Class IL TAWNY OWL. 209 



perftition had given the power of prefaging death 

 by its cries. The antients believed that it fucked 

 the blood of young children ; a fadt not incredible, 

 for Ilajfelquift* defcribes a fpecies found in Syria^ 

 which frequently in the evening flies in at the win- 

 dows, and deRroys the helplefs infant. 



No6le volant puerofque petunt nutricis egentes, 

 Et vitiant cuneis corpora rapta fuis. 

 Carpere dicuntur ladentia vifcera rollris, 

 Et plenum poto fanguine guttur habent. 

 Eft illis ftrigibus nomen, fed nominis hujus 

 Caufa quod horrcnda ftridere node folent. 



Ovid. Faft. VI. 135. 



The female of this fpecies v/eighs nineteen oun- Descrip. 

 ces : the length is fourteen inches : the breadth 

 two feet eight inches : the irides are dufky : the 

 ears in this, as in all owls, very large ; and their 

 fenfe of hearing very exquifite. The color of this 

 kind is fuHicient to diftinguifh it from every other : 

 that of the back, head, coverts of the wings, and 

 on the fcapular feathers, being a fine tawny red, 

 elegantly fpotted and powdered with black or du/ky 

 fpots of various fizes : on the coverts of the wings, 

 and on the fcapulars, are feveral large white fpots : 

 the coverts of the tail are tawny, and quite free 

 from any marks : the tail is varioufly blotched, 

 barred and fpotted with pale red and black •, in 



* Ii271, 255. 



the 



