STREAKED TUFTED-OWL. 467 



builds its nest among the heath. It is impudent in breeding- 

 time, sometimes catching up chickens from the doors. I have 

 likewise seen it in chase of pigeons in daylight, which is not 

 ordinary with the owl kind. In a nest I found in Hoy were 

 the remains of a moorfowl, two plovers, besides the feet of 

 several others, and the birds, two in number, ready to fly. The 

 nest was in a large heath-bush, made without any art ; intoler- 

 ably fetid, by reason of the heat of the weather, which had 

 putrified some part of the provisions ; and which was still in- 

 creased by the dung of the birds, which the parents did not 

 seem so attentive to remove as I have observed the smaller 

 birds upon such occasions."" It is very remarkable that a bird 

 of so small muscular development should be able to kill and 

 carry off a red grouse, the weight of which is more than double 

 its own ; but Mr Low could not have been mistaken, as he 

 describes the bird with accuracy. 



The ordinary food of this species consists of small quadru- 

 peds and birds. It is generally distributed on the continent of 

 Europe, and has been found in some parts of Asia and Africa. 

 It is also extensively distributed in America, being plentiful to 

 the north of the St Lawrence in summer, and extending in 

 winter southward as far as Florida. Having compared Ame- 

 rican skins and recent specimens with European individuals, I 

 feel assured that the Short-eared Owl of Wilson, Richardson, 

 and Audubon, is the same as ours. Its habits, as described by 

 Mr Audubon, are similar to those of our bird. He found it 

 plentiful in Florida, during winter, where he was " surprised 

 to see the great number which at that period were to be found 

 in the open prairies, rising from the tall grass in a hurried man- 

 ner, and zig-zagging for a few yards, as if suddenly wakened 

 from sound sleep, then sailing to some distance in a direct 

 course, and dropping among the thickest herbage. On being 

 pursued and repeatedly started from the ground, those birds 

 extended their flight so far as to be quite out of sight before 

 alighting. I never started two birds at once, but always found 

 them singly at distances of from twenty to thirty yards ; and 

 although on several occasions as many as three were seen on wing, 

 they having been put up by my companions and myself, they 



