PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 381 



t ill t In- latter part of April or in May, but the breeding season is somewhat irregular, 

 and eggs have been found at the end of March (Zoologist, 1867, p. 601). Incubation, 

 which lasts about four weeks, though incorrectly given by older writers at about 

 three weeks, is, according to Mr. J. L. Bonhote, who has bred and carefully watched 

 the special in captivity, performed by the hen alone. In England a second brood is 

 frequently reared, and the eggs may be found in July, while instances of breeding in 

 late autumn and even midwinter have been recorded. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. The staple diet of the white-owl consists of field-voles (short- 

 tailed tield-mice), longtailed field-mice, common shrews, and brown rate. The 

 bank- vole is also not infrequently taken in districts where it is common, while remains 

 of lesser-shrew, water-shrew, house-mouse, water-vole, and mole are occasionally 

 detected, and there are one or two records of the discovery of skulls of squirrel, 

 bate, and rabbit among large series of pellet*. Sparrows are frequently captured ; 

 thrushes, blackbirds, and small birds occasionally ; while remains of frogs and beetles 

 have also been recorded. For analyses of series of pellet* see Dr. Altum, Journal 

 fur Ornithologie, 1863, pp. 44, 218 ; L. E. Adams, Journal of the Northamptonshire 

 Nat. Hist. Soc., June 1898, p. 49 ; F. C. R. Jourdain, Essay on the Economic 

 Valve of Birds (Soc. Prot. Birds, Leaflet No. 47) ; and Freiherr G. v. Schweppenburg, 

 Jour. f. Orn., 1906, p. 534. Eleven hundred and twenty-four pellets analysed by 

 Mr. Adams yielded the following results: 997 field-voles, 726 mice, 469 shrews, 

 205 rate, 97 sparrows, 81 other birds, 10 water-voles, 9 frogs, 5 moles, 3 beetles, 

 2 rabbits, and 1 squirrel. Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg estimates the pro- 

 portion of shrews on the Continent at 30 per cent., mice 22 per cent., and voles 

 44 per cent. [F. c. R. J.] 



6. Song Period. The barn-owl has no "song," but is most vociferous 

 during the early part of the year. [w. p. p.] 



TAWNY-OWL [Syrnium alvco (Linnaeus) ; Strix altco, Linnaeus. 1 Wood- 

 owl, brown-owl, howlet, hooter, brown-ullert. French, hulotte, chat-huant ; 

 German, Waldkauz ; Italian, gufo selvatico]. 



I. Description. The tawny-owl may be distinguished from all the other 

 British owls by the densely feathered legs and toes, also by the shape of the 



1 The right name by strict rule of priority. We are here forced to disregard it in order to 

 avi.nl any suggestion of generic relationship with Sfrir ftammta. See footnote to the nhoi t- 

 eared-owl. A good illustration of the advantages of a uniform international terminology. 

 Enrr. 



