TAWNY OR WOOD OWL. 17 
Famity BUBONIDA. 
TAWNY or WOOD OWL. 
Syrnium auuco, Linn. 
Pl. V., fig. 3. 
Geogr. distr.—Throughout Europe, northward to about 70° N. 
lat., southward to N. Africa, eastward as far as the Ural Mountains ; 
occurs in all the counties of England, and probably Wales; rarer in 
Scotland, and very rare in Ireland. 
Food.—Frogs, slow-worms, small fish and birds, bats, mice, rats, 
moles, and rarely leverets or rabbits. 
Nest.—A mere hole in a tree, wall, or the ground; or occasionally 
the deserted nest of a Rook or Crow. ; 
Position of nest.—In a hollow tree, especially when thickly covered 
with ivy, or in an oldivy bush; in old ruins, chimneys, barns and 
rabbit burrows; it prefers groves or woods of oak or beech trecs. 
Number of eggs.—3-5; rarely more than 4. 
Time of nidification.—III-VIII. 
Eggs of this species in my collection were taken in June 
in the New Forest, and were forwarded to me unblown. 
The Tawny Owl has, however, been known to lay as late 
as August. 
Cases have been recorded of this Owl nesting in the 
deserted burrows of rabbits or foxes at about two feet from 
the entrance to the hole. 
The Tawny Owl is the favourite of the poets, because it 
makes a blood-curdling hooting noise at night, which 
Hewitson says is very pleasant to the ears of ‘‘ one fond of 
Nature’s sylvan sounds.” My old friend was particularly 
fond of the bagpipes, and I have often seen his look of 
pleasure when visited by an old Highlander armed with 
those elements of discord. I never heard the precise 
sounds attributed to the Tawny Owl, to issue from its 
throat; but they are about as near as most of the 
vocabulary attributed to animated Nature.* 
The habit this Owl has of building in ivy has given rise 
to the well-known saying ‘‘ You look like an owl in an ivy 
bush.” Eggs have, however, been known to be deposited 
on the ground beneath the drooping branches of a fir tree. 
Amongst the Mammalia one of the most notable is the ‘‘ Arrr-cke ” 
of the Ass, which has been rendered ‘“‘ Hee-haw.” 
