Book H. ^$£17 HO LO $T. 7^~ 



It differs remarkably from the white Owl in that the extreme feather of the Wing How h-dif- 

 js little, and at leaft a hand-breadth fhorter than the third and fourth 5 the fecond fe " from the 

 above an inch fhorter than the third, and the fourth and fifth the longeft of all 3 where- W UC ° wI * 

 as in that the lecond and third feathers are the longeft, and the extreme or Sarcel 

 wants not half an inch of them. 



Aldrovandus writes, that the Country-people about Bononia told him, that his 

 Strix or Screech-Owl ufed to fuck their Goats : which ours ( as far as I have heard J 

 was never complained of for doing. 



§. H. 



The Grey Owl^ Strix cinerea. 



ANother Bird of this fort we defcribed, which we found firft at Viemt'm Aujiria, fcs weight-, 

 and afterward in England alfo. It weighed eleven ounces and an half. The {f" 8 ^ and 

 length from the Bill to end of the Tail or Feet ( for they were equally extended ) was 

 fourteen inches and an half: The breadth between the tips of the Wings fpread out 

 two foot and eleven inches. The Bill was an inch and quarter long : The Tongue l« Bin, 

 a little divided, not fo fleihy as in Hawks. In the Palate it had a broad open fifl'ure J°nf ?? 

 or cleft. The Nofthrils were oblong. The Sear or skin covering the Bafe of the Beak ° "^ 

 in diurnal Rapacious birds, was wanting in this, as in all other Owls. It had huge, 

 round Eyes 3 the hides being of a dark Hazel colour. Both upper and lower Eye- Eyes, ••' 

 lid terminate in a membrane having black edges. The Ear-holes were great and fur- Ears. 

 nifhed with Valves. 



This Bird was for the apparent magnitude very light and full of feathers. A wreath 

 or hood of ftiffer feathers parti-coloured of white and black, beginning from the Bill ^uheface 

 abo ve,and reaching beyond the Ears,encompafIes the Face and Eyes 5 the ends meeting 

 under the Chin like a womans hood.Within this greater hood another circle of feathers 

 of an auVcolour, confiding of thinner and ihorter hairs encompaffes the Eyes. The bo- 

 dy is all over variegated with cinereous and brown. The (hafts of the feathers in the 

 middle of the back are black. The interiour. Vanes of the long fcapular feathers are 

 white almoft to the (hafts. The lower belly is white. On the Bread: are long black 

 fpots. 



The firft row of Wing-feather s had crofs bars of black and reddifii alh-colour. In The wing- 

 trie third row of the covert-feathers of the Wings were one or two white fpots. fathers. 



The Tail had twelve feathers, feven inches and a quarter long, the middlemoft fea- the Tail, 

 thers being longeft, and the reft in order to the outmoft (omewhat fhorter. 



The Feet were feathered almoft down to the Claws, only two or three annulary The Feer. 

 fcales naked. The fole of the foot callous, and of a yellowifh colour, as it were 

 granulated with little knobs. The Toes, as in other Night-birds, two ftanding for- Toes, 

 ward, and two backward. The inner fide of the Claw of the outer fore-toe is flatted claws 

 into an edge. 



The length of the Guts was twenty two inches, of the blind Guts three and an Guts 

 half. 



The name Strix fome think is taken from the Verb ftringere, becaufe it ftrangles K^f™ of 

 people when they are afleep. Ovid will have it fo called a Jlridor% from thefcreech- thenaiIKr ' 

 ing noife it makes : 



Eft illk Strigibm nomen^ fid nomwis hujus 

 Canfa, quodhorrendaftridere7io3efoknt. 



This is like the precedent, and of equal bignefs, from which yet it is diftinguifhcd How it differs 

 by manifeft notes, and which argue a fpecifical difference. The chief of thofe are: from the pre- 

 1. That this is grey, that brown. 2. That this hath long fpots on the Breaft, which cedenc * 

 that wants. 3. That the interiour hood in this is particoloured only of duskv and 

 white. 



■J. lit 



