76 Forest Birds. 



in the daytime as a jay would be at night. It 

 screws up its eyes and blinks in the most curious 

 manner, and on being disturbed, flies about in 

 an aimless way, and thus attracts the attention of 

 other birds, and by no means pleasantly ; for in a 

 very few moments after it has been frightened from 

 its roosting-place, a jay or missel thrush will find it 

 out, and begin to screech and hiss at it. These 

 birds quickly increase in numbers, and presently 

 the owl will be surrounded by a " mobbing flock," 

 all keeping, however, at a respectful distance from 

 the object of their hatred, for every now and then 

 the owl will make a dart at one of his tormentors, 

 and snap his beak loudly as the smaller bird 

 evades it. 



The plumage of the Tawny Owl varies consider- 

 ably in shade of colour, according to the age and sex 

 of the specimen. The female bird is always larger 

 and usually much more tawny than the male, and 

 indeed this fact led to its once being considered a 

 distinct species. In the male, the back and head 

 and the upper sides of the wings and tail are a 

 brownish grey of various shades, with several large 

 white spots on the wing coverts. The under parts are 

 dull white in ground colour, with brown markings. 



As will be seen in the illustration, the eyes are 

 very large and perfectly black. They are sur- 



