466 AVES—OWL. 
Pennsylvania, or more rarely even to the borders of Florida. It is very 
seldom, however, met with in Europe to the south of Sweden; while in 
America it appears to oe most frequent in the latitude of Hudson’s Bay. 
Bechstein mentions one or two instances of its appearance in the neighbor- 
hood of Leipsie and ot Dresden; and it has obtained a place in the British 
Fauna, as an inhabitant of the islands of Orkney and Shetland, where it 
was first detected by Mr Edmonstone, about eighteen or twenty years ago. 
It seems probable, from that gentleman’s observations, that it is stationary in 
the last mentioned locality throughout the year; but Wilson believes it to be 
only an occasional visitant in the United States, except perhaps in some of 
the more northern and inland parts, when it may remain during the summer 
to breed. In the early part of the present year, (1832,) one of them was shot 
on an island in Boston harbor, where he had been noticed lurking for several 
days previous, feeding on clams, muscles, and other shellfish along the 
shore. 
The comparative length of wing and strength of the quill feathers, in this 
beautiful owl, enable him to fly with much more swiftness, and to remain 
suspended in the air for a much greater length of time, than any other bird 
of the family. It flies abroad also in the daytime, as well as in the twilight, 
and in all these particulars, as well as in the nature of- its food, evinces a 
striking approach to some of the more strictly diurnal birds of prey. It feeds 
almost indiscriminately on birds, quadrupeds, fishes, and even carrion ; and 
is stated by Hearne to be extremely troublesome to the hunter, whom it will 
follow for a whole day, perching itself on the highest tree, and skimming 
down, when a bird has been shot with such rapidity as to carry off the prize 
