47 



Sussex, quite light grey. This is the species 

 known to make the pecuhar hooting or howl- 

 ing noise which originally gave the name to 

 the genus. For Owl means howl, the aspi- 

 rate being retained in the diminutive Ilowlet. 

 Eule, Ulu, &c. have a similar origin. 



This species must not be confounded with 

 Sfriv Ulula of Nilssons Orn. Suecica. 



Fig. Bewick p. 91. 



:2.9 NOCTVA PASSERINA. the little owl. 



See Montagu's Ornith. Dictionary, and Be- 

 wick, p. 92. This is the Noclua of some 

 Writers of the 17th century; and, I believe, 

 was so called likewise by the Antients. See 

 Gesner, iii. 599, &c. also Pliny. Athenaeus 

 confounds the Bird with the Otus, and makes 

 Otiis the Noctua. The Ulula was also called 

 Noclua, and this word was generally used in 

 translation of FAayJ. See Arat. Diosemea. 

 Among the promiscuous terms of Authors who 

 went on blundering and misunderstanding each 

 other's terms, it is very difficult to select names ; 

 I have, therefore, approached as nearly as I 

 could, considering the principal object to be 

 generic distinction. 



N. B. The Snowy Owl, Slrix Nyctea of the 

 preceding Catalogue, is recorded by Mr. Bul- 

 lock as being a British species. But I have 

 not assigned to it decidedly a generic name in 

 this Catalogue, never having sufficiently ex- 

 amined its peculiar character. Qu. Should it 

 be called Buho Arcticus ? 



31 NOCTVA SCOPS. THE SCOPS owl. 



For an account of this bird, consult Montagu's 



