( 6a ) 



O R D. I. G E N. II. O W L. 



»«apar 



SPE. IV. WHITE OWL. 



PL 26. 



Strix flammea. Lin. Syjl. I. p. 133. 

 Lepetit Chat-huant. Brif. Orn. I. p. 503. 



The white or barn owl is in length fourteen inches, breadth three feet, and 

 weighs about twelve ounces. The eyes are dark brown : the circle of fea- 

 thers round the eyes white, but next the eye orange colour: the back and 

 wings pale orange, elegantly varied with pale grey, dotted with black : breaft, 

 and belly, white, flightly fpotted with brown : legs ftiort, ftrong, and covered to 

 the toes with a white down : the tail is very fliort, of an orange colour, barred 

 with dark brown. 



This domeftic bird frequents our barns, haylofts, and outhoufes ; and fome- 

 times builds its neft in them, but more frequently in the hollows of trees near. 

 It is an ufcful animal, on account of the great number of rats and mice it de- 

 ftroys ; particularly in the breeding feafon, as the young are fed by the old birds 

 a long time in the neft, and even after they quit it, before they have ftrength or 

 courage to kill for themfelves. This I believe to be the cafe with all birds of 

 prey, as I have feen young buzzards, other hawks, and owls, following their 

 parent, and crying for food, when nearly as large as the parent itfelf This 

 bird likewife preys on young hares, rabbits, and fometimes on birds. Owls caft 

 up the bones, fur, or feathers, of their food, in round pellets, in the fame 

 manner as hawks. ^ 



For the egg, fee PI. VI. Fig. 2, 



