302 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



wherein he enumerated it in his list under the name of " Brown 

 or Wood Owl." 



Thomas Allis, 1844, wrote : — 



Syrnium aluco. — Tawny Owl — This also is becoming scarce near 

 Halifax ; is not met with at Huddersfield and Hebden Bridge, but not 

 infrequently met with in other parts of the county. 



This bird, perhaps the most abundant of the Yorkshire 

 Strigidse, is to be found in those portions of the county where 

 there are woods, or small though dense fir plantations. It is 

 included as a resident in most of the reports sent to me from 

 various parts of the county, and whilst it seems to be especially 

 abundant in the Cleveland district and the neighbourhood of 

 Slingsby, it is mentioned as being only of occasional occurrence 

 in the Halifax and Keighley districts, is rare around Sheffield 

 and Huddersfield, not very common in Lower Wharfedale, 

 and widely, although thinly, distributed in the East Riding, 

 where it has increased considerably during the last few years, 

 a fact which may be due to the Wild Birds Protection Act, 

 coupled with a better knowledge of the bird's usefuhiess than 

 was formerly entertained. Most of the reports express regret 

 that so truly useful a species should be subject to persecution. 

 It is satisfactory to know that that abominable instrument 

 of torture, the pole trap, which was frequently the means 

 of capturing the Tawny Owl, is now forbidden by statute. 



The late J. Carter of Masham wrote {in Hit. 1902), that 

 the Tawny Owls had become so abundant near his residence 

 as to sometimes disturb the slumbers of his household by 

 their incessant hooting ; he also remarked that this bird can 

 be induced to answer an imitation of its call at flight time. 



This Owl nests in a variety of situations, hollow trees and 

 ivy being perhaps the most generally selected, whilst the 

 deserted nest of a Crow or Magpie is not imcommonly resorted 

 to. Mention is made of a hole in a quarry being used near 

 Scarborough, in which was found one young bird, one egg, 

 and two dead rabbits. ]\Ir. Eagle Clarke found the eggs 

 of this species laid in a depression in the hay in a barn. In 

 Swaledale it sometimes nests in holes in rocks, and Mr. C. J. 

 Lee Warner, writing in the Field (i6th August 1902), says 



