204 THE BEOWN OR TAWNY OWL. 



Thomas Edward, tlie Scotch naturalist, describes how, 

 when listening one night to a frog-concert in the middle of 

 Backlaw Wood, the orchestra, when at its full height, 

 became suddenly hushed by the presence of a tawny owl 

 who alighted on the top of a low dyke. There was perfect 

 silence for half an hour, when the owl made a sudden dash 

 amongst the rushes and flew oft" with a frog dangling in its 

 claws. 



The call-note of this bird is well described by Shake- 

 speare in the words, "tu-whit, tu-whoo!" followed, after 

 sometimes a long pause, by a tremulous repetition of the 

 last syllable, " whoo-who-wo-o-o-o." 



The note of the young bird may be represented by 

 " kee-wick." Another note, " chut, chut," is mentioned by 

 Mr. Herbert Payne as an alarm note in his most interesting 

 account of a free-flying tawny owl which he tamed when 

 young, it becoming much attached to him. 



Something must now be said with regard to the nesting 

 habits of the brown owl. The bird cannot be said to build 

 a nest, properly so called, but it commonly selects a large 

 cavity in an old tree, being partial to such as have ivy 

 clustering around the opening. 



In such a place as this may be found a small collection of 

 sticks, pellets, and feathers of devoured birds. 



A nest which I found in this neighbourhood was in a 

 holloAv, stunted oak, having a large aperture above open 

 to the sky, and a smaller one at the side almost within 

 reach from the ground. 



This nest was found on March 14th, 1890, and then had 

 one e^^ in it. By the 19th there were three eggs. Two of 

 these were taken, one by myself and another by a friend who 

 was with me. We were very much afraid that the birds 

 might desert, but still could not miss the opportunity of 



