Eared Owl. RAPTORES. OTUS. 85 



their facial disk, by the great size of the external auditory 

 opening defended by an operculum, and by egrets more or 

 less distinct upon the forehead ; their wings also are long and 

 ample, and the second quill-feather exceeds all the rest in 

 length. Their habits are more nocturnal than those of the 

 preceding genus, although one species, Otus Brachyotos, 

 which appears to tend to the Hawk Owls, is sometimes seen 

 flying by day, in lowering and gloomy weather. They prey 

 upon the smaller mammalia (particularly those of the order 

 Glires, Flem.), and also upon birds, which they capture at 

 roost. Their flight is light and buoyant, and sometimes 

 tolerably rapid. Some of the species inhabit woods and fo- 

 rests, others (in which a slight departure from the type is 

 observable) afl'ect more open districts and extensive heaths. 



LONG-EARED OWL. 



Otus vulgaris, Flem. 



PLATE XX. 



Otus vulgaris, Flem. Er. Aniui. 1. 56. No. 27- 



Otus Europseus, Shmo''s Zool. 13. 56. 



Strix Otus, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 132. A.—Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 288. sp. 4 — Lath. 



Ind. Ornith. v. 1. p. 53. 7 Rail Svn. p. 35."«. 2 Will. p. 64. t. 12 



Le Moyen Due, ou Hibou, Bitff. Ois.'v. 1. p. 342 — Id. PL Enl. 29. 



Hibou Moyen Due, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. v. 1. p. 102. 



Mittler Ohreule, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. v. 2. p. 896 Meyer, Tasschenb. 



Deut. V. 1. p. 93 Frisch. Vog. 29. 



Hoorn Uil, Sepp. Nederl. Vog. p. 303. 



Long-eared Owl, Penn. Br. Zool. 1. No. 65. t. 30 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 115. 



— Lath. Syn. v. 1. p. 121 — Id. Supp. p. 42. — Lewin''s Br. Birds, 1. t. 24. 



—Mont. Ornith. Diet.— /rf. Supp — Wale. Syn. t. 23 — Will. (Ang.)p. 99. 



t. 12 Bewick's Br. Birds, v. 1. P. I. 46. 



Italian-eared Owl, Lath. Syn. 1. p. 122. 



The excellent mixture of colours in this bird, and the im- 

 posing appearance of its long tufts or ears, render it one of 

 the most interesting of its genus. Though not so numerous 

 as the Barn (Strix flammea), or the Tawny Owl (Ulula stri- 

 dula), it is found in most of the wooded districts of England 

 and Scotland. Plantations of fir, particularly of the spruce 



