After examination, he found it
was a congeries of the bones of mice (and perhaps of birds and
bats) that had been heaping together for ages, being cast up in
pellets out of the crops of many generations of inhabitants. For
owls cast up the bones, fur, and feathers of what they devour, after
the manner of hawks. He believes, he told me, that there were
bushels of this kind of substance.
When brown owls hoot their throats swell as big as an hen's egg. I
have known an owl of this species live a full year without any
water. Perhaps the case may be the same with all birds of prey.
When owls fly they stretch out their legs behind them as a balance
to their large heavy heads; for as most nocturnal birds have large
eyes and ears they must have large heads to contain them. Large
eyes I presume are necessary to collect every ray of light, and large
concave ears to command the smallest degree of sound or noise.
I am, etc.
The hirundines are a most inoffensive, harmless, entertaining,
social, and useful tribe of birds: they touch no fruit in our gardens;
delight, all except one species, in attaching themselves to our
houses; amuse us with their migrations, songs, and marvellous
agility; and clear our outlets from the annoyances of gnats and
other troublesome insects.
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