LITTLE OWL. 91 



color is a bright iron gray, the fur being of a reddish cream at bottom, 

 then strongly tinged with lake, and minutely tipped with white ; the 

 ears are scarcely half an inch long, with two slight valves ; the nostrils 

 are somewhat tubular ; fore teeth in the upper jaw, none — in the lower, 

 four, not reckoning the tusks ; the eyes are very small black points ; 

 the chin, upper part of the breast and head, are of a plain reddish 

 cream color ; the wings have a single hook or claw each, and are so con- 

 structed, that the animal may hang either with its head or tail down- 

 ward. I have several times found two hanging fast locked together 

 behind a leaf, the hook of one fixed in the mouth of the other ; the hind 

 feet are furnished with five toes, sharp-clawed ; the membrane of the 

 wings is dusky_, shafts light brown ; extent twelve inches. In a cave, 

 not far from Carlisle in Pennsylvania, I found a number of these bats 

 in the depth of winter, in very severe weather ; they were lying on the 

 projecting shelves of the rocks, and when the brand of fire was held 

 near them, wrinkled up their mouths, showing their teeth ; when held in 

 the hand for a short time, they became active, and after being carried 

 into a stove room, flew about as lively as ever.* 



Species V. STBIX PASSEBINA. 



LITTLE OWL. 



[Plate XXXIV. Fig. 1.] 

 Arct. Zool. 236, No. 126.— Tueton, Syst. 172.t 



This is one of the least of its wliole genus, but like many other little 

 folks, makes up in neatness of general form and appearance, for de- 

 ficiency of size, and is perhaps the most shapely of all our Owls. Nor 

 are the colors and markings of its plumage inferior in simplicity and 

 effect to most others. It also possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and 

 brilliancy to the best of them. 



This species is a general and constant inhabitant of the middle and 

 northern states ; but is found most numerous in the neighborhood of the 

 seashore, and among woods and swamps of pine trees. It rarely 



rambles much during day ; but if disturbed, flies a short way, and again 



^ ^ ^ ^ _ 



* This species Dr. Goodman calls the Vespertilio noveboracensis of Linnaeus. See 

 his American Natural History, vol. i., p. 48. Wilson, it should seem, was of a 

 different opinion. 



t We add the following synonymes : Sirix passerina, Linn. Syst. ed. 10, vol. I., 

 p. 93. Gmel. Syst. i., p. 296. No. 12. — Strix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 65. — S. 

 acadica, Gmel. Syst. i., p. 296, No. 43. — Tehm. Man. d' Orn. i., p. 92. 



