WHITE OR BARN OWL. 143 



How this feared and despised bird came to be the em- 

 blem of wisdom, the sacred bird of Minerva, among so 

 grave and wise a people as the ancient Grecians, is not easy 

 to imagine, further, than that it was one of the ever fruit- 

 ful inventions of superstition, adopted by accident ; and 

 as the loquacity of this stupid and generally silent bird 

 would never betray the real defect of his character, his 

 solemn looks and taciturn behaviour continued to com- 

 mand the veneration of the public. 



The young of this species, when they have just attained 

 their growth, are, in France, considered good food, as they 

 are then fat and plump. At Hudson's Bay, a large Owl, 

 resembling the cinereous, is likewise eaten and esteemed 

 a delicacy, according to Pennant. 



The Barn Owl is about 14 inches long, and upwards of 3 feet 6 

 inches in the stretch of the wings. The bill is whitish, and longer 

 than usual. The face white, surrounded by a border of narrow, 

 thick-set feathers, of a reddish cream color externally. In some in- 

 dividuals the under side of the body is entirely without spots. Tail 

 pale yellow, crossed with 5 bars of brown, and thickly dotted with 

 the same. In the female the tints are paler and clearer. Sometimes 

 a variety occurs whitish, or wholly white. 



Note. Besides these established species of the genus, we have had 

 information of a bird in this vicinity which approaches the \ Scandina- 

 vian Eared Owl of Linnesus, but have not yet proved fortunate enough 

 to possess a specimen : it is described as a very large Black and White 

 Owl with ears. This is probably, the Strix maxima, capite aurito^ 

 corpore niveo, or Great Horned White Owl of Bartram, p. 289. In- 

 formation concerning this doubtful species would be very acceptable 

 to the author, and fill up a blank in Natural History. 



