310 



with chestnut-brown ; bill yellow, inclining to horn-blue on the gape and lower mandible ; feet and iris 

 as in the European bird.. Total length 15 inches, culmen TO, wing 9'0, tail 8*0, tarsus 1*2. 



Obs. Although the differences between the American and European Hawk Owls have not been considered 

 sufficient to warrant their specific separation by most ornithologists, we do not ourselves doubt for one 

 moment that they are perfectly distinct. We have examined many specimens of each, and have always 

 found the characters constant, so that we have never experienced any difficulty in distinguishing the 

 two birds at a glance. The European Hawk Owl is always paler, and has a purer white gorget, while 

 the American species has a much darker back, and can always be recognized by the broad chestnut 

 bars on the breast and abdomen. 



This species claims a place in the European avifauna on the strength of its occurrence in Great 

 Britain, where the true Hawk Owl of Europe has not yet been proved to occur. Yarrell's 

 woodcut apparently represents the Scandinavian species; but the specimens mentioned in the 

 more complete edition of Professor Newton certainly belong to the American bird, as will be 

 seen by the following notes. We quote from Professor Newton's work as follows : — " An Owl of 

 this species, subsequently presented by Dr. Burkitt to the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, 

 was taken, in an exhausted state, on board a collier, a few miles off the coast of Cornwall, in 

 March 1830. On the arrival of the vessel at Waterford, whither she was bound, the bird was 

 given to a friend of Dr. Burkitt, with whom it lived a few weeks, and then came into his 

 possession. Such was the account given by the late Mr. William Thompson when exhibiting 

 the specimen at a meeting of the Zoological Society in 1835, and published in its ' Proceedings' 

 for that year (p. 77)." Being anxious to see this specimen, we wrote to our friend Mr. A. G. 

 More, at Dublin ; and we desire to return our best thanks to him for transmitting the bird to us, 

 and to the authorities of the Trinity-College Museum for allowing the rarity to be sent across the 

 sea for our inspection: it turned out to be an American Hawk Owl. Professor Newton con- 

 tinues: — "Four other examples have since occurred. On a sunny afternoon, in August 1847, as 

 recorded by Mr. E. T. Higgins (Zool. p. 3029), a bird of this species was shot near Yatton, in 

 Somersetshire, while hawking for prey; and the specimen is now in Mr. Borrer's collection." 

 The latter gentleman was so kind as to bring his bird up to London in order that we might see 

 it ; and, as in the former case, it proved to be the American species. " Mr. Saxby has forwarded 

 the information that one was killed at Scaa, in Unst, in the winter of 1860-61, and that its skin 

 came into his possession." Concerning this bird we have failed to obtain any additional details 

 from the owner ; but we strongly suspect that it must have been the European Hawk Owl which 

 occurred in Shetland. " Mr. Robert Gray states that in December 1863 he examined a very 

 fine specimen which was shot at Maryhill, near Glasgow, and exhibited at a meeting of the 

 Natural-History Society of that city by Dr. Dewar, in whose collection it now is. Mr. Gray adds 

 that another example was taken in the flesh to a bird-stuffer at Greenock, in November 1868, 

 which was procured by Mr. William Boyd, and is supposed to have been killed at no great 

 distance from that town." Dr. Dewar, in reply to our letter, most kindly sent up his specimen 

 to London ; and it was recognizable at a glance as the American bird. Mr. Robert Gray, who 

 has done his very utmost to help us in identifying the Scotch examples, has written us a letter 

 respecting the other bird mentioned : — " Mr. Boyd has civilly acknowledged my application, but 

 expressed his very great regret that he cannot now trace the Greenock bird. He had merely 



