126 STRIGID./E. 



wood exists in the counties of Down and Antrim, it is a 

 common species. An individual, well acquainted with the 

 Long-eared Owl, said that in a close plantation of spruce 

 firs at Scoutbush, near Carrickfergus, he for several years 

 had its nest, which, in consequence of the trees being 

 young, were placed not higher than six feet from the 

 ground. The contents of the stomach of a Long-eared 

 Owl, shot at Killaloe, and examined by the Rev. Thomas 

 Knox, proved to be part of a rat, the skull of a mouse, and 

 the heads of two Sparrows. 1 ' 



This species is found in most of the midland counties of 

 England, and is noticed by various authors as occurring in 

 Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, and Scotland. It 

 inhabits also Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the 

 continent of Europe, from thence southward. In France it 

 is the most common of all the Owls, and is found in Spain, 

 Italy, Turkey, and Sicily. It has been traced as far 

 eastward as Astrachan, and southward to Trebizond, 

 Egypt, and Africa. This bird also inhabits most of the 

 United States of America. According to Dr. Richardson, 

 it has been found as far north as latitude 60, and probably 

 exists as high as the forests extend. Captain Back took one 

 specimen on his last journey. It frequents Hudson's Bay 

 in the summer, but retires to the interior during winter. 



The exposed portion of the beak is black ; the base and 

 cere are hid by the feathers of each inner side of the facial 

 disk ; the irides orange yellow ; radiating feathers of the 

 facial disk on each outer side pale brown, with a half 

 circular boundary line of darker brown ; on the inner side 

 varied with dusky brown at the base, and white towards 

 the tips; the tufts on the head an inch and a half in 

 length, are formed of about seven or eight feathers, longer 

 than wide, dark brownish black in the middle, with pale 

 brown edges ; top of the head between the tufts a mixture 



