THE TAWNY OWL. 177 



the nest hermetically sealed in the bole of the tree. 

 A thousand people might gaze on this tree, in pass- 

 ing by, and still not see a blemish. I myself can 

 just perceive it, by means of a few concentrated 

 lines still visible on the bark ; but, had not the dis- 

 covery of the nest drawn my attention to the place, 

 I should never haye perceived that the eastern part 

 of the tree had formerly received an injury. Mr. 

 Ord was enraptured at the exposition of the orni- 

 thological treasure ; and noted down in his pocket- 

 book every thing worthy of record. The tree still 

 stands ; and long may it stand, to gratify the curi- 

 osity of naturalists. Last year, a pair of barn owls 

 reared their young in it ; and, just now, there are 

 eggs in the same place. I made another excavation, 

 in an ash tree about two hundred yards from this ; 

 and, last summer, it gave me an increase of three 

 tawny owls. Throughout the winter, I could, at 

 any time, find them reposing in some neighbouring 

 ( fir trees. 



The tawny owl generally lays four snow-white 

 eggs in the same hole which it had chosen for its 

 winter quarters. I am satisfied in my own mind, 

 that no owl in the world ever gathers materials to 

 form the lining of its nest. Indeed, there is no ne- 

 cessity whatever for it to take that trouble ; nature 

 makes a sufficient provision for the lining of the hole 

 to which the owl resorts, long before the breeding- 

 time sets in. Every species of this bird ejects from 

 the stomach all the indigestible parts of their food, 

 in the shape of a dark-coloured oblong bolus ; which, 

 when dried, is soon reduced to fragments by the 



