BIRDS 121 



lighthouses, preying on the other birds attracted by the glare. It feeds very 

 largely on field voles. 



Its note when alarmed is a bark, like " Whowk," but it also utters the cry, 

 " Kyak, kyak." 



Owl, Tawny, or Brown. Distinguished by its densely feathered legs and 

 toes, its familiar " Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo," and its dark coloration upper 

 parts reddish brown, under parts lighter ; some varieties being grey. It 

 has another cry at night " Ewick, ewick." It nests usually in a hollow 

 tree, ruin, or cliff, but also chooses deserted nests, and sometimes a burrow. 

 The eggs (two to four) are white. It is resident in Great Britain, chiefly in 

 wooded districts. It is the largest of the British owls (15-18 inches), and 

 whilst preying on the smaller mammals, such as field mice and voles, can also 

 manage a rabbit or hare, starling or pigeon. 



[All the owls, be it noted, have very soft plumage, which serves to " muffle " 

 their flight. It is a great pity that these birds, so useful to the farmer, should 

 be so often shot by gamekeepers as " vermin," for they keep down rats and 

 mice to an enormous extent ; in fact, it is stated that " the recent outbreak 

 of plague spread by rats would never have occurred " if only the owl had been 

 unmolested.] 



Oyster-catcher (SEA-PIE). A bird with a bright red and very long bill, 

 flesh-coloured legs, black upper parts, and white below, found on all our coasts 

 in the winter, breeding on the West, and in Scotland and Ireland, but very 

 rarely on South and East Coasts. The nest is a scrape, on rock, sand, or rough 

 ground, sometimes lined with grass, shells, or pebbles ; the three eggs being 

 yellow stone-colour, boldly marked with dark brown. 



The food consists of mussels, limpets, and other shellfish, worms, crusta- 

 ceans, and seaweed. 



The call-note is a loud, shrill monosyllable "Kwick-kwick-kwick." 

 When flying in flocks, as during the autumn, the bird has a noticeable habit 

 of keeping time with its wings to the alarm note " Heep-a, heepa, heepa." 



It may sometimes be seen on ploughed lands some distance from the 

 sea, in company with rooks and gulls. 



Partridge, Red-legged (FRENCH PARTRIDGE). Only slightly larger (13! inches) 

 than the Common Partridge (i2| inches), which is placed in Group Two. This 

 species was introduced into England in 1770, where it is now resident. It is dis- 

 tinguished by the pale grey flanks, plainly barred with black, white, and chest- 

 nut. The legs are a bright coral-red (the Common Partridge's being grey-black). 

 The skin round beak and eye is also plainly red. The bird at a glance appears 

 to be dressed in lavender and slate-grey, with delicate browns on the upper 

 parts, in contradistinction to the other partridge, which has much more 

 chestnut and dark grey about it. On the whole the Red-legged Partridge 

 prefers wilder, more uncultivated country than the Grey Partridge. The 

 nest is like the Grey Partridge's ; the eggs (ten to twenty) are buff-coloured, 

 with fine specks of red-brown. 



