126 STRIGIDA. 
wood exists in the counties of Down and Antrim, it is a 
common species. An individual, well acquainted with the 
Long-eared Owl, said that in a close plantation of spruce 
firs at Scoutbush, near Carrickfergus, he for several years 
had its nest, which, in consequence of the trees being 
young, were placed not higher than six feet from the 
ground. The contents of the stomach of a Long-eared 
Owl, shot at Killaloe, and examined by the Rev. Thomas 
Knox, proved to be part of a rat, the skull of a mouse, and 
the heads of two Sparrows.” ' 
_ This species is found in most of the midland counties of 
England, and is noticed by various authors as occurring in 
Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, and Scotland. It 
inhabits also Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the 
continent of Europe, from thence southward. In France it 
is the most common of all the Owls, and is found in Spain, 
Italy, Turkey, and Sicily. It has been traced as far 
eastward as Astrachan, and southward to Trebizond, 
Hegypt, and Africa. This bird also inhabits most of the 
United States of America, According to Dr. Richardson, 
it has been found as far north as latitude 60°, and probably 
exists as high as the forestsextend. Captain Back took one 
specimen on his last journey. It frequents Hudson’s Bay 
in the summer, but retires to the interior during winter. 
The exposed portion of the beak is black; the base and 
cere are hid by the feathers of each inner side of the facial 
disk ; the irides orange yellow; radiating feathers of the 
facial disk on each outer side pale brown, with a half 
circular boundary line of darker brown; on the inner side 
varied with dusky brown at the base, and white towards 
the tips; the tufts on the head an inch and a half in 
length, are formed of about seven or eight feathers, longer 
than wide, dark brownish black in the middle, with pale 
brown edges; top of the head between the tufts a mixture 
