TAWNY OWL. 56 



the balance would not be in favour of the owls. * ^ ^ 

 I believe the brown rat to be far more destructive to 

 leverets and young pheasants than this owl can be." 

 So rarely is the opportunity now afforded of studying 

 the habits of this species in Norfolk, that I may be 

 excused for quoting the following graphic account by 

 Mr. Alfred Newton, in his " Ootheca Wolleyana," of a 

 pair, which, for several years nested regularly in the 

 vicinity of the hall at Elveden, near Thetford : — " From 

 1844, and probably for a much longer time, a pair of 

 brown owls had frequented some clumps of old elms, 

 near the house at Elveden. There were three of these 

 clumps, in one or the other of which they invariably 

 laid their eggs. The trees were of considerable age, and 

 mostly quite hollow, with an abundance of convenient 

 nesting-places. By waiting quietly about an hour after 

 sunset, my brother Edward or myself could generally 

 discover whereabouts the owls had taken up their 

 quarters for the season ; but it sometimes happened 

 that we did not find the nest until the yoimg were 

 hatched. Throughout the winter the owls kept pretty 

 much in company ; but towards the middle of February 

 they used to separate, the cock bird often passing the 

 day in a tree at some distance from where the hen 

 was. As soon as he came out in the evening to hunt, 

 he announced his presence by a vigorous hoot. Upon 

 this the hen would emerge silently, and, after a short 

 flight, would reply to her mate's summons by a gentle 

 note. He then generally joined her, and they would 

 fly off together to procure their living. The eggs were 

 commonly laid about the second week in March, and 

 the nests were almost always very accessible. I never 

 knew these birds occupy the same hole in two successive 

 years ; but, after the interval of two or three years, 

 they would return to the same spot. There were never 

 any materials collected to form a nest, the eggs being 



