BIRDS. 



175 



Syrnium aluco {L.). Tawny Owl. 



Resident. Common. Breeds. 



Very common in the woods of the north-east, and generally 

 throughout the counties of Forfar and Kincardine (J. M. and 

 Dr. Dewar). 



In the north-west of our area the Tawny Owl is the commonest 

 of the Owls in all suitable localities. 



Generally, Col. Drummond Hay designated its value as "still 

 common, but persecuted " ; less persecuted now, however, I fondly 

 hope, except where ignorance or carelessness is rampant. 



In the late Rev. H. A. Macpherson's MS. I find that as late as 

 January 1900 he saw twenty-two Tawny Owls hung up by the legs 

 — all adult birds, and principally of the ferruginous type — on a large 

 hoarding at Logierait, of apparently recent construction. And in 

 the same season many were seen in a Vermin Museum at Faskally, 

 January 1900. (It would not be difficult to find a word which 

 rhymed with Faskally — with all apologies to those concerned !) 



But now, D. Dewar, forty years gamekeeper on the Breadal- 

 bane estates, at Remony, near Killin, assured the late Rev. H. A. 

 Macpherson that Tawny Owls killed many young rabbits and hares 

 (May 23, 1901), and he had trapped many on the open moors with 

 rabbit-bait. He at once jumps to the conclusion that this species 

 and the Long-eared Owl are destructive, but he admits that they 

 both kill large numbers of mice and voles. And a forester gravely 

 asserts, and reiterated the statement, that "the Owls took such a lot of 

 eggs I " I wish simply to say that trapping Owls with rabbit-bait is 

 not necessarily a proof that Owls kill many young rabbits, though 

 I would be sorry to give myself away by asserting that certain 

 " educated Owls " never do ! 



The moral of this is : " Don't educate your Owls." 

 It is somewhat curious to find that upon the next shooting to 

 Logierait, Col. Sanderman was endeavouring to introduce Tawny 

 Owls in that same season, and the Rev. H. A. Macpherson saw six 

 young ones recently imported from England. 



As early as 1813 Don spoke of Tawny Owls breeding in the 

 woods of Balnamoon, in Forfarshire. 



It is unnecessary to catalogue its present distribution in our area, 

 and it is only required that education should first be applied to those 

 who lack it, by the powers that be, and that keepers look after their 



