440 BUBO MAXIMUS. 



think that authors err when they refrain from giving 

 their sources of information. The bill and claws of the 

 specimen described above, were at the base bluish-grey, 

 towards the tip becoming darker, so as ultimately to be 

 greyish-black. Again, according to M. Temminck, the 

 female is " always larger, and has the plumage of a 

 lighter tint ; she has not the throat white." Mr Selby 

 says that " the female is similar to the male bird, ex- 

 cept in wanting the white upon the chin or throat, and 

 is superior in size ;" and Mr Jenyns, that " the female 

 is rather larger than the male, and without the white 

 throat." Now the bird which I have described was a 

 female, as was shewn by the two hundred and odd ger- 

 mens in her ovary ; and yet she had both the chin and 

 a patch on the throat white. Assuredly, ornithological 

 description is in much greater need of reformation than 

 the British constitution, with the patching of which 

 every-body is so fond of meddling " in these enlight- 

 ened times." As to the figures of this bird which I 

 have seen, they afe almost all ludicrous and contempti- 

 ble caricatures. Indeed, I have seen no figures of birds, 

 excepting those of " the Birds of America," and some 

 wood-cuts, including those of the " Gardens and Me- 

 nagerie of the Zoological Society," that did not indicate 

 an utter incapacity in their authors for seizing the cha- 

 racteristic forms and expression of the originals. 



The Great Eagle Owl has received various names, 

 such as Great Horned Owl, Great Eared Owl, Great 

 Owl, Athenian Owl, &c. It has been noticed, under 

 the following names, by the authors whose synonymes 

 I employ. 



