§. m. 



The common •■■ Barn-Owl, or White-Owl, or Church-Owl. Aluco minov^Aldrev. 



Its' 

 and 



bignefs 'TpHe Cock ( which we defcribed ) was about the bignefs of a Pigeon 3 weighed 



imeafures. J| eleven ounces and an half. Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of 



the Tail was fourteen inches. The diftance between the extremities of the Wings 



The Bill, fpread out three foot and one inch and half. The Bill white, hooked at the end, 



Tongue, more than an inch and half long : The Tongue a little divided at the tip 3 the Nofe- 



Hood, thrils oblong. A circle or wreath of white, foft, downy feathers encompafled with 



yellow ones, beginning from the Nofthrils on each fide, pafled round the Eyes and 



under the Chin, fomewhat refembling a black hood, fuch as women ufe to wear : So 



that the Eyes were funk in the middle of thefe feathers, as it were in the bottom of a 



Pit or Valley. At the interiour angle of each Eye the lower parts of thefe feathers 



Ear-valve. were of a tawny colour. The Ears were covered with a Valve, which arifes near 



the Eye, and falls backwards. The interiour circle we mentioned of white, 



downy feathers paffed juft over this Valve, fo that part of them grew out of it. 



Colour of the The Breaft, Belly, and covert-feathers of the inlide of the Wings were white, 



the k>dy.° f marlled with a few quadrangular dark fpots. The Head,Neck,and Back,as far as the 



prime feathers of the Wings, varioufly and of all Night-birds moft elegantly colou- 



• '•• red. The feathers toward the tips were waved with imall whitiih and blackifh lines, 



refembling a grey colour; but about the (haft of each feather there was as it were a 



bed or row of black and white fpots, fituate long-ways,made up in fbme of two white 



and two black fpots, infomeof three of each colour, in fome of but one. Elfethe 



whole Plumage was of a dilute tawny or orange colour 3 which fame colour wasalfo 



the field or ground in the Wings and Tail. 



The wing- The matter-feathers in each Wing were in number twenty four 5 whereof the 



feathers. g rea ter have four tranfverfe blackifti bars. [ In thefe bars in the exteriour Vane of the 



feather there is alfo white mingled with the black, which makes an appearance of a 



grey fpot. ] The intermediate fpaces are fulvous, and powdered with fhaall black 



fpecks$ the tips of thefe feathers incline more to an afh-colour. The Wings when 



fhut up extend full as far or further than the end of the Tail. In the exteriour Vanes 



*Hair-like G f the firft or outmoft feather of each Wing the ends of the * PinnuU are not conti- 



jwunXng the guous one to another, but ftand at diftance, like the teeth of a fine Comb. 



web of the The Tail is made up of twelve feathers, of the lame colour with the Wings, ha- 



TheTaii v,n § ^ our tran ^ ver ^ black bars : four inches and half long. The interiour margins of 



the feathers both of Wings and Tail are white. 

 The legs, feet, The Legs are covered with a thick Down to the Feet, but the Toes are only hairy, 

 and toes. t k e fa j rs ^[q thin-fet The Claw of the middle Toe is ferrate on the infide as in He ' 

 rons, but not fo manifeftly. It hath but one Toe that Hands backward 3 but the out- 

 moft fore-toe may be turned fb as to ftand a little backward. 

 The Guts. The Guts were eighteen inches long ; the blind Guts but two. It had a large Gall : 



Its Eggs were white. 



Aldrovandus his defcription agrees exactly with ours. 



Theflrange The Eye in this Bird, and I fuppofe in all the reft of this kind, is of a ftrange and 



figure of the fingular ftrutture. That part which appears outwardly, though great, is only the 



Eyes. j r fr p or t j ie wno i e DU ib or ball of the Eye when taken out fomewhat refembles a 



hat or Helmet, the Iris being the Crown, the part not appearing and extending it felf 



good way further, the brims. The interiour edges of the Eye-lids round about are 



yellow. The Eyes are altogether fixt and immovable. 



The Bird is defcribed by Marggravius under the title of Tnidara of Brajil 3 fb that 

 it feems it is common with us to the New World. 



§. IV. 



* Aldrovandus his former Aluco. 



THis is bigger than the precedent, but ( faith my Author ) leffer than the Otrn or 

 Horn-Owl. This is peculiar to them all, that they cover the Eye only by 

 drawing the upper lid over it downward. It hath a circle, as k were a Crown, made 

 ( up of feathers, which encompafs the whole face, paffing above the Eyes like tall 



Eye- 



