275 



numbers in the vicinity of its regular haunts ; and a careful examination of these reveals the 

 nature of its food. Dr. Altum, who has made some most useful researches in this direction, 

 states (J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 218) that he made a careful examination of fifty-two pellets cast by 

 Tawny Owls, and found in them the following remains- — viz. 3 Crossopus fodiens, 1 Crocidura 

 araneus, 10 Sorex vulgaris, 11 Tcdpa europcea, 1 Mus decumanus, 2 Mus musculus, 6 Mus 

 sylvaticus, 2 Arvicola amphibius, 1 Arvicola glareolus, 1 Arvicola agrestis, 33 Arvicola arvalis, 



1 Sciurus vulgaris, 1 Emberiza citrinella, 1 Certhia familiaris, 10 small birds indeterminable, 

 14 Carabus granulatus, 4 Dytiscus marginalis, 4 Scarabmis stercorarius, 1 Silpha rugosa, 



2 Harpalus sp. 1 ? From this it appears that the Owls had been feeding chiefly on fieldmice 

 (Arvicola arvalis) and other small mammals. Lord Lilford, who informs me that he has done 

 all he could to preserve it in Northamptonshire, adds that the keepers are very bitter against, 

 this bird on account of its undeniable partiality for young rabbits and an occasional leveret. 



The Tawny Owl breeds rather early in the year, its eggs being deposited in March, often in 

 the early part of that month. It generally selects the hollow of a tree as a nesting-place, 

 frequently those which are covered with ivy ; but it sometimes takes possession of a deserted 

 Crow's or Hook's nest, or nests in an old ruin, a barn, or an old disused chimney ; and instances 

 are even known of eggs having been found in a rabbit-burrow. The eggs, three or four, and but 

 rarely five, in number, are pure white, smooth, and average about Iff by lf^ inch in size, and 

 are placed on a slight bed of dry herbage, which forms but a poor apology for a nest. The call- 

 note of the Tawny Owl is a clear, loud hoot, most frequently uttered in the early morning, and 

 in the evening after sundown. During the pairing-season these birds, or, as it would seem, the 

 males only, utter a loud call or pairing-cry not unlike the wild laughter of a drunken man, 

 which, when heard in the forest, sounds peculiarly weird and uncanny. My friend Mr. Sachse 

 used to keep a tame Tawny Owl in his yard ; and a pair of wild birds used to come there also ; 

 and together they used to make a most unearthly and horrible noise. 



The specimens figured are an adult male in the rufous plumage from Norway, and a nestling 

 from Altenkirchen, both of which are in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, $ ad. Darlington, June 9th (Backhouse) . b, ? ad.,c, ? pull. Middleton Hall, Tamworth (Hanbury Barclay), 

 d, d pull., e, 2 pull. Altenkirchen, near Coblentz, May 15th and 17th, 1864 (H. E. D.), f, 2 ad. 

 Hareskov Sjcelland, Denmark, September 13th, 1870 (A. Benson), g, 6 ad. Christiania, Norway, 

 May 1st, 1873 (R. Collett). h, ad. Mount Lebanon (Allen). 



E Mus. Norv. 



a, b, ad. Easton, Norfolk. c, pull. Norfolk, d. France (Parzudaki). e, $. Spain. f, g, h. Beyrout 

 (Lauretta), i, d. Smyrna (Stevens), k. Syria (Verreaux). I. Mogador. m,n,o,ad. Tangier (Favier). 

 p. N. Africa (Verreaux). q, ?. Province of Constantine, Algeria (Tristram). 



5b 



