S TRICES. ( 292 ) STRIGIDM. 



THE TAWNY OWL. 



BROWN OWL, GREY OWL, WOOD OWL, IVY OWL, BEECH OWL, 

 HOWLET, JENNY HOWLET. 



Strix aluco. 

 %^z l^oolet, %^z (Brep ^oolet, %\)z lennj pooler, 



The Houlet's eerie, midnight wail, 

 Frae White-has ^ lo7ie emiowered dale. 

 Portended yet some fcarfu tale 



Thou 'dst gar us hear, 

 Atid make the staff o life to fail 



r the coming year ! 



Dr. Henderson, Winter Rhytiies. 



This is the commonest Owl in Berwickshire, and its loud 

 hooting is frequently heard resounding through the woods 

 at night, in the autumn, winter, and early spring months. 

 From April until about the end of August, it is generally 

 silent; but in the dusk of summer evenings, the cry of 

 the young Owlets after they leave the nest for the branches 

 of some neighbouring tree, which resembles the words 

 " Kee-wick, kee-wick," takes the place of the usual melan- 

 choly but pleasing note of their parents. With the advent 

 of September, when the nights are becoming longer, the 

 plantations again re-echo with the prolonged " Hoo-hoo-hoo " 

 of the Tawny Owl. At this season, as the shades of even- 

 ing fall over the valley of the Tweed at Paxton, and the 

 harvest moon is seen rising majestically over the trees, a 



1 An estate on the banks of the Whitadder, near Chirnside, the property of 

 Mr. Mitchell Innes of Ayton. 



