282 LONG-EARED OWL. 



its tribe. It resembles it also in breeding among the branches 

 of tall trees ; lays four eggs, of nearly a round form, and pure 

 white.* The young are grayish white until nearly full grown, 

 and roost during the day close together on a limb, among the 

 thickest of the foliage. This owl is frequently seen abroad 

 during the day, but is not remarkable for its voice or habits. 



The long-eared owl is fourteen inches and a half long, and 

 three feet two inches in extent ; ears, large, composed of six 

 feathers, gradually lengthening from the front one backwards, 

 black, edged with rusty yellow; irides, vivid yellow; inside 

 of the circle of the face, white, outside or cheeks, rusty ; at 

 the internal angle of the eye, a streak of black ; bill, blackish 

 horn colour ; forehead and crown, deep brown, speckled with 

 minute points of white and pale rusty ; outside circle of the 

 face, black, finely marked with small curving spots of white ; 

 back and wings, dark brown, sprinkled and spotted with 

 white, pale ferruginous, and dusky ; primaries, barred with 

 brownish yellow and dusky, darkening towards the tips ; 

 secondaries, more finely barred, and powdered with white and 

 dusky ; tail, rounded at the end, of the same length with the 

 wings, beautifully barred and marbled with dull white and 

 pale rusty, on a dark brown ground ; throat and breast, 

 clouded with rusty, cream, black, and white ; belly, beautifully 

 streaked with large arrow-heads of black; legs and thighs, 

 plain pale rusty, feathered to the claws, which are blue black, 

 large, and sharp ; inside of the wing, brownish yellow, with a 

 large spot of black at the root of the primaries. This was a 

 female. Of the male I cannot speak precisely ; though, from 

 the number of these birds which I have examined in the fall, 

 when it is difficult to ascertain their sex, I conjecture that 

 they differ very little in colour. 



About six or seven miles below Philadelphia, and not far 

 from the Delaware, is a low swamp, thickly covered with 

 trees, and inundated during great part of the year. This 



* Buffon remarks that it rarely constructs a nest of its own, but not 

 unfrequently occupies that of others, particularly the magpie. 



