The Tawny Ovl. 75 
This bird’s cry, or rather hoot, resembles the 
syllables “‘ whoo-whoo-whooo-oo0,” the first two being 
very short, while the next is prolonged and finishes 
up with a short “oo.” It is a very mellow sound ; 
and, except occasionally, it is not heard to screech. 
One of its scientific synonyms is Ulula aluco, being 
derived from the Latin wlulare, to ery like a wolf, 
and this word partially imitates both the cry of the 
wolf and of this Owl; Strix aluco is perhaps the 
more correct name. 
The Tawny Owl is also called the Brown Owl and 
Wood Owl, the two first titles being descriptive of 
its tawny brown plumage, the last of its haunts. 
A thickly-wooded district in England or Wales is 
almost sure to have its Brown Owls. It is also fairly 
common in the South of Scotland, but in Ireland it 
has not yet been found. 
To those who do not care to roam through the 
woods at night, this bird is, no doubt, little known, 
for it is not often seen in the daytime. All day it 
hides in the recesses of the forest, perhaps in the 
hole of a tree; or sometimes it may be detected 
seated on a branch nearly touching an old squirrel’s 
nest, and it then requires a sharp eye to distinguish 
it from the nest itself. Strong light affects the sight 
of the Wood Owl exceedingly, rendering it almost 
blind, and it seems as much at a loss when abroad 
