The Tawny Ovl. 79 
seen this owl among their young pheasants, and have 
therefore shot it; but it has been proved more than 
once by dissection that the bird was merely catching 
the mice and rats, which were feeding on the corn 
left by the young pheasants. 
Its usual nesting-place is a hollow tree, but some- 
times the disused nest of a crow, magpie, or jackdaw 
is selected, and we once found their eggs in the top 
of a fir tree, the branches of which were naturally 
Jer 
VE ae 

Pellet of Tawny Owl, showing bones, ete. Outside covering 
partially washed away. 
From nature, Natural size. 
interwoven, thus forming a sort of platform. These 
birds make no nest, and if a hole in a tree is chosen 
the eggs are laid upon the wood dust at the bottom 
of the hole, while a quantity of pellets, and a few 
feathers are usually found intermixed with the wood 
dust. They resort to the same nesting-place year 
after year. The eggs are nearly round and perfectly 
white, and from three to five are laid. The bird 
