THE TAWNY OWL. 173 
less creatures are guilty of the preposterous act. 
Notwithstanding the apprehensions of the dairy- 
maid, I now and then venture to purchase a captive 
hedgehog, and turn it into the park; there to live 
and die in peace. 
It was but the other day that a neighbouring 
young lady complained to me of an owl which had 
been hooting, for three or four successive nights, 
far too near her bedroom windows; and she wished 
indeed that it were shot. I startled as she uttered 
this, for it instantly occurred to me that the bird of 
which she complained might possibly be one which 
was bred here last summer; and that its propensity 
to night-errantry, had brought it into a scrape. So, 
I tried to persuade her that nothing but sheer curi- 
osity could have induced the owl to take the undue 
liberty of peeping in at her window; and I was sure 
that it could have seen nothing there to displease it. 
I have never heard an owl, either in Europe or in 
America, that utters sounds so nearly resembling 
the human voice as those which our tawny owl 
sends forth. Here, where all is still, and every 
thing to be found that is inviting to the feathered 
race, this bird will hoot at intervals throughout the 
day, both in cloudy and in sunny weather. Were 
you to pronounce the letter O in a loud and very 
clear tone of voice, and then, after a short pause, 
repeat the same letter in a drawling, tremulous 
accent, you would have a tolerably just idea of the 
hooting of the tawny owl. It will sometimes pro- 
duce a sharp cry, which sounds not unlike the word 
quo-ah: both male and female utter this cry. 
