The Tawny Owl. 79 



seen this owl among their young pheasants, and have 

 therefore shot it; but it has been proved more than 

 once by dissection that the bird was merely catching 

 the mice and rats, which were feeding on the corn 

 left by the young pheasants. 



Its usual nesting-place is a hollow tree, but some- 

 times the disused nest of a crow, magpie, or jackdaw 

 is selected, and we once found their eggs in the top 

 of a fir tree, the branches of which were naturally 



FIG. 17. 



Pellet of Tawny Owl, showing bones, etc. Outside covering 

 partially washed away. 



From nature. Natural size. 



interwoven, thus forming a sort of platform. These 

 birds make no nest, and if a hole in a tree is chosen 

 the eggs are laid upon the wood dust at the bottom 

 of the hole, while a quantity of pellets, and a few 

 feathers are usually found intermixed with the wood 

 dust. They resort to the same nesting-place year 

 after year. The eggs are nearly round and perfectly 

 white, and from three to five are laid. The bird 



