108 Strigidw. 



long since the most common of British owls, is the species 

 now under consideration, the ' Barn ' or ' White ' owl, which 

 rejoices in a great many provincial names, as the 'Church' 

 Owl, the 'Hissing' Owl, the 'Screech' Owl, etc. In Sweden, 

 where it is very rare, it is called Torn Uggla, or 'Tower 

 Owl;' and in Madagascar it is regarded as a bird of evil 

 omen and malign influence, and is known to the natives as 

 Vorondolo, or 'Ghost bird.'* At the Cape of Good Hope, where 

 it is common, it is called by the natives Doodvogel, ' the Bird of 

 Death,' and it is dreaded and hated by them accordingly. In 

 France, too, it is known as Chouette Effraye, or the * Alarming or 

 Terrifying Owl.' In Germany it is Kleinerkauz and Scfdeier- 

 kauz, 'Veil Owl;' in Spain, Lechuza,', in Portugal, Coruja das 

 Torres; in Italy, Alloco Comune 4 bianco. The generic name, 

 Strix is derived by the B.O.U. Committee from the word 

 ?', ' to cry out sharply or shrilly ;' the Latin, strideo, too, 

 meaning 'to make a harsh sound,' is similarly derived. The 

 specific name, flammea, alludes to the flame colour of the 

 upper plumage; for though called white, and having a 

 white appearance generally, as it is seen emerging from the 

 church tower or barn, in either of which it loves to dwell, and 

 hunting over the meadows on noiseless wing, yet when seen 

 nearer, its plumage will be found to be more beautifully marked 

 and more delicately pencilled than that of almost any other 

 bird : the under parts are pure white, here and there slightly 

 speckled with faint yellow ; but the upper plumage, which is of 

 a remarkable softness in texture, is of a dark buff or light yellow 

 colour, the tips of the feathers, speckled and spotted with black, 

 presenting a very pleasing appearance. The ruff in this species 

 is very distinct, the mouth and gullet very wide, the ears ex- 

 tremely large, the wings very long and broad, and the flight very 

 buoyant. It feeds principally on mice, of which it destroys an 

 extraordinary quantity, and which it seizes and swallows at once, 

 without any attempt to tear them in pieces with its claws ; and 



* See Ibis for 1862, p. 269, for an admirable paper on ' Birds observed in 

 Madagascar/ by my friend, Mr. Edward Newton. 



