506 
TAWNY OWL. 
bill are white and narrow ; those between the bill and eyes have black 
shafts ; the g-eneral 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 dilfers 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 
