KITE. SHORT -EARED OWL. ' 



'The Kite is the firfl: of the migratory birds -which appears in Sweden 223, 



in the fpring. Mr, Oedman. 



The Kestril breeds not only in ruins but in hollow-trees. Mr. 

 Oedman. 



The St7'ix Aliico of Linnaeus ; La Hulote, de Buffon, I. 358 ; P/. 

 Enl. 441, is a bird of Sw-eden, omitted in the Ar5iic Zoology, I never 

 met with it, therefore borrow the defcription from Mr. Latham'^ Orni- 

 thology. 



The head is large : irides dufky : circle of feathers round the eyes 

 greyilh : upper part of the body deep iron-grey, fpotted with black 

 -and white : bread; and belly white, ftriped down with ragged black 

 ftrokes : legs and feet covered with feathers, white, with numerous 

 black fpecks : tail barred with reddifli afh and black : the firil feather 

 of the wings exceeds the reft by two or three inches : the wings reach 

 •beyond the end bf the tail. 



This fpecies lays, in Afril, from three to five eggs, of a fnowy white- 

 nefs : the young are blind to the tenth day, and are covered with 

 filthy red warts. The female parent feeds them with mice. They fly 

 towards the end of July. The note of the young is like the noife of 

 granftiing one's teeth. The old fly in the moft quiet manner, and make 

 no fort of noife : they feed on fmall birds, but vetches have been found 

 in their ftomach. In the fummer they live in the woods 5 towards win- 

 ter return to the neighborhood of houfes. It refufes to eat in cap- 

 tivity, and lofes its life with its liberty. If one of its young is taken 

 away, it removes the reft to another place. 



The Short-eared Owl, ArEl. Zool. 11. No. 115. appears to me to g^o. 



be La Chouette of the Comte de Buffon, and his Moyen Due, ou Hibou, 

 tab. 29. of the PL Enlum. In p. 102. ef my Indexes to his Ornitho- 

 Jogie, and the PL Enl. I have endeavoured to clear up the confufion, 

 which the illuftrious writer has introduced on the fubjed. 



I 2 Do6lor 



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