month of October ; but so early as the 5th of September, 1839, one was shot in a potato field bor- dering the bay, within a mile of the town. It remains from this time until spring. The latest noted here was killed on the 3rd of April, 1837 ; for a long time before that period, there was a pre- valence of north-easterly winds, which, had the bird been disposed for migration, might have retarded its movements. The species is generally found in marshy ground frequented by snipes. When snipe-shooting around Belfast, a few of these owls have fallen to my gun, in boggy spots of very limited extent. The first of them that did so, being only winged, afforded me an opportunity of observing the exceeding "depth" and brilliancy of its large golden eyes, to utterly extinguish the light of which, — such is the effect of beauty, — it must be confessed, pained me much. To the counties of Londonderry and Donegal this owl resorts, in the latter of which it was not observed by Mr. J. V. Stewart until after the publication of Ms catalogue. Southward, it is met with

of Hesleyside, has frequently found their eggs among the heath in his own neigh- bourhood. Mr. R. R. Wingate has also met with the young ones on the same moors before they were able to fly." — Hewitson, Eggs Brit. Birds, p. 36.

See St. John's Sketches of the Wild Sports of the Highlands, p. 64.