506 T4WNY OWL. 



bill are white and narrow ; those between the bill and eyes have black 

 shafts ; the general plumage of the bird is deep tawny, darkest on the 

 head, and brightest on the breast, streaked, and in some parts speckled 

 with black ; the feathers on the belly are tawny, with white margins, 

 and a black streak down the shafts ; the exterior webs of the outer 

 scapulars are white, and a few of the exterior greater coverts of the 

 secondary quills are marked with a white spot on their outer webs ; 

 these form two obscure blotches of white ; the quill -feathers are barred 

 with light tawny brown and dusky, the light colour gradually changing 

 to white at the base ; the two middle feathers of the tail are like the 

 rump, plain tawny ; the rest are more or less barred alternately with 

 tawny and dusky ; the legs are well clothed with grey feathers, or 

 rather down, speckled with brown ; claws dusky. This is the descrip- 

 tion of the female. The male only differs in size ; the length is thirteen 

 inches ; weight between fifteen and sixteen ounces. The plumage of 

 the sexes are exactly alike, but the female is most commonly less 

 tawny ; in which state it has been made a distinct species. 



This is by far the most plentiful species of owl in England. It re- 

 sides chiefly in woods and plantations of fir, concealing itself in the 

 thickest places : sometimes it settles on the ground, but on being dis- 

 turbed takes shelter in a neighbouring tree. It is rarely seen on wing 

 by day, except forced from its haunts. The light is very offensive to it, 

 and in the sun it can scarcely see at all ; so defective is it of sight in a 

 bright day, that it is no uncommon thing for boys to hunt it down 

 with sticks and stones. The eye is much larger than any other of the 

 British species, and the pupil incapable of sufficient contraction to 

 enable it to see distinctly by daylight. 



This bird breeds in the hollows of trees, and sometimes in barns, 

 which last it frequents for the sake of mice ; and as it is a better mouser 

 than the cat, the farmer holds it in great estimation, and leaves a hole 

 in his barns and granary for its egress. 



It prepares very little nest, and sometimes deposits its eggs on the 

 decayed wood: these are two in number, and rarely three, of a dull 

 white, not glossy, and of a roundish form. The young, which are covered 

 with a light coloured down, are at first very shy, but soon become tame if 

 fed by hand. If put out of doors within the hearing of the parent birds, 

 they retain their native shyness, as the old ones visit them at night, 

 and supply them with ample provision ; amongst which we have found 

 young hares, young rats, and mice ; but the last is their principal food. 



We have taken these birds in their mature state as well as young, and 

 found no difficulty in either case in preserving them alive. They were 



