THE TAWNY OWL. 69 
bird, has been well-nigh exterminated in many districts by gamekeepers in the 
supposed interest of their Pheasants. It is almost useless to plead with 
them in the poor Owl’s behalf.—‘‘See these ’ere talons?” says the man in 
velveteens, “see this ’ere beak? don’t tell me he don’t eat game,” and although 
sometimes with a view to a tip, some unfortunate may be momentarily spared, 
yet the tree in which he has harboured has been marked, and on the first 
opportunity he has been added to the other victims in the keeper’s larder. If 
it could only be considered that, in the night season, when the Tawny Owl 
comes abroad to hunt, all young Pheasants are either safe within their coops, or 
hovered by their mothers in the covers, the poor bird might be acquitted of 
mischief which it is not possible for it to perpetrate. As the Owl beats over the 
fields it is not to be denied that, once in a way, a young Partridge or two may 
be snatched off the ground, especially when there is a brood of hungry Owlets 
to maintain, and Lord Lilford admits ‘I cannot acquit the brown Owl of an 
occasional bit of poaching, but I am convinced that such occurrences are excep- 
tional, and, in defence of a very favourite bird, may refer my readers to the 
result of an examination of two hundred and ten pellets, composed of the indi- 
gestible portions of food thrown up by birds of this species quoted in Yarrell’s 
British Birds, 4th Ed., p. 148.” In these pellets the remains of six rats, 
forty-two mice, two hundred and ninety-six voles, thirty-three shrews, forty-eight 
moles, eighteen small birds, forty-eight beetles, besides a countless number of 
cockchafers, were discovered, incontestably proving the general innocent nature of 
the Tawny Owl’s bill of fare. 
It is in woodland districts that the Tawny Owl is most numerous, and when 
dusk has shrouded the country hoot may be heard answering hoot, and very easy 
it is by imitating the call to procure answers from all the Owls within hearing. 
In a wooded valley in Wales no fewer than twenty-six separate Hooters were thus 
provoked to reply one fine moonlight night in the autumn. The Wood Owl 
hoots when it first flies forth at dark, and at intervals throughout the night, 
seeming to prefer a still moonlight night when it is most vociferous, and again 
at dawn; and frequently, in the pairing time, the hoots may be heard, off and 
on, throughout the day. An admirer and friend of this Owl, after long observa- 
tion, imagined that he had discovered in its hootings unfailing indications of 
the weather, reporting ‘‘I have for years observed that when the Owl is merry 
at early dawn we are pretty sure of a fine day. Also, if he is merry at early 
evening, we are pretty sure of a fine quiet night. While, if the Owl breaks out 
with ‘Hoo-hoo-hoo-Too-vit’ by day, and takes a flight, stormy weather is sure 
to pretty soon follow.” During the day the Tawny Owl sleeps in his favourite 
Vor. III M 
