LONG-EARED OWL. 119 



Scoutbush, near Carrickfergus, he for several years had its 

 nest, which, in consequence of the trees being young, were 

 placed not higher than six feet from the ground. The con- 

 tents of the stomach of a Long-eared Owl, shot at Killaloe, 

 and examined by the Rev. Thomas Knox, proved to be part 

 of a rat, the skull of a mouse, and the heads of two Sparrows ; 

 and a Sparrow almost entire was found in the stomach of one 

 examined by Mr. Thompson himself."* 



This species is found in most of the midland counties of 

 England, and is noticed by various authors as occurring in 

 Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, and Scotland. It 

 inhabits also Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the 

 continent of Europe, from thence southward. In France it 

 is the most common of all the Owls, and is found in Spain, 

 Italy, and Turkey. It has been traced as far eastward as 

 Astrachan, and southward to Trebizond, Egypt, and Africa. 

 This bird also inhabits most of the United States of America. 

 According to Dr. Richardson, it has been found as far north 

 as latitude 60°, and probably exists as high as the forests ex- 

 tend. Captain Back took one specimen on his last journey. 

 It frequents Hudson''s Bay in the summer, but retires to the 

 interior during winter. 



The exposed portion of the beak is black ; the base and 

 cere are hid by the feathers of each inner side of the facial 

 disk ; the irides orange yellow ; radiating feathers of the facial 

 disk on each outer side pale brown, with a half circular 

 boundary line of darker brown ; on the inner side varied with 

 dusky brown at the base, and white towards the tips ; the 

 tufts on the head an inch and a half in length, are formed of 

 about seven or eight feathers, longer than wide, dark brownish 

 black in the middle, with pale brown edges ; top of the head 

 between the tufts a mixture of brownish black and pale 

 brown ; nape, round the neck, and the upper part of the back 

 marked with longitudinal streaks of brownish black on a sur- 



* Magazine of Zoology and Botany, vol. ii. p. 177. 



