THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



133 



Genus I. STRIX. 



Strix. The Latin name for an Owl. 

 These birds are very peculiar in their 

 structure, but are so well known as not to 

 require a very minute general description. 

 The head is large, the face round and flat, 

 surrounded by a frill of short stiff feathers. 

 The eyes are large and sunk, and some, if 

 not all the species, have the power of clos- 

 ing one eye only, as if they slept with one 

 at a time, and always had " one eye open." 

 The upper mandible is pointed, and much 

 curved over the end of the lower mandible. 

 The plumage is very soft and fluffy, enabling 

 the birds to approach their prey on the 

 wing, and execute the most rapid manoeuvres 

 in doing so, without making the slightest 

 noise. The legs are covered to the ends of 

 the toes with a kind of hairy down, the 

 outer toe on each foot can be moved back- 

 wards, almost as much as that of a parrot. 

 In some species the head is adorned with 

 two tufts of feathers called "ears" or 

 "horns," which can be raised or depressed 

 at pleasure. Morris implies that the de- 

 pression is only apparent, caused by the 

 other feathers on the head being raised. 

 These tufts are not the true ears, which are 

 of large size, enabling the bird to hear the 

 slightest sound. The ears may be seen by 

 raising the frill of feathers on either side of 

 the face. Owls are chiefly of nocturnal 

 habits, but some species fly in quest of prey 

 by day, sometimes even in bright sunshine. 

 Their food consists of small mammals and 

 birds, the smaller ones also devour beetles, 

 moths, and other nocturnal insects. The 

 indigestible portions of their food are formed 

 into small rounded pellets in the stomach, 

 and then disgorged. The eggs are white, 

 and generally of a rounded form. 



Four species of owls are natives of this 

 country, but several European species visit 

 us occasionally, and one American species 

 has been obtained. 



i6. LONG-EARED OWL. 



Strix: Otiis, Linn. 

 Otus, Ota (L.) (gr.)— The ear. 



Size. — Male, len -th i ft. 2 to 3 in. ; ex- 

 panse nearly 3 ft Female slightly larger. 



Plumage. — a pair in my collection 

 which are figured on the plate, are as 

 follows :— 



M.\LE, bill nearly black ; eyes orange ; 

 " horns " dark brown, edged with ochre 

 yellow ; face grey, intermixed with brown ; 

 the feathers of the frill pure white, tipped 

 with dark brown ; the whole of the upper 

 parts finely mottled with grey, orange, and 

 brown ; primaries ochre, barred with black- 

 ish brown ; tail yellowish, barred with brown 

 above, pale underneath ; breast and under 

 parts yellowish white, with herring-bone 

 stripes ; legs and feet covered with yellow- 

 ish hair-like feathers. 



The Female is similar, but not so 

 I distinctly marked, having less or lighter 

 brown, and more yellow in its plumage. 



Inmature birds are like the adults, 

 except that the plumage is duller in colour. 

 The length oj ears will sufficiently dis- 



I tinguish this species in all stages. 



I The Young is at first covered with white 

 down. 



Varieties. I have never heard of any 

 variation in this species, except slightly in 

 colour. 



Note. — Most of the owls are well 

 known in the country for their peculiar and 

 dismal cries. Meyer resembles the note of 

 this species to the word "hook." But 

 generally the Long-eared Owl seems to be 

 comparatively silent, except when young, at 

 least this is the opinion expressed by Prof. 

 Newton (Ed. of Yarrell.) 



Migration.— Most if not all remain 



with us throughout the year. 



Flight.— The flight of the owl is very 



