22 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



for England and three for Scotland. In Ireland it 

 is unknown. 



The Eagle Owl, one of the largest species of the 

 family, is even more rarely met with in these 

 islands, eight or ten occurrences only having been 

 noted. 



The Snowv Owl, again, is an Arctic form which 

 has drifted here on some few occasions, and the 

 appearance of the Scops Owl and the Hawk Owl 

 is at least equally rare. 



Of the Little Owl it is difficult to speak with 

 certainty, for many of the occurrences are doubtless 

 those of birds which have escaped, or have been 

 released from captivity. For example, in 1842, 

 Waterton describes how he imported and set free 

 a number of Little Owls at Walton Hall — that once 

 well-known sanctuary for birds — and subsequently 

 Mr. St. Ouentin in Yorkshire, and Mr. INIead- 

 Waldo in Hampshire, introduced many others. 

 Within comparatively late years Lord Lilford tried 

 a similar experiment at Lilford Hall in Northamp- 

 tonshire. That the birds have become acclimatized 

 is clear, and in certain localities they are now a 

 fairly familiar species. 



Of the four truly British species, the Tawny Owl 

 is probably the most widely distributed. As it 

 lives mainlv in dense woods and wooded parks, and 

 is strictly nocturnal, it is not very commonly seen, 

 and the Barn Owl, the area of whose habitat is 

 limited, and usually chosen in the neighbourhood of 

 human habitations, is more often in evidence. But 

 if one may judge from the cries at night--the loud, 



