o u z 
a few briftles on each fide of the mouth. The 
plumage on the head, and the upper part of the 
Ijody, is dufky, edged with pale brown; the quill- 
feathers and the tail are black ; and die coverts of 
the wings, the upper part of the breaft, and the 
belly, are dufky, (lightly edged with cinereous. 
The breaft is adorned with a white crefcent in the 
middle, with the horns pointing to the hind part 
of the neck: this crefcent, in fome, is of a pure 
white colourj in others, of a duflcy hue. Neither 
the females, nor any of the young birds, are pof- 
feffed of this mark, which has induced lefs accu- 
rate naturalifts to diftribute them into two fpecies. 
Thefe birds are moft common in the northern 
parts of England, in the Highlands of Scotland, 
and in Wales. Thofe that breed in the two laft 
mentioned places never migrate. In other parrs 
of Europe, they are only birds of pafiage. 
Ouzel, Water; the Sturnus Cinclus of Lin- 
naeus. This bird, called alfo the water- crake, 
frequents fmall brooks, particularly thofe which 
interfedl rocky countries. It is of a very retired 
nature, and never feen but fingle, or in conjunc- 
tion with it's mate. It forms it's neft in the holes 
of banks; and lays five eggs of a whitifli colour, 
adorned with a fine blufii of red. It feeds on 
fmall fifti and infe£ts; and though it's feet are 
deftitute of webs, and the whole form of it's body 
denotes it to be a land-fowl, it nevertlielefs darts 
itfelf quite under the water infearchof fifti. It's 
neft is very curioufly conftrufted of Iiay and tlic 
fibres of roots, and lined with oak-leaves. 
This fpecies, which is frequently feen in the 
northern counties of England, and particularly in 
Wales, is feven inches in length, eleven in 
breadth, and weighs about two ounces and a half. 
The bill is narrow; the eye-lids are white; the 
head, cheeks, and hind part of the head, are 
duflcy; the back, and the coverts of the wings and 
tail, are alfo duflcy, bordered with blueifii aflh- 
colour; the throat and breaft are white; the belly 
is iron-coloured; and the. legs are of a pale blue 
colour before, and black behind. When fitting, 
it often flirts up it's tail, which is fhort and black. 
Ouzel, Rose Coloured; the Turdus Rofeus 
of LinnSEus. This fpecies is about the fize of 
the common blackbird. The bill is black at the 
point, but of a dirty flefh-colour at the bafe; the 
head is adorned with a beautiful creft, hanging 
backwards ; the head, creft, neck, wings, and tail, 
are black, glofi^ed with a variable blue, purple, 
and green ; the breaft, belly, back, and lefTer co- 
verts of the wings, are of a rofe or carnation co- 
lour, mixed with a few fpots of black; and the 
legs are of a dirty orange- colour. 
This bird is found in Lapland, Italy, and Sy- 
ria. About Aleppo it has obtained the appella- 
tion of the locuft-bird. 
Ouzel, Brazilian, of Belloniu^. This bird 
is of a deep red colour all over the body, except 
the tail, which is black. It is one of the moft 
elegant of the feathered creation, the red colour 
being extremely vivid. The tail is long; the feet 
and legs are black; and the bill is ftiort, like that 
of the fparrow. 
Ouzel, Indian. This biid refernbles the jack- 
daw in Ihape and fize. The breaft is red; and 
the upper part of the body entirely black, except 
that the feathers near the rump are edged with 
white. The bill is like that of the blackbird; 
and' the tail alfo is of a fimilar ftiape. 
Ouzel, Party- Coloured, of Aldrovandr/s. 
OWL 
This fpecies is adorned with blackilli and yellow- 
ifti red plumage. A. variety of this kind has a 
red line near the bill; but in other refpeds it re- 
fernbles the foimer. 
^ OWL. A diftinfb genus of birds of the hawk 
kind, in the Linnjean fyftem: the diftinguiftaino- 
charafters of which are; 'that the head is large and 
round; the bill is ftrong and hooked; the noftrils 
are covered with briftly feathers; the eyes and ears 
are large; and the tongue is bifid. Linn^us 
enumerates twelve fpecies. 
All birds of the Owl kind m.ay be confidcred as 
nodrurnal robbers, who, unfitted for feizing their 
prey by day, take advantage of the hours of dark- 
nefs, vv'hen the tribes of nature are in the leaft ex- 
pedation of annoyance. Thus, in the chain of 
nature, no link appears to be broken ; every place, 
every feafon, every hour of the day and night, is 
buftling with life, and exhibiting inftances'^of'in- 
duftry, felf-defence, and invafion. 
Birds of the Owl kind have one common mark, 
by which they are diftinguifhed from others^ 
namely, that their eyes are formed for more per- 
fcd vifion in the dark than in the light. Thus, 
in the eyes ^of tigers and cats, which' are formed 
for a life of nodurnal depredation, there is a qua- 
lity in the retina that admits the rays of light fo 
copioufly, as to allow them to fee in almoft total 
darknefs: fo in thefe birds there is a fimilar con- 
formation of that organ; and, though they cannot 
fee in an abfolute exclufion of light, they are fijf- 
ficiendy quick-fighted when everything is imper- 
ceptible to mortals. In the eyes of all animals 
nature has made a compleat provifion, eidier to 
fliut out too much light, or to admit a fufficiency, 
by the contraction and dilatation of the pupil. 
In theie birds, the pupil is capable of openino^ 
very wide, or fiiutiing very clofe: bycontraClin^ 
the pupil, the brighter light of the day, which 
would a£t too powerfully on the fenfibility of the 
retina, is excluded; by dilating it, the animai 
takes in the more faint rays of the night, and is 
thereby enabled to dAfcern it's prey, and catch it 
with more facility in the dark. Befides this 
there is an irradiation on the back of the eyc; and 
the very iris itfelf is fo endowed with the faculty 
of rcflefting the rays of light, as to affift the vifion 
of thefe birds in thofe gloomy retreats which they 
are invariably knovvn to frequent. 
But though birds of the Owl kind are dazzled 
by too refulgent a light, they do not, as fome 
have innagined, fee beft in the darkeft nights. 
Their vifion is cleareft in the dulk of the even- 
ing, or at the dawning of the morning, when they 
are not incommoded either by too much or too 
little light. They then quit their folitary abodes, 
in order to hunt for their prey; and their labours 
are generally fuccefsful. Almoft- all other birds 
are then either afieep, or preparing for their re- 
pofe; and the moft unguarded become the prev 
of thefe rapacious animals. However, thofe 
nights wherein the moon ftiines are the feafons of 
their moft fuccefsful plunder; for, when it is 
wholly dark, they are lefs qualified for feeing and 
purfuing their prey. Except, therefore, by rnoon- 
fhine, they abridge the hours of their chace. If 
they come abroad about the dufk of the evenino- 
they return before it is totally dark; and thea 
ftart by tv/ilighr £he next morning, in order to 
purfue their game, and to return in like manner 
before the day-light overpowers them with it's 
fplendor. 
But 
