WOOD OWL. 237 



The eggs, three or four in number, and white and 

 round, are generally larger than those of any other 

 British Owls. 



The Wool Owl is of a darker hue than the Barn 

 Owl, the upper parts being reddish brown, spotted 

 with dark brown ; the under parts are buffish white, 

 barred and streaked with dark brown. All the Owls 

 have the peculiar faculty of turning their heads almost 

 completely round, and it is no uncommon thing to see 

 this bird resting its beak upon its back ; the eyes 

 appear to be fixed in the sockets, so that to look to 

 one side it is obliged to turn its head. 



The Tawny Owl soon becomes tame in captivity. 

 Meyer relates the following anecdote of one which he 

 reared from the nest. " It inhabited an out-building 

 in which various household affairs were transacted 

 by the servants, to one of whom it was evidently 

 attached, and as the building was much covered with 

 ivy, which obscured the light, it would sit in the day- 

 time and watch her operations with all the familiarity 

 of a favourite cat ; no restraint was put upon its 

 liberty, yet it seldom strayed beyond the residence 

 to which it had attached itself. 



"This bird amused us frequently by an exhibition 

 which at last cost the poor creature its life. It was 

 fond of washing itself in a tub of water which usually 

 stood in the place where the bird was kept, and the 

 dreadful sight baffles description when this wretch 

 sat on the edge of the tub dripping wet, with its 

 feathers all sticking close to its sides ; the only thing 

 imaginable that we can compare the object to, for to 

 call it a creature in that state would be a mockery, 

 is the black remains of a burnt paper candle lighter, 

 surmounted by two glaring eyes. This pastime ended 



