WHITE, OR BARN OWL. 129 



same time in the nest of tlic Barn Owl. The young, covered 

 with a thick white down, remain in the nest a long time, and 

 the first set of feathers, which, Mr. Blyth says, are not moulted 

 till the second autumn, grow very slowly. 



The Barn Owl screeches, but does not generally hoot. 

 The young birds are easily tamed, and live in harmony 

 with other birds. Montagu brought up a Sparrow-hawk, a 

 Barn Owl^ and a Ring Dove, together : after six months 

 they were allowed their liberty, and went away ; but the Owl 

 was the only one of the three that returned. 



The Barn Owl is common in most, if not in all the coun- 

 ties of England ; and, according to Mr. Thompson, it is also 

 the most common Owl in Ireland. In Scotland it is less 

 numerous, and this species appears to decrease in numbers 

 as wc proceed northward. A few are found in some of the 

 Orkney Islands ; Muller includes it among the birds of Den- 

 mark ; but it does not appear to inhabit Sweden or Norway. 

 Over the more temperate part of the European continent it 

 is generally diffused, and its range southward extends in 

 Africa even to the Cape of Good Hope. Sir William Jar- 

 dine has received specimens from Madeira. According to 

 M. Temminck and others, this bird also inhabits India and 

 Japan. In North America our Barn Owl is found in the 

 United States ; but it is more thinly diffused, and it does 

 not appear to visit the fur-countries of the North. The 

 Yellow Owl of South America is considered to be a distinct 

 species. 



In an old male the beak is almost white ; irides bluish 

 black ; facial disk stained with rust colour at the inner and 

 lower part of each eye, the margin of the disk defined by the 

 white feathers being tipped with brown ; top of the head and 

 the neck very pale buff, thinly spotted with black and white ; 

 back and wings darker buff speckled with grey, and spotted 

 with black and white ; upper surface of tail-feathers pale buff, 



