THE TAWNY OWL. 



173 



less creatures are guilty of the preposterous act. 

 Notwithstanding the apprehensions of the dairy- 

 maid, I now and then venture to purchase a captive 

 hedgehog, and turn it into the park ; there to live 

 and die in peace. 



It was but the other day that a neighbouring young 

 lady complained to me of an owl which had been 

 hooting, for three or four successive nights, far too 

 near her bedroom windows ; and she wished indeed 

 that it were shot. I startled as she uttered this, for 

 it instantly occurred to me that the bird of which 

 she complained might possibly be one which was 

 bred here last summer ; and that its propensity to 

 night-errantry had brought it into a scrape. So I 

 tried to persuade her that nothing but sheer curiosity 

 could have induced the owl to take the undue liberty 

 of peeping in at her window ; and I was sure that it 

 could have seen nothing there to displease it. 



I have never heard an owl, either in Europe or in 

 America, that utters sounds so nearly resembling 

 the human voice as those which our tawny owl sends 

 forth. Here, where all is still, and every thing to 

 be found that is inviting to the feathered race, this 

 bird will hoot at intervals throughout the day, both 

 in cloudy and in sunny weather. Were you to pro- 

 nounce the letter O in a loud and very clear tone of 

 voice, and then, after a short pause, repeat the same 

 letter in a drawling, tremulous accent, you would 

 have a tolerably just idea of the hooting of the 

 tawny owl. It will sometimes produce a sharp cry, 

 which sounds not unlike the word quo-ah : both 

 male and female utter this cry. 



