(9) 



The. Brown Owl. Strix. /fc^^cco/C^, 



Numb. IX. 



IT S Weight was 1 2 Ounces and 8 Drams, Length from the end of the Bill to the end 

 of the Tail was 14 Inches j its Breadth when the Wings are extended was 2 Feet and 

 8 Inches. 



The Bill was hooked, an Inch long or more, of a Horn Colour j the Tongue neither 

 very flefliynor broad, a little divided at the Tip, it had a Cavity in the Palate equal to the 

 Tongue ; it had large Eyes almoft twice as big as thofe of the Barn or white Owl, and 

 protuberant with Membranes for Nidiation, drawn from above downwards, having black 

 Edges, the Borders of the Eyes very broad with red Edges, the Ear-holes three times as 

 big as thofe of the white Owls, and covered with Valves, a Circle of Feathers encompaf- 

 fing the Eyes and Chin like a Woman's Hood : This Circle coniifts of a double Row of 

 Feathers, thecxt^rior more rigid, variegated with white, black and red; the interior con- 

 fifting of foft Feathers, of a white mingled with a flame Colour ; the middle Part of the 

 Head without the Hood is of a dark brown ; the exterior Circle of the Hood compaffes 

 the Ears ; the greatefl Part of the inferior Feathers of it, where it paffes the Ears, grows 

 out of the Covers of the Ears, The Eyes are nearer to the Ears in this Bird than in any 

 other Animal. Beyond theNoftrils and below the Eyes grow briftly Feathers, with black 

 Shafts. The back and upper Side of the Body was party-colour'd of ferrugineous and 

 dark brown, black taking up the middle Part of each Feather, and the ferrugineous the 

 out-fides. If one curioufly view^ and obfervc its Feathers, you will find them waved with 

 tranfverfe Lines, cinereous and brown, alternately fucceeding each other. The Belly and 

 lower Side of the Body are ot the lame Colour with the Back, but paler, and diluted with 

 white. The Feathers in this and other Owls which invcft the whole Body are longer 

 than in moft other Birds, fo that the Bird feems to be much bigger than indeed it is. 

 The Feet are cover'd with a thick dirty white Plumage, fprinkled with fmalldark Specks 

 almoft down to the Claws. 



The Number of flag Feathers in each Wing are 24, the exterior Webs of the outmoft 

 whereof were terminated in flender Points like Briftles, feparate from each other, and 

 Handing like the Teeth of a fine Comb. 



The Wing and Tail Feathers were marked with 6 or 7 crofs Bars, of dirty white, 

 tinctur'd in fome with ferrugineous, and in others with brown. The Wings complicated 

 fall very much fhort of the End of the Tail. The covert Feathers of the Wings, chiefly 

 thofe about the middle, and thofe long ones fpringing from the Shoulders, were fpotted 

 with white, efpecially their interior Vanes. 



The Tail was 6 Inches and a half long, made up of 12 Feathers; the middlemoft 

 being the longeft, the reft in order fhorter to the outmofl, all ending in fharp Points j 

 whereas in thofe of the Barn Owl the Tops are blunt. 



The Sole of the Foot v/as callous, of a horny or blackifh Colour ; that of the middle 

 Toe had not the inner Edge ferrate as in the white Owl, all its Toes being leparate to 

 the very Divarication. Theoutmoft of the fore Toes is made to turn backward, and fup- 

 ply the room of a back Toe, as in the relt of this Kind. 



The Guts are 50 Inches long, and had many Revolutions ; the blind Guts were 5 Inches 

 and a half long, toward their Ends tumid and full of Excrements; the Liver divided into 

 two halves ; it had a large Gall, and great black Tefticles ; the Stomach feemed to be 

 more flefhy than in other carnivorous Birds, and above it a granulated Echinus or Ante- 

 Stomach ; in the Stomach was found the Fur of Mice. 



Thele and mofl: of the Owl Kind arc great Deftroyers of young Hares and Rabbits, at 

 Time of Feeding in the Evening. 



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