BIRDS OF THE NIGHT 203 



evidence in support of my belief, which I have 

 been told is merely a matter of faith founded 

 on sentiment ! Still, I cling to my sentimental 

 idea, for the different pairs of Brown Owls that 

 I am acquainted with appear to be the same 

 year after year. For instance, a big greyish female 

 and a small red male have nested for some 

 years in the before-mentioned hollow ash. 



The allusion to the grey hen and her red mate 

 reminds me to say that two forms of the Tawny 

 Owl are known, one of which is a much brighter, 

 redder, brown than the other. In the grey 

 type all russet tints are suppressed, and only 

 the dull dark browns and ash-greys remain. 

 The difference is independent of sex. In some 

 districts the red type predominates, in others 

 the grey, and again one will find them equally 

 mixed. It is a common thing to find both forms 

 present in the same family of owlets, also to 

 meet with pairs of opposite tints, and it is 

 unquestionable that the difference is in no sense 

 a specific or geographical one, it does not 

 indicate any real difference in the individuals, 

 and apparently it does not make any difference 

 to a Brown Owl whether it belongs to the grey- 

 brown or red-brown form, though to human eye 

 the latter is unquestionably the handsomer 

 variety. My tame owl, " Old Hooter/ 1 was of 

 the red type, and I never tired of admiring the 

 beautiful tints of his plumage. 



Hooter, as a tiny grey-white owlet, was 

 taken by a village boy from the nesting hole 



