SPECIES 6. STRIX BRACHYO TOS. 



SHORT-EARED OWL. 



[Plate XXXIII. Fig. 3.] 



TURTON, St/st.p. 167,Jlrct. Zool. p. 229, JVb. 116. LATH, i, 

 124. La Chomttt, ou la grand Cheveche, BUFF, i, PI. enl. 

 438. PEALE'S Museum, 7Vo. 440.* 



THIS is another species common to both continents, being 

 found in Britain as far north as the Orkney isles, where it also 

 breeds; building its nest upon the ground, amidst the heath; ar- 

 rives and disappears in the south parts of England with the 

 Woodcock, that is in October and April; consequently does not 

 breed there. It is called at Hudson's bay the Mouse Hawk; 

 and is described as not flying like other Owls in search of prey; 

 but sitting quiet on a stump of a tree, watching for mice. It is 

 said to be found in plenty in the woods near Chatteau bay, on 

 the coast of Labrador. In the United States it is also a bird of 

 passage, coming to us from the north in November, and depart- 

 ing in April. The bird represented in the plate was shot in 

 New Jersey, a few miles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of 

 pines. It has the stern aspect of a keen, vigorous, and active 

 bird; and is reputed to be an excellent mouser. It flies frequent- 

 ly by day, particularly in dark cloudy weather, takes short 

 flights, and, when sitting and looking sharply around, erects 

 the two slight feathers that constitute its horns, which are at 

 such times very noticeable; but otherwise not perceivable. No 

 person, on slightly examining this bird after being shot, would 

 suspect it to be furnished with horns; nor are they discovered 

 but by careful search, or previous observation on the living bird. 



* We add the following 1 synonymes: Strix brachyotos, LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 55. 

 Strix Uhda, Liww. Syst. ed. 10, p. 93TEMX. Man. d' Orn. i, p. 99. 



