262 HORN OWL. 



difficult to detect, there being- a difference in the bill, and also in the iris, 

 which in the Horned Grebe is composed of two colours, but in the Eared 

 Grebe of only one. This species is found in great abundance, in the 

 south and east of Europe, but is rare in Germany, and only found acci- 

 dentally in Holland; the nest is constructed of grass, floating among 

 the reeds ; it lays three or four white eggs, stained with dirty brown."* 



HORN FINCH.— A name for the Petrel. 



HORN OWL (Otusaurita, Ray.) 



*Strix Otus, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 132. 4 Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 288. sp. 4 — Lath. Ind. 



Orn. 1. p. 53. l.—Raii. Syn. p. 25. A. 2. Will. p. 64, 1. 12.— Le Moyen Due, 



ou Hibou, Buff. Ois. 1. p. 342 lb. pi. Enl. 29 Hibou Mogen Due, Temm. 



Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 102, — Mittler Chreule, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 2. p. 896 



Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 93 Frisch, Vog. 29 — Hoorn Uil, Sepp. Nederl. 



Vog. p. 303. — Horn Owl, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 56 — Long-eared Owl, Venn. Br. 



Zool. 1. No. 65. t. 30 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 115 Lath. Syn. 1. p. 121 lb. 



Supp. p. 42. — Lewin's Br. Birds, 1. t. 24 Mont. Orn. Diet lb. Supp 



Wale. Syn. t. 23 Will. (Angl.) p. 99. t. 12 Bewick's Br. Birds, I. P. 1.46. 



—Italian-eared Owl, Lath. Syn. 1. p. 122 Selby, pi. 20. p. 52* 



This beautiful species is nearly fifteen inches in length ; weight nine 

 or ten ounces. The bill is black ; irides orange-yellow. The feathers, 

 of a hair-like form, that cover the bill, are white, with black shafts ; 

 over the eye and round the angle next to the bill is black; cheeks 

 pale rufous ; over the eyes are two tufts of feathers, erect like ears, 

 composed of six feathers that appear in front, gradually lengthening 

 from the first to the last ; the hindmost is an inch and a half long, 

 black, bordered with dull yellow ; the circle round the face is white, 

 speckled with black and rufous ; those that immediately cover the ears 

 are tipped only with black, forming a semicircular line of that colour ; 

 the general colour of the bird is an ochraceous yellow, elegantly 

 streaked above with black, and speckled with the same, ash-colour, 

 and white ; beneath, the feathers are tinged with light ferruginous, 

 streaked with black down the shafts ; the quills are barred with black 

 and cinereous ; on the primores are two bars of dull yellow ; the tail 

 is barred, and speckled with dusky and cinereous ; legs and toes are 

 covered with down of a yellowish buff-colour ; claws dusky. 



This description is taken from a female ; the male differs in nothing 

 but in being rather less. The wings of this species are very long, 

 reaching beyond the tail when closed, and crossing each other at the 

 points ; the second feather is the longest. 



This is by no means so common as the tawny or white owls ; and 

 though it is frequently taken in England, very little is known of its 

 habits. It is said to make no nest, but to take possession of that of a 

 magpie or crow ; and that it lays four or five eggs. It remains with 

 us the whole year, having killed them both in summer and winter ; of 



