198 BRITISH BIBD8 



and makes a sharp clicking sound when angry, and has a loud, 

 startling cry, a note repeated three or four times, like a ghostly 

 laugh ; and it also hoots, this performance sounding like the baying 

 of a dog in the distance. 



An interesting and curious fact in the history of this owl is that 

 it is known to appear, often in considerable numbers, in any 

 district where, owing to a great increase of field-mice or other small 

 rodents, its favourite food is for the time abundant. This pheno- 

 menon has been observed in various parts of the world, in this 

 country on several occasions ; and during the late great plague of 

 short-tailed voles in the south of Scotland (1891-92), large numbers 

 of short-eared owls appeared, and remained to breed in the 

 district. As long as the plague lasted they remained in the 

 country, and were most proHfic. When the voles disappeared the 

 owls departed. 



Tawny Owl. 

 Syrnium aluco. 



Beak greyish yellow ; iris bluish dusky ; upper parts reddish 

 brown, variously marked and spotted with dark brown, black, and 

 grey ; large white spots on the scapulars and wing-coverts ; primaries 

 and tail-feathers barred alternately with dark and reddish brown ; 

 under parts reddish white, with transverse brown bars and longitu- 

 dinal dusky streaks ; legs feathered to the claws. Length, sixteen 

 inches. 



The tawny owl, named also brown owl and wood-owl, is by a 

 little the largest of the four British species. In his colom-ing, as 

 well as his woodland habits, he comes nearest to the long-eared 

 owl, but he has no ear-tufts lilie that bird to add to his strangeness, 

 nor is he in appearance so ghostly and grotesque as the white owl. 

 This species alone of the British owls is imlmown in Ireland. In 

 England, Wales, and the south of Scotland it is to be met with in 

 aU well-wooded districts, and in some localities it is said to be the 

 most common owl. But, imhappily, in many places where it was 

 formerly common it has been extirpated by gamekeepers. Owls 

 are not very social birds, and the tawny owl is the most unsocial of 

 all. He inhabits the deep wood, where he Hves solitary or with his 

 mate, and he is said to be very jealous of the intrusion of another 

 individual of his species into his hunting-grounds. His chief dis- 



