136 LOXG-EAEED OWL. 



of Scotland, and a veritable engraving duly chronicled the 

 barbarous despoiling of sheep of their fleeces in the month 

 of October; and in that part of the Kingdom too! The writer 

 was not aware that the term 'shearing' applied in the north 

 of England to corn, as well as to sheep, and had as little thought 

 for the unfortunate animals, as Mudie for the wretched Eooks. 



The eggs, which are of a round shape, and white, are 

 generally two in number, but sometimes three or four, and 

 some writers say five, are laid about the end of March or 

 the beginning of April, by the latter end of which the young 

 are hatched. 



'For the first month,' says Mr. Selby, 'they take up their 

 abode in some adjoining tree; and for many subsequent days, 

 indeed for weeks, may be heard after sunset uttering a plaintive 

 call for food, during which time the parent birds are diligently 

 employed in hawking for prey.' 



These birds vary considerably in the depth and tone of their 

 markings. Male; weight, nine or ten ounces; length, from one 

 foot two to one foot three inches; bill, dull black a streak 

 of dark brown extends from it to the eye. Cere, flesh-coloured, 

 hid by the feathers of the wreath, which are light brown on 

 each outer side, with a half-circular boundary line of darker 

 brown; on the inner side, dusky at the base, and white towards 

 the tips. Iris, orange yellow, the radiated circle round the eye is 

 cream-colour, faintly tinged with orange; the bristly feathers 

 between the eyes and the bill are black at the base and white 

 at the tips, the shafts black. Head, yellowish brown, mottled 

 with darker and white. The tufts, which are formed of from 

 seven or eight to twelve feathers, an inch and a half or more 

 in length, are brownish black in the middle, and edged with 

 white, light, or rufous, or yellowish brown the hind ones are 

 the shortest; the face is ferruginous, speckled with black and 

 rufous, and surrounded in one of my specimens with part of 

 a circle of white on the lower side. Neck and nape, light 

 yellowish brown, much speckled and streaked with brownish 

 black, dusky, ash grey, rufous, or white the whole elegantly 

 blended. Chin, throat, and breast, dark greyish white or cream- 

 coloured, mixed with light or rufous brown, and streaked with 

 dark brown, the shafts black; back, as the neck. 



The wings, when closed, reach a little beyond the end of 

 the tail, and expand to the width of three feet, and from 

 that to three feet two inches. Greater and lesser wing coverts, 

 as the neck; primaries, light brown or salmon-colour, barred 



