270 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



long; and 11 in. across the wings. May at once be dis- 

 tinguished from the British little owl by its toes being 

 covered with thin bristles instead of feathers, by the length 

 of the tail, which extends nearly 1^ in. beyond the closed 

 wings, by a difference in the comparative length of the 

 wing primaries, and by its toes being thickly covered with 

 small feathers. Upper plumage grey -brown, strewed all 

 over with whitish spots ; underneath lighter, with longi- 

 tudinal streaks ; tail with four white bars, and white tip ; 

 colour of the sexes alike ; iris bright yellow. 



I fancy this little owl is much more common in Scan- 

 dinavia than the Swedish naturalists suppose ; and although 

 I never obtained the nest, I know they breed both in South 

 Wermland, and also at Quickiock, Lapland. What the 

 egg is like, I cannot say, but as I obtained four young 

 ones which could scarcely fly, out of the same family, at 

 Quickiock, we may take it for granted that Temminck is 

 quite wrong, when he says that the full number of eggs is two. 



Is one of the earliest birds in our forests, and the note, 

 one shrill whistle, like blowing into a key, followed by a 

 number of finer notes, " ti-weet, ti-weet, ti-weet," is heard 

 during the pairing season, in March and April, long before 

 daybreak. 



Figured by Dr. Bree as the ' ' Least European sparrow- 

 owl." Only accidental in Denmark. Common in the south 

 and middle of Finland. 



25. S. NUDIPES, Nilss. Minervas Uggla. The Little Night 



Owl. D. 



Has no more right to a place in the Scandinavian fauna 

 than the common barn owl. But one specimen of each is 

 recorded to have been taken in South Sweden. Pretty com- 

 mon in some parts of South Denmark. 



Bubo, Cuv. 

 B. With feather tufts, or horns, on the forehead. 



26. S. BUBO, L. Berg Uf. The Eagle Owl. 



Length about 2 to 4 in.; tail rounded, 2 in. longer than 



