284 LONG-EARED OWL. 



wooded mountains. Mr. Godman obtained a nestling in the Azores ; 

 it occurs in Madeira ; in the Canaries it nests in the pahii-trees of 

 the warm valleys as well as in the mountain forests ; and it is found 

 in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. Eastward it has been 

 recorded from Arabia ; and it inhabits the temperate portions of 

 Asia north of the Himalayas as far as the Pacific and the Japanese 

 Islands. In North America it is represented by a subspecies, 

 A. U'ilsoniauus of Lesson, which has darker upper parts and more 

 closely barred under parts. 



The Long-eared Owl deposits its eggs in an old squirrel's drey, 

 or on the last year's nest of a Ring- Dove, Magpie, Crow, Rook, 

 Heron, and, on the Continent, of a Buzzard, Kite &c. ; a little 

 lining of small thin sticks and rabbit's fur being often added. It 

 lays very early in the season, and even in Northumberland clutches 

 of eggs have been taken by February 22nd. These, 4-6 in 

 number, are white, with a rather smooth but not glossy surface : 

 average measurements i*6 by 1*3 in. Several pairs may be found in 

 close proximity, and I knew of eight broods being destroyed in a 

 long fir-plantation which stretches along a commanding ridge 

 in Surrey, by orders of an ignorant plutocrat who hoped that by 

 exterminating every bird of prey he would ensure the biggest head 

 of game ever known in the neighbourhood : in which he was signally 

 disappointed. This Owl is almost entirely nocturnal or crepuscular 

 in its habits, and during the daytime it is seldom to be found in the 

 open fields, except at the time of migration. The pellets which I 

 have examined show that it feeds principally upon field-mice, rats, 

 and birds up to the size of a Blackbird, while it is said that beetles 

 and other insects are sometimes eaten. The young utter a loud 

 mewing, and the old birds occasionally make a barking or ' quack- 

 ing ' noise, both while on the wing and also when perched ; but as 

 a rule this species is rather silent, and certainly does not ' hoot ' 

 like the Tawny Owl. 



The adult male has the upper parts buff, mottled and vermiculated 

 with brown and grey, and streaked with dark brown, especially on 

 the long erectile ear-tufts; facial disk buff, with a greyish-black 

 margin and outer rim, and dark markings round the eyes; under 

 parts warm buff and grey, with broad blackish longitudinal streaks 

 and minute transverse bars ; bill blackish ; operculum semicircular ; 

 legs covered to the toes with fawn-coloured feathers. Length 15 in. ; 

 wing 12 in. It has been stated that the female is more rufous in 

 tint than the male. In the young the facial disk is yellower and the 

 markings on the under parts are more defined. 



