ULULA STRIDULA. 171 



ghost-like — hence it is not so well suited for beating a laige 

 extent of fields for mice, and is more of a promiscuous feeder. 

 The barn owls are more expert mousers than this owl, which so 

 far accounts for its preying on young game when they come in 

 its way. They sometimes enter dovecots (as the death's-head 

 moth enters bees' scapes), and, like cats, commit great havoc 

 among young pigeons. Mr Colquhoun says he recollects nearly 

 all the young pigeons in his father's dovecot " being devoured 

 by a pair of brown owls ;" but the good this owl does in its 

 destruction of rats and mice far outweighs the ill. It is a little 

 larger than the long-eared, short-eared, and barn owls. The one 

 before me — a female, shot in the district — is 16 inches to end of 

 tail, and 14 inches to end of wings, which, however broad and 

 ample, do not reach to the tail by 2 inches. The tail is 7 

 inches long (against 5 in the barn owl's), and 34 in extent of 

 wings ; the male about 2 inches less. The wings being 2 

 inches shorter than the tail — instead of two inches longer — 

 makes this owl measure less across the wings than the other 

 three ; and although its body is larger, it appears to be more so 

 from the superabundance of downy feathers. The tarsi also are 

 shorter, but strong, which, as well as the toes, being covered 

 With feathers and armed with long, sharp, curved claws, make 

 them appear still stronger. The iris is dark blue, like the barn 

 owl's. The female is much redder than the male. The young, 

 as usual with most birds, resemble the female till the 

 second month. It is well named the tawny or brown owl, for 

 its general colour is umber browm, mottled, barred, and spotted 

 with brown, grey, and darker brown — all blended — which is 

 well expressed in the one word " tawny." Its head is com- 

 paratively larger than any of the owls (except Tengmalm's.) 

 It is 3-J inches across the face. The facial discs and ruff are 

 complete, but narrower over the eyes, which are also very large, 

 as well as the mouth, which is If inches wide. It is well named 

 the " hooting owl," for it is very noisy at night, and easily 

 known by its hooting cry, which is often alluded to 

 by poets, and is the typical hooting owl, as the barn owl is the 

 typical screech one ; and, probably, from Oo-Oo-Ow the name of 

 Owl w r as taken, as the generic name of Strix was taken from the 

 screeching of the barn and other owls by Linnaeus. Its 

 throat, when hooting, is much extended in its well-meant 

 tribute to love or cheerfulness — as happy and sincere as is the 

 song of the thrush or lark. All the owls more or less 

 hoot or screech ; and Linnaeus was not far wrong when he 



