WOOD-OWL. 159 
many raptorial birds, the first egg is often sat upon as soon as laid; so that 
young birds and eggs are found frequently in the nest together. 
The young birds, covered with greyish-white down, remain in the nest 
some considerable time ; afterwards they betake themselves to the neigh- 
bouring branches, where they are fed by their parents until the summer is 
well advanced. Here they utter their plaintive clicking note almost 
incessantly, attracting the attention of the parent birds and calling for 
food. The young of the Tawny Owl are easily reared in confinement, 
soon become very tame, and rank amongst the best birds for the aviary. 
The typical form of the Wood-Owl (commonly called the Tawny Owl) 
has the colour of the upper parts reddish brown, spotted and vermiculated 
with darker brown and blackish, and with large subterminal white spots 
on the outer webs of the wing-coverts. The lower parts are buffish white, 
barred with brown and streaked with dusky brown. Legs feathered to 
the claws; bill greyish yellow; irides dark brown; claws whitish at base, 
darker towards the tip. The female resembles the male, but is larger. 
The semi-arctic form (commonly called the Brown Owl) differs from the 
typical form in having the reddish brown of both the upper and under 
parts replaced by grey. In the tropical form the reddish brown is richer 
and darker, and the white parts are replaced by buff, and the dark vermi- 
culations are blacker and more developed. 
