158 BRITISH BIKDS. 



it occasionally breeds in a deserted fox- or rabbit-burrow ; and Mr. A. W. 

 Johnson has made similar observations of the nesting of this species in 

 Northumberland. He writes to me as follows : — 



" The Tawny Owl is fairly abundant in this district, and is found breeding 

 in suitable localities throughout the valleys of the Tyne^Wear, and Derwent. 

 The situations chosen by this bird are very various ; for when its favourite 

 sites (such as hollow trees, holes in cliffs, or under roots) are wanting, it 

 avails itself of rabbit-burrows, and even lays its eggs upon the ground under 

 the thick branches of the fir. One locality within ten miles of Newcastle, 

 which, owing to the abundance of food, always contains two or three pairs 

 if not more, is a particularly good place in which to study their breeding- 

 habits, when thus driven, by the absence of suitable hollow trees &c., to 

 nest perforce elsewhere. The wood consists of some 500 to 600 acres, 

 and is mostly composed of young trees, and contains but one piece of cliff, 

 some 80 or 100 feet high, that overlooks the Derwent. This cliff is yearly 

 tenanted by one pair of these Owls, which rear their young in one of its many 

 recesses. The other pairs I have found nesting twice in rabbit-burrows ; 

 one had young, and the other eggs, when discovered. Again, the eggs were 

 found laid upon the ground, somewhat concealed by the thick foliage of the 

 lower branches of a fir. The fourth site chosen was an old nest of the 

 Sparrow-Hawk, built upon a small fir, and some 15 feet only from the 

 ground — in fact, just such a place as the Long-eared Owl often makes 

 use of for similar purposes. Twice have its eggs been found laid in out- 

 buildings ; once upon the inner wall of a cow-byre in use, part of which 

 was in ruins, thus admitting of easy ingress to the Owls ; and once in a 

 ruined house, partly used as a hen-house, partly as a coal-house. This 

 outhouse was in close proximity to the woodman's cottage. Perhaps the 

 most curious situation of all was when a pair took possession of a disused 

 dog-kennel, which lay upon the lawn and within 25 or 30 yards of the 

 farmer's back door. This bird makes no nest, merely scratching a hole in 

 the earth when laying in holes of cliffs or under roots ; and when making 

 use of old nests, it does not seem to reline them at all. The number of 

 eggs laid is generally three or four. I have never taken more than the 

 latter number, and never heard of any one doing so in this district ; in fact 

 three eggs seem more commonly to be the full clutch than four. The last 

 week in March or the first in April seems to be the average time when fresh 

 eggs may be found." 



The eggs are three or four in number, and much larger than those of the 

 Barn-Owl ; in fact the eggs of this bird cannot well be confused with those 

 of any other species of British Owl. Tliey are pure and spotless white, 

 round in form ; but the texture of the shell is much smoother than the 

 Barn-Owl's and far more highly polished. They measure from 19 to T/ 

 inch in length, and from 1'6 to 1'45 inch in breadth. As is the case with 



