B12 LITTLE! OWL. Cleats 
it appear larger: the irides are of a licht yellow : 
the bill of a paper color: the feathers that en- 
circle the face are white tipt with black: the 
head brown, fpottéd with white: the back, and — 
coverts of the wings of a deep olive brown; the 
latter fpotted with white: on the breaft is a mix- 
ture of white and brown: the belly is white, 
marked with a few brown fpots: the tail of the 
fame color with the back: in each feather barred | 
with white: in each adorned with circular white 

fpots, placed oppofite one another on both fides the 
fhaft: the lees and feet are covered with feathers 
down to the claws. 
The Italians made ufe of this owl to decoy 
{mall birds to the limed twig: the methed of which 
is exhibited in Olina’s uccelliera, p. 65. 
Mr. Steuart, the admirable author of the Anti- 
guities of Athens, informed me that this fpecies of 
owl was very common in /tica; that they were 
birds of pafiage, and appeared there the beginning 
of April in great numbers; that they bred there; 
and that they retired at the fame time as the Storks, 
whofe arrival they a little preceded. 
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