LITTLE OWL. 569 



Strix acadica, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 149. — Ch. Botuiparte, Synops. of Birds of 



the United States, p. 38 — Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. i. p. 97- 

 Strix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. G3. 

 Acadian Owl, Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 149. 

 Little Owl, Strix passerina, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 61. pi. 34. fig. 2. 



Adult Male. Plate CXCIX. Fig. L 



Bill short, compressed, curved, acute, with a cere at the base ; upper 

 mandible with its dorsal ovitline curved from the base, the edges acute, 

 the point trigonal, very acute, deflected ; lower mandible with the edges 

 acute and inflected, obtuse at the tip. Nostrils oval in the fore part of 

 the cere. Head dispi-oportionately large, as are the eyes and external 

 ears, the former, however, less so than in the larger Owls. Body short. 

 Legs of ordinary length ; tarsus and toes feathered, the latter bare towards 

 the end ; toes papillar and tuberculate beneath ; claws curved, rounded, 

 long, extremely sharp. 



Plumage very soft and downy, somewhat distinct above, tufty and 

 loose beneath. Long bristly feathers at the base of the bill, stretching 

 forwards. Eyes surrounded by circles of compact feathers ; auricular 

 coverts forming a ruff". Wings rather short, broad, rounded, the fourth 

 quill longest, the first short. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, of twelve 

 broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill bluish black, yellowish at the base. Iris light yellow. Claws 

 bluish-black. The upper parts generally are of an olivaceous bi'own ; 

 the scapulars and some of the wing-coverts spotted with white ; the first 

 six primary quills obliquely barred with white ; the tail darker than the 

 back, with two narrow white bars. The upper part of the head is streaked 

 with greyish-white, the feathers surrounding the eyes pale yellowish-grey, 

 the ruff" white, and spotted with dusky. The under parts are whitish, 

 the sides and breast marked with broad elongated patches of brownish- red. 



Length 7^ inches; extent of wings 17 ; bill Jj ; tarsus L 



Adult Female. Plate CXCIX. Fig. 2. 



The female does not differ materially from the male in colouring, but 

 is somewhat larger. 



The Young, like those of other Owls, are at first covered with down, 

 and are many weeks before they are able to fly. I have not been able to 

 ascertain whether they raise more than one brood in tlie season, but am 

 inclined to think that they do not. 



