SPECIES 5. STRIX PASSERINA.

LITTLE OWL.

[Plate XXXIV.-Fig. 1.]

Arct. Zool. 236, No. 126.-TURTON, Syst. 172.-PEALE'S Museum, No. 522.*

THIS is one of the least of its whole genus, but like many other little folks, makes up in neatness of general form and appearance, for deficiency of size, and is perhaps the most shapely of all our Owls. Nor are the colours and markings of its plumage inferior in simplicity and effect to most others. It also possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and brilliancy to the best of them.

This species is a general and constant inhabitant of the middle and northern states; but is found most numerous in the neighbourhood of the seashore, and among woods and swamps of pine trees. It rarely rambles much during day; but if disturbed, flies a short way, and again takes shelter from the light; at the approach of twilight it is all life and activity; being a noted and dexterous mouse-catcher. It is found as far north as Nova Scotia, and even Hudson's Bay; is frequent in Russia; builds its nest generally in pines, half way up the tree, and lays two eggs, which, like those of the rest of its genus, are white. The melancholy and gloomy umbrage of those solitary evergreens forms its favourite haunts; where it sits dosing and slumbering all day, lulled by the roar of the neighbouring ocean.

• We add the following synonymes: Strix passerina, LINN. Syst. ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 93.-GMEL. Syst. 1, p. 296, No. 12.-Strix acadiensis, LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 65.-S. acadica, GMEL. Syst. 1, p. 296, No. 43.-TEMм. Man. d'Orn. 1, p.

92.

VOL. 1.-T t

The Little Owl is seven inches and a half long, and eighteen inches in extent; the upper parts are a plain brown olive, the scapulars, and some of the greater and lesser coverts, being spotted with white; the first five primaries are crossed obliquely with five bars of white; tail rounded, rather darker than the body, crossed with two rows of white spots, and tipt with white; whole interior vanes of the wings spotted with the same; auriculars yellowish brown; crown, upper part of the neck, and circle surrounding the ears, beautifully marked with numerous points of white, on an olive brown ground; front pure white, ending in long blackish hairs; at the internal angle of the eyes, a broad spot of black, radiating outwards; irides pale yellow; bill a blackish horn colour, lower parts streaked with yellow ochre and reddish bay; thighs and feathered legs pale buff; toes covered to the claws, which are black, large, and sharp pointed.

The bird from which the foregoing figure and description were taken, was shot on the seashore, near Great Egg-harbour, in New Jersey, in the month of November; and on dissection was found to be a female. Turton describes a species called the White-fronted Owl, (S. albifrons,) which in every thing, except the size, agrees with this bird, and has very probably been taken from a young male; which is sometimes found considerably less than the female.

1

SPECIES 6. STRIX BRACHYOTOS.

SHORT-EARED OWL.

[Plate XXXIII.—Fig. 3.]

TURTON, Syst. p. 167.—Arct. Zool. p. 229, No. 116.—Lath. I, 124.-La Chouetté, ou la grand Chevêche, BUFF. 1, Pl. enl. 438.-PEALE'S Museum, No. 440.*

THIS is another species common to both continents, being found in Britain as far north as the Orkney isles, where it also breeds; building its nest upon the ground, amidst the heath; arrives and disappears in the south parts of England with the Woodcock, that is in October and April; consequently does not breed there. It is called at Hudson's bay the Mouse Hawk; and is described as not flying like other Owls in search of prey; but sitting quiet on a stump of a tree, watching for mice. It is said to be found in plenty in the woods near Chatteau bay, on the coast of Labrador. In the United States it is also a bird of passage, coming to us from the north in November, and departing in April. The bird represented in the plate was shot in New Jersey, a few miles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of pines. It has the stern aspect of a keen, vigorous, and active bird; and is reputed to be an excellent mouser. It flies frequently by day, particularly in dark cloudy weather, takes short flights, and, when sitting and looking sharply around, erects the two slight feathers that constitute its horns, which are at such times very noticeable; but otherwise not perceivable. No person, on slightly examining this bird after being shot, would suspect it to be furnished with horns; nor are they discovered but by careful search, or previous observation on the living bird.

* We add the following synonymes: Strix brachyotos, LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 55. - Strix Ulula, LINN. Syst. ed. 10, p. 93-Тεми. Man. d' Orn. 1, p. 99.

Bewick, in his History of British Birds, remarks, that this species is sometimes seen in companies; twenty-eight of them being once counted in a turnip field in November.

Length fifteen inches, extent three feet four inches; general colour above dark brown, the feathers broadly skirted with pale yellowish brown; bill large, black; irides rich golden yellow, placed in a bed of deep black, which radiates outwards all around, except towards the bill, where the plumage is whitish; ears bordered with a semicircular line of black and tawny yellow dots; tail rounded, longer than usual with Owls, crossed with five bands of dark brown, and as many of yellow ochre, some of the latter have central spots of dark brown, the whole tipt with white; quills also banded with dark brown and yellow ochre; breast and belly streaked with dark brown, on a ground of yellowish; legs, thighs and vent, plain dull yellow; tips of the three first quill feathers black; legs clothed to the claws, which are black, curved to about the quarter of a circle, and exceedingly sharp.

The female I have never seen; but she is said to be somewhat larger and much darker; and the spots on the breast larger and

more numerous.

SPECIES 7. STRIX VIRGINIANA.

GREAT HORNED-OWL.

[Plate L.-Fig. 1.]

Arct. Zool. p. 228, No. 114.-Edw. 60.-LATH, I, 119.—TURT. Syst. p. 166.-PEALE'S Museum, No. 410.*

THE figure of this bird, as well as of those represented in the same plate, is reduced to one half its natural dimensions. By the same scale, the greater part of the Hawks and Owls of the present volumet are drawn; their real magnitude rendering this unavoidable.

This noted and formidable Owl is found in almost every quarter of the United States. His favourite residence, however, is in the dark solitudes of deep swamps, covered with a growth of gigantic timber; and here, as soon as evening draws on, and mankind retire to rest, he sends forth such sounds, as seem scarcely to belong to this world, startling the solitary pilgrim as he slumbers by his forest fire,

"Making night hideous."

Along the mountainous shores of the Ohio, and amidst the deep forests of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the woods, this ghostly watchman frequently warned me of the approach of morning, and amused me with his singular exclamations; sometimes sweeping down and around my fire, uttering a loud and sudden Waugh O! Waugh O! sufficient to have alarmed a whole gar

We add the following synonymes: Hibou des Terres Magellaniques, BUFF. Pl. Enl. 385.—Bubo Virginianus, BRISS. I, p. 484.—Strix Virginiana, Ind. Orn. p. 52.--GMEL. Syst. 1, p. 287.-Virginian Eared Owl, LATH. Gen. Syn. Supl. VI, p. 40.

↑ Volume VI of the original edition.