Crass If. PAWN Y ‘OWL: 
perftition had given the power of prefaging death 
by its cries. The antients believed that it fucked 
the blood of young children; a faét not incredible, 
for Haffelquift* defcribes a fpecies found in Syria, 
which frequently in the evening flies in at the win- 
dows, and deftroys the helplefs infant. 
Noéte volant puerofque petunt nutricis egentés, 
Et vitiant cuneis corpora rapta fuis. 
Carpere dicuntur lactentia vifcera roftris, 
Et plenum poto fanguine guttur habent. 
Eft illis ftrigibus nomen, fed nominis hujus 
Caufa quod horrenda ftridere nodte folent. 
Ovid. Faft. VI. 135. 
The female of this fpecies weighs nineteen oun- 
ces: the length is fourteen inches: the breadth 
two feet eight inches: the irides are dufky: the 
ears in this, as in all owls, very large; and their 
fenfe of hearing very exquifite. The color of this 
kind is fufficient to diftinguifh it from every other : 
that of the back, head, coverts of the wings, and 
on the {capular feathers, being a fine tawny red, 
elegantly {potted and powdered with black or dufky 
{pots of various fizes : on the coverts of the wings, 
and on the fcapulars, are feveral large white fpots: 
the coverts of the tail are tawny, and quite free 
from any marks: the tail is varioufly blotched, 
barred and fpotted with pale red and black; in 
© Lit, 7255: 
the 
209 
DESCRIP. 
