BIRDS. RAPACIOUS. Owl. 529 



211 10. Long-eared Owl. —8. Strix Otus. 4. 



The ears are long, confiding each of fix feathers. Faun. fuec. n. 71. Scop. an. i. n. 18. 



S. otus. Lath. ind. orn. i. 53. n. 7. — Afio. BrifT. av. i. 486. — Otus, Afio. Bellon, av. 25. n. 6. 

 Gefn. av. 223. Aldr. orn. i. 525. — Moyen Due, Hibou. Buff. oil", i. 342. t. 22. PI. enl. n. 29. — 

 Hibou, Canot. Carlev. nouv. fr. iii. 5. 6 — Rothes Kaeuzelin. Frifch. av. 99. — Horn Owl. Will. 

 orn. loo.. Albin, av. ii. t. 10. — Long-eared Owl. Brit. zool. n. 65. Lewin, brit. b. i. t. 24. Lath, 

 fyn. i. 121. n. 5. fup. 42. 



212 |8. Italian Long-eared Owl. — S. Otus italicus. 



The general colour is darker than in the common variety. Lath. ind. orn. i. 54. n. 7. js. 

 Afio italicus. BrifT. av. i. 491. A. Aldr. orn. 519. t. p. 523. — Italian eared Owl. Lath. fyn. i. 122. 



213 y. Ar&ic Long- eared Owl. — 8. Otus arclicus. 



Is considerably fmaller in fize than the other two varieties. Arct. zool. ii. 229. n. 115. 



Inhabits Europe, America, and the northern parts of Afia, as far as Aftrachan, and is found in 

 Egypt. — This fpecies meafures fourteen inches long, the Italian variety is a little larger, and the Arc- 

 tic confiderably fmaller ; it builds in trees, laying four white eggs in April ; it never migrates, and is 

 extremely clamorous. The feathers of the ears, or horns, are black and yellow, and very long ; the 

 irides are yellow;, the back and wing coverts are variegated with dufky brown, grey, and nifty yellow; 

 the breaft and belly are pale yellow, with flender longitudinal brown ftreaks; the tail is barred with 

 afh colour and dufky ; the primary wing quills are barred with ruft colour and dufky ; the legs and 

 feet are feathered to the claws.. 



214 it. Short-eared Owl. — 9. Strix br achy otos. 17, 



The ears are fhort ; the upper part of the body is brown, the feathers being edged witlv 

 yellow j the under parts are pale yellow, longitudinally flreaked with dufky. Forfter, 

 phil. tranf. lxii. 384. n. 2. 



S. brachyotos. Lath. ind. orn. i. 55. n. 1 1. — Chouette, Grand Cheveche. Buff. oif. i. 372. t. 27. 

 PI. enl. n. 438. — Short-eared Owl. Brit. zool. n. 66. t. 31. Arc!:, zool. ii. 229. n. 116. Lewin, 

 brit. b. i. t. 25. Lath. fyn. i. 124. n. 9. fup. 43. 



Inhabits Europe, Siberia, and America, and has been found in the Sandwich iflands. — This fpecies 

 meafures fourteen inches long ; the ears confift of a fingle feather, which may be railed or depreffed 

 at pleafure, and are not in general very confpicuous, which has oecafioned it to be fuppofed earlefs- 

 by fome naturalifts ; it is very bold, and preys much on mice, watching for them like a • cat, from 

 which circumftance it is called, by the Englifh in Hudfon's Bay, the Moufe Hawk: The tail is dark 

 brown, the middle feathers having a large yellow circle, with a brown fpot in the center, on each 

 web •, the primary wing quills are dufky, with red bars ; the thighs, legs, feet, and toes, are covered 

 with yellow feathers: It never flies after its prey, breeds on the ground in the northern regions, and: 

 migrates fouthwards in autumn: This fpecies fometimes varies to a yellowifh colour, the feathers ha- 

 ving oblique black bars. Mr Pennant refers the Ulula cunicularia, of Feuille, to this fpecies, but it 

 feems more properly to form a feparate article among the Earlefs Owls, as arranged by Dr Gmelin. 



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