76 Forest Birds. 
in the daytime as a jay would be at night. It 
screws up its eyes and blinks in the most curious 
manner, and on being disturbed, flies about in 
an aimless way, and thus attracts the attention of 
other birds, and by no means pleasantly; for in a 
very few moments after it has been frightened from 
its roosting-place, a jay or missel thrush will find it 
out, and begin to screech and hiss at it. These 
birds quickly increase in numbers, and presently 
the owl will be surrounded by a “ mobbing flock,” 
all keeping, however, at a respectful distance from 
the object of their hatred, for every now and then 
the owl will make a dart at one of his tormentors, 
and snap his beak loudly as the smaller bird 
evades it. 
The plumage of the Tawny Owl varies consider- 
ably in shade of colour, according to the age and sex 
of the specimen. The female bird is always larger 
and usually much more tawny than the male, and 
indeed this fact led to its once being considered a 
distinct species. In the male, the back and head 
and the upper sides of the wings and tail are a 
brownish grey of various shades, with several large 
white spots on the wing coverts. The under parts are 
dull white in ground colour, with brown markings. 
As will be seen in the illustration, the eyes are 
very large and perfectly black. They are sur- 
