66 LITTLE OWL. 



golden yellow, placed in a bed of deep black, which radiates 

 outwards all around, except towards the bill, where the 

 plumage is whitish ; ears, bordered with a semi-circular line 

 of black, and tawny yellow dots ; tail, rounded, longer than 

 usual with owls, crossed with five bands of dark brown, and 

 as many of yellow ochre — some of the latter have central spots 

 of dark brown, the whole tipt with white quills also banded 

 with dark brown and yellow ochre ; breast and belly streaked 

 with dark brown, on a ground of yellowish ; legs, thighs, and 

 vent, plain dull yellow ; tips of the three first quill-feathers, 

 black ; legs, clothed to the claws, which are black, curved to 

 about the quarter of a circle, and exceedingly sharp. 



The female I have never seen ; but she is said to be some- 

 what larger, and much darker, and the spots on the breast 

 larger, and more numerous.* 



LITTLE OWL. {Strix passerina) 



PLATE XXXIV. -Fig. 1. 



Arct. Zool. 23G, Xo. 126. — Turton, Si/st. 172.— Peale's Museum, No. 522. 

 STRIX ACADICA.— Guvus A 



Chouette clievechette, Temm. Man. i. p. 96. — Strix acadica, Bonap. Synnp. p. 38. 

 — Monog. sinot strigi inauric. osserv. sulla, 2d edit. del. Reg. Anim. Cuv. p. 52. 

 —Strix acadica, Americaa Sparrow Owl, North. Zool. p. 97. 



This is one of the least of its whole genus ; but, like 

 many other little folks, makes up, in neatness of general form 



* The female is nearly ol the same size with the male ; the colours 

 are all of a browned tinge, the markings more clouded and indistinct ; 

 the white of the lower parts, and under the wings, is less pure, and the 

 belly and vent are more thickly dashed with black streaks ; the ears 

 are nearly of the same length with the other feathers, but can be easily 

 distinguished. She is always foremost to attack any intruder on her 

 nest or young. — Ed. 



f There is so much alliance between many of the small owls, that it 

 is a matter of surprise more species have not been confounded. Wilson 

 appears to have been mistaken, or to have confounded the name at least 

 of the little owl ; and on the authority of Temminck and Bonaparte, we 



