ORD. I. GEN. II. OWL. 



SPE. V. FEMALE BROWN OWL. 



PI. 27*. 



Strix Stridula. Un. Syft. I. p. 133. 



Le Chathuant. Brif. Orn. I. p. 500. No. i. 



The female brown owl is larger than the male : it weighs about twenty 

 ounces, is fourteen inches in length, and two feet eight inches in the breadth of 

 the wings from tip to tip. The eyes are dark brown: the ftifF feathers in the 

 front of the head are of a pale red brown, darkeft round the eyes : the top of 

 the head is a dark brown : the plumage of the back and wings brown orange 

 colour, elegantly blotched, barred, and fpotted, with dark brown : breaft and 

 belly pale yellowilh brown, marked with oblong dathes of dark brown : quill 

 feathers dark grey, barred with black: tail reddifh brown, clouded and fpotted 

 with dull black 5 under part grey, clouded with dull brown : legs feathered to 

 the toes. 



This has been fuppofed to be a diftinft fpecies by authors not acquainted 

 •with the fubjeft in the ftate of nature. 



The brown owl feeds on young hares, rabbits, birds, and beetles. It inhabits 

 woods only, and fecretes itfelf in large holly bulhes, or yew trees, in the day- 

 time ; and in the evening goes in queft of food. It builds a large neft in the 

 hollow of fome tree, and generally lays four eggs. This fpecies is the moft 

 noify and clamorous of all the owls, fcreaming, hooting, and hallowing, all 

 night, ft is a very voracious bird, and is faid to enter pigeon-houfes in the 

 night, making great havoc in them. 



For the egg fee PI. VI. Fig. 3, 



