42 NATURAL HISTORY [Birds. 



" nous ; the wings long ; the tail short, marked with dusky 

 " bars ; the legs thick, covered to the end of the toes with a 

 " close and full down, of a pale yellowish brown ; the claws 

 " great, much hooked, and dusky/' 



Species 2.- The Short-Eared Owl. 



Brit. Zool. 156. 



THIS bird I shot in the hills of Hoy, where it is very fre- 

 quent, and builds its nest among the heath. It is impudent 

 in breeding-time, sometimes catching up chickens from the 

 doors. 1 have likewise seen it in chase of pigeons in day- 

 light, which is not ordinary with the owl kind. In a nest I 

 found in Hoy were the remains of a moorfowl, two plovers, 

 besides the feet of several others, and the birds, two in num- 

 ber, ready to fly ; the nest was in a large heath-bush, made 

 without any art ; intolerably fetid, by reason of the heat of the 

 weather, which had putrified some part of the provisions ; and 

 which was still increased by the dung, &c. of the birds, which 

 the parents did not seem so attentive to remove as I have ob- 

 served the smaller birds upon such occasions. The descrip- 

 of this bird is as follows : 



The length of this bird was thirteen inches, the breadth three 

 feet; the weight ten ounces and a half; the bill strong, and 

 much hooked, of a blackish horn-colour, almost buried amongst 

 a set of white bristly feathers; the eyes large and full ; theirides 



