SPECIES 9. STRIX NJEVM* 



MOTTLED OWL. 

 [Plate XIX. Fig. 1. Female.] 



Jlrct. Zool.251. JVo. 118. LVTHAM, i, 126. -TuRTON, i, 167. 

 PEALE'S Museum, No. 444. 



ON contemplating the grave and antiquated figure of this 

 night wanderer, so destitute of every thing like gracefulness of 

 shape, I can scarcely refrain from smiling at the conceit, of the 

 ludicrous appearance this bird must have made, had nature be- 

 stowed on it the powers of song, and given it the faculty of 

 warbling out sprightly airs, while robed in such a solemn exte- 

 rior. But the great God of Nature hath, in his wisdom, assigned 

 to this class of birds a more unsocial, and less noble, though, 

 perhaps, not less useful, disposition, by assimilating them, not 

 only in form of countenance, but in voice, manners, and appe- 

 tite, to some particular beasts of prey; secluding them from the 

 enjoyment of the gay sunshine of day, and giving them little 

 more than the few solitary hours of morning and evening twi- 

 light, to procure their food, and pursue their amours; while all 

 the tuneful tribes, a few excepted, are wrapt in silence and re- 

 pose. That their true character, however, should not be con- 

 cealed from those weaker animals on whom they feed, (for hea- 

 ven abhors deceit and hypocrisy) He has stamped their coun- 

 tenance with strong traits of their murderer the Cat; and birds 

 in this respect are, perhaps, better physiognomists than men. 



The Owl now before us is chiefly a native of the northern 

 regions, arriving here, with several others, about the commence- 



* Strix asio. This is the adult of the following species, and the name asio 

 given to the young 1 , must be retained for the species, as the young was first 

 described. See LINN. Syst. r, p. 92, JVb. 3, Ed. 10. 



