LONG-EARED OWL. 



LOTTGhHOBNED OWL. 



Strix otus, LTNNJEUS. LATHAM. 



Otus vulgaris, FLEMING. SELBY. 



Strix Some species of Owl. Ous, (plural ota) An ear. 



As wisdom is certainly both more to be acquired and more 

 to be considered to exist as the consequence of hearing*, than 

 of any other of the senses, the 'ears' of this species may have 

 been the procuring a cause of the agnomen of the 'Bird of 

 wisdom' attaching to its kind. It might, however, possibly 

 be objected to this theory, that if it were correct, the ass 

 should be deemed the wisest of animals. 



The Long-eared Owl is plentiful in many countries of all 

 four quarters of the globe. In Europe it occurs in Denmark, 

 Russia, Sweden, Norway, France, Italy, Turkey, and Spain. 

 In this country it is generally distributed, though nowhere 

 numerous. In the fir woods, north-east of York, it is to be 

 commonly met with. It is also a resident in Ireland and 

 Scotland. 



This Owl is not only a nocturnal, but occasionally, and 

 and even in bright sunshine, a diurnal feeder: for the most 

 part, however, it keeps quiet by day. It is readily tamed, 

 and affords much amusement by the many grotesque attitudes 

 it assumes, to which its ears and eyes give piquancy. It may 

 often be detected with a small orifice left through which it 

 is peeping when its eyes would seem to be shut; and it has 

 the singular faculty of being able to close one eye while the 

 other is not shut; so that it may appear to be 'wide awake' on 

 one side, while apparently asleep on the other, or, if asleep, may 

 be so literally 'with one eye open.' The ears are raised by 

 any excitement; at other times they are depressed. If attacked, 



