116 URAL OWL. 



Soleure; and M. Michaelles has reported its having 

 been several times killed in the environs of Salzbonrg. 

 It is found in the north of Sweden, is not uncommon 

 in Livonia and Hungary, and is seen rarely in the 

 eastern parts of Germany. It seems to be pretty nearly 

 confined to these districts, occurring very accidentally 

 in any other part of the world, among which excep- 

 tional localities we may name Japan. 



M. Schinz, who saw alive the bird said by Meisner 

 to have been found in the cantons of Berne and the 

 Soleure, is of opinion that it was only a variety of 

 Strix aluco, the Tawny Owl of the British list. 



The Ural Owl preys principally upon birds and small 

 animals, which towards the close of the day it may be seen 

 looking out for, among the wild forests of the desolate 

 regions in which it lives. It builds its nest in the 

 holes of trees, and lays four or five eggs, which are 

 like the rest of the genus, obtuse, and of a pure glossy 

 white. 



The Ural Owl was first discovered by Pallas, in his 

 "Journey into Russia in 1776," and was described by 

 him in the Appendix to the French edition of his 

 "Voyage," page 29. Dr. Latham has the following 

 description of this bird in his "Synopsis," vol. i., page 

 168, sp. 37, in which he has closely followed Pallas. — 

 Bill colour of wax; eyelids and irides black; feathers 

 surrounding the eyes cinereous, encircled with black 

 and white feathers, and reaching quite from the forehead 

 to the throat; colour of the upper part of the body 

 not unlike that of Strix aluco, but paler, and with 

 scarce any undulations on the feathers; the parts be- 

 neath, except a few slender lines, are quite white; rump 

 white; the outer edge of the three outer quills serrated 

 the whole of their length; fourth and fifth serrated 



