CLARKE: THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 45 



NYCTALA ACADICA {Gmelin). 

 Acadian Owl. 



An accidental visitant. 



The only information obtainable relating to the supposed 

 occurrence of this common North American species in Europe * 

 is contained in the subjoined communication to the Zoologist 

 (i860, p. 7104) from Sir Wm. M. E. Milner. It should be clearly 

 understood that the mere fact of my including this and other 

 species in my work is not in any way intended to claim for them 

 a place on the British list; the information relating to such 

 occurrences being simply given for what it may be worth. 



Sir Wm. Milner's words are: — "I do not recollect ever 

 mentioning to you for insertion in the Zoologist an account of 

 my having received from a young clergyman, a son of Mr. Bury, 

 who has the church at Osberton (my brother-in-law Mr. Fol- 

 jambe's place) who, knowing I had a very fine collection of British 

 birds, sent me a small owl in a very curious case, which was shot 

 in the East Riding of Yorkshire, not far from Beverley, by a 

 keeper, a brother of Sir Thomas Whichcote's keeper, of Aswarbey, 

 Lincolnshire. He sent this bird to his brother, who gaye it 

 to Mr. Bury, from whom I received it. I found out afterwards 

 from looking at Audubon's Birds of America, that it was the 

 Sparrow Owl {Strix acadica), which is rather common in some 

 parts of America, but totally unknown in this country." 



* Mr. H. E. Dresser, who tells me that this Beverley occurrence is the 

 only occasion on vi'hich the present species has been taken in Europe, does 

 not feel justified in admitting it into his work on the Birds of Europe. 



