TAWNY, BROWN, or WOOD-OWL. 



SYRNIUM ALUCO [Linn.). 



Strix aluco, Linn. S. N. i. p. 132 (1766) j Naum. i. p. 473; 



Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 146. 

 Ulula aluco, Macg. iii. p. 438. 

 Syrniura stridula, Hewitson, i. p. 63. 

 Syrnium aluco, Dresser, v. p. 271. 



Chat-huant, French; Wald-Kantz, Wald-Eule, German; 

 Cdrabo, Spanish. 



The Brown Owl, as it is generally termed, is still 

 tolerably common in the woodlands of England and 

 Scotland, in spite of the constant and senseless perse- 

 cution that it has suffered from in many places through 

 the stupid want of discrimination on the part of greedy 

 game-preservers and their servants. I have done my 

 best through my life to protect and encourage Owls of 

 all kinds, and have been rewarded not only by the 

 consequent opportunities of close observation of their 

 most interesting habits, but also by their keeping the 

 numbers of mice, voles, and, in a lesser degree, of rats 

 within nearly tolerable limits. This Owl especially loves 

 the concealment of old hollow trees, and does not, to 

 my knowledge, often frequent old buildings, unless, 

 indeed, they are densely clad with ivy ; nor does it seem 



