WOOD-OWL. 



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many raptorial birds, the first egg is often sat upon as soon as laid; so that 

 young birds and eggs are found frequently in the nest together. 



The young birds, covered with greyish-white down, remain in the nest 

 some considerable time ; afterwards they betake themselves to the neigh- 

 bouring branches, where they are fed by their parents until the summer is 

 well advanced. Here they utter their plaintive clicking note almost 

 incessantly, attracting the attention of the parent birds and calling for 

 food. The young of the Tawny Owl are easily reared in confinement, 

 soon become very tame, and rank amongst the best birds for the aviary. 



The typical form of the Wood-Owl (commonly called the Tawny Owl) 

 has the colour of the upper parts reddish brown, spotted and vermiculated 

 with darker brown and blackish, and with large subterminal white spots 

 on the outer webs of the wing-coverts. The lower parts are huffish white, 

 barred with brown and streaked with dusky brown. Legs feathered to 

 the claws ; bill greyish yellow ; irides dark brown ; claws whitish at base, 

 darker towards the tip. The female resembles the male, but is larger. 



The semi-aretic form (commonly called the Brown Owl) differs from the 

 typical form in having the reddish brown of both the upper and under 

 parts replaced by grey. In the tropical form the reddish brown is richer 

 and darker, and the white parts are replaced by buff, and the dark vermi- 

 culations are blacker and more developed. 



