146] A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



STRIX BRACHYOTUS The Short-eared Owl: Horns or ears a 

 single feather, above brown, beneath pale yellow, quill feathers bar- 

 red with red, tip of the tail white, wings when closed reach beyond 

 the tail ; length 13| inches. Migrates with the woodcock. Does 

 not perch on trees, and prefers wild solitary parts abounding with 

 heath, amidst which it breeds on the ground. It flies by day, and 

 destroys many mice. The ears being small and decumbent, are 

 scarcely conspicuous in dead birds. Found in Chartley Park. 



2. FLAMMEA The White Owl : Above pale yellow with white, 

 spots; beneath white; interior sides of the quill feathers, four 

 black spots on each side ; edge of the middle claw serrated ; weight 

 11 ounces, length 14 inches. The plumage is exquisitely pencilled 

 with unrivalled delicacy. 



3. ULULA The Brown Owl : Above deep brown spotted with 

 black and white, beneath pale ash colour mixed with tawny, with 

 black strokes ; disk round the eyes ash colour, with brown spots. 

 Flies by night. 



LANIUS EXCUBITOR The Cinereous Shrike or Ash-coloured 

 Butcher Bird: Bill and legs black, tail wedged, black in the middle, 

 and white on the sides, crown and back ash colour, wings black with 

 a white bar; cheeks white, with a black stroke; weight three 

 ounces, length 10 inches : migrates. ,Dr. Plot says, there is of 

 them in Needwood-forest, and in Bramshall-park, and that one 

 was killed at Scierscot, near Tamworth, colour and size of a thrush. 

 Feed on insects and small birds, and have sometimes been re- 

 claimed by falconers to fly at small game. 



ORDER II. PIC^l. 



CORVUS CORAX The Raven : Above shining bluish black, be- 

 neath dusky; weight 31b. length 26 inches. 



2. CORONE The Common Crow: The whole body bluish black, 

 tail rounded; weight 20 ounces, length 18 inches. White crows 

 are named by Dr. Plot. 



3. FRUGILEGUS The Rook: Colour bluish black, nostrils, chin, 

 and sides of the mouth, white and bare, somewhat larger than the 

 last. Multitudes of them resort to the sea-coast in severe winters, 

 in search of periwincles ; having found a shell, they raise it to the 

 height of 40 feet, and drop it upon the rocks, instantly descending; 

 if the shell should not break, the operation is repeated ; the labour 

 is immense for so small a recompence. A cream-coloured variety 

 was taken in a nest at Wyrley-grove. Rooks abound in this 



