TAWNY OWL. 
63 
RAPTORES. 
STRIGTDJE. 
TAWNY OWL, WOOD OWL. 
Syrnium stridula. 
PLATE XVIII. FIG. II. 
The Tawny Owl usually lays its eggs in a hollow 
tree, sometimes in the holes of rocks, and occasionally in 
the deserted nest of some other bird; they are round, 
large, bright, and glossy, from three to five in number, 
and are deposited at irregular intervals, the first being sat 
upon as soon as laid; the young of the same nest differ 
in consequence very considerably in their size. 
This is the owl from which issues forth that loud melan¬ 
choly sound at night, which, however much it may be 
associated with goblins in the minds of others, is ex¬ 
tremely agreeable to the ear that is fond of nature’s syl¬ 
van sounds. 
Mr. Alfred Newton says, “a pair which annually breed 
near this house do not always begin the work of incuba¬ 
tion until they have laid their complement of four eggs, 
but I have never been able to account for their habits 
being irregular in this particular.” 
