ClafsII. WHITE OWL; 157 



each feather with a yellow circle which contains a 

 brown fpot : the tip of the tail is white. 



Befides thefe two fpecies of horned owls, we may 

 add the great horn owl of Sir R. Sihbald, p. i^. 

 found, according to his account, in the Orkneys : the 

 great eagle owl has been once fhot in Torkjhire -, but 

 we cannot, from thefe two inftances, determine 

 yvhether they are natives of this kingdom, or only 

 accidental wanderers out o( Scandinavia. This fhort 

 eared fpecies we believe to be nondeCcript. 



OWLS WITH SMOOTH HEADS. 

 III. The W H I T E O W L. 



Belon av. 1 43 *. Le petit Chat-huant. Brijfon an;, 

 AViCo minor. Jidi: a'v.i. 2"] 2. i. 503. 



Common barn, white, or church Allocco, Zinan, 99. 



Ow!,Hovvlet, madge Howler, Strix flammea. Lin. Jyjl. i^'^. 



Gillihowter. Wil. cm. 104. Faun. Suec. 73. 



RatiJyn.a'V. 25. Br. ZooL 71. plate B. , 



THIS fpecies is almoft domeftic: inhabiting for 

 the greateft part of the year, barns, haylofts, 

 and other outhoufes ; and is as ufeful in clearing thofe 

 places from mice, as the congenial cat : towards twi- 

 light it quits its perch, and takes a regular circuit 

 round the fields ; Ikimming along the ground in 

 quefl of field mice, and then returns to its ufual re- 

 fidence : in the breeding feafon it takes to the woods. 

 The elegant plumage of this bird makes amends 

 for the uncouthnefs of its form : a circle of foft white 

 feathers furround the eyes. The upper part of the Defer. 



* This refers only to the figure, for his defcription means the 

 ^gatfucker, 



M 3 body, 



