160 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



THE BROWN OR TAWNY OWL. 



The call-note of the BROWN or TAWNY OWL (Syrnium 

 aluco) often greets our ears when returning homeward at 

 dusk, one bird answering another from the neighbouring 

 copses ; their loud Hoo-hoo-hoo sounding so clear in the still 

 air. It is chiefly in the autumn evenings that the voice of 

 this owl is heard, generally just before dark and also in 

 the early morning. In the breeding-season the male utters 

 a most uncanny note, which makes one creep when heard 

 in the silent forest-glades. 



The dark, tawny, brown plumage sufficiently conceals 

 the bird in the gloaming when seeking its food, which is 

 very varied rats and mice, more 

 especially field-mice, shrews, young 

 hares and rabbits, fish, moles, large 

 beetles, &c., &c. These owls are 

 fond of frogs, and that frogs are 

 well aware of this the following 

 extract from the life of Edwards, the 

 Scottish naturalist, clearly proves. 

 After describing the noise made by 

 a number of frogs on a moonlight 



HEAD OF THE TAWNY OWL. .,-'., T^ 



night, he says : " Presently, when 



the whole of the vocalists had reached their highest notes, 

 they became hushed in an instant. I was amazed at this, 

 and began to wonder at the sudden termination of the 

 concert. But, looking about, I observed a brown owl 

 drop down, with the silence of death, on the top of a low 

 dyke close by the orchestra." 



This owl is not so dreaded as the barn-owl. In ancient 

 times, amongst the Athenians, the brown owl was the bird 

 of wisdom, and was associated with the goddess Minerva ; 

 Wisdom and Folly were often represented by an owl and 

 a fool's cap and bells. Shakespeare says, in " Love's 

 Labour's Lost : " 



" When blood is nipped, and ways be foul, 

 Then nightly sings the staring owl 

 Tu-whit, tu-who a merry note." 



