OWL 
tribe. A fingle Owl is fuppofed to be more fer- 
Viceable than half a dozen cats in ridding a barn 
of domeftic vermin ; and as he only preys on v^hat 
is inimical to human induftry, be may juftly be 
reckoned one of the coadjutors of mankind. 
The Owl, or bird of night, was confecrated to 
Minerva, as the fymbol of Vigilance, becaufe of 
it's wakefulnefs during the night. It was reck- 
oned a bird of ill omen in times of the remoteft 
antiquity. A folitary Owl, perched on the roof 
of a palace, affrighted Dido with it's difmal 
fcreams; and Ovid tells us, that ^fculapius was 
transformed into an Owl, a bird which was fup- 
pofed to be the harbinger of misfortune. 
Owl, Eagle; the Strix Bubo of Linnssus, 
This fpecies is almoft equal in fize to an eagle. 
The irides are of a bright yellow colour; the head 
and whole body are finely varied with lines, fpots, 
and fpecks, of black, brown, cinereous, and fer- 
ruginous; the wings are long; and the tail is fhort, 
and marked with dufky bars. The legs, which 
are thick, are covered to the very end of the toes 
with a clofe and full down; and the claws are 
large, much hooked, and duflcy. 
This bird, which has fomecimes been difcove- 
red in the north of England, and in Scotland, in- 
habits inaccefTible rocks and deferteti fituations ; 
and preys on hares and feathered game. The 
ancients held it in the greatefl abhorrence ; and 
imagined it to be, like the Screech-Owl, the mef- 
fenger of death. 
Owl, Long-Eared or Horned ; the Strix 
Otus of Linnasus. This bird, at firft viev/, ap- 
pears as large as the eagle; but, when clofelyob- 
ierved, is found to be much fmaller. The head, 
body, wings, and tail, are fliorter; and the head 
is larger and thicker. The horns are compofed 
of fix feathers each, which rife about an inch high, 
variegated with yellow and black, and which it 
can ere<ft or deprefs at pleafure ; the eyes, which 
are large and tranfparent, are encircled with an 
orange-coloured iris; the ears are large and deep; 
and the bill is black. The breaft and belly are 
of a dull yellow colour, marked with flender 
brown ftrokes pointing downwards; and the 
thighs are of the fame colour, but without fpots. 
The back and coverts of the wings are varied with 
deep brown and yellow; the quill-feathers are of 
the fame colour, with a broad bar of red near the 
tips of the exterior ones; the tail is marked with 
dufky and reddifh bars, but appears afh-coloured 
underneath ; and the feet are feathered down to the 
claws. 
This fpecies ufually breeds in the cavern of a 
rock, the hollow of a tree, or the turret of fome'' 
ruinous caftle. It's neft, which is almofl three 
feet in diameter, is compofed of fticks bound to- 
gether by the fibrous roots of trees, and lined with 
leaves. It commonly lays three eggs, which are 
as large as thofe of a hen, and in colour fomewhat 
refemble the bird itfelf. The young are ex- 
tremely voracious; and the parent is particularly 
alTiduous in fupplying their wants. 
This kind of Ov/1 is fometimes found in the 
•.north of England, in Chefhire, and in Wales. It 
jfeems to vary in it's colours in different indivi- 
duals; and the great Horned Owl of Edwards is 
certainly of the fame fpecies, though the colours 
do not exadlly correfpond with the above defcrip- 
tion. 
Owl of Athens, This feems to be rather a 
variety of the long-eared x)t horned Ow^than a 
OWL 
dlftind fpecies : however, as it differs confiderably 
in fize, and has generally been defcribed apart by 
ornithologifts of this country, we fhall, in con- 
formity to cufhom, retain it's ufual appellation 
and defcription. 
The Athenian Owl is confiderably lefs than 
the Eagle Owl, though it meafures feventeen in- 
ches in heighth when perched. The bill is pretty 
much hooked; and the bafe is covered with fmall 
greenifh filiform feathers, projeding forwards. 
Both the bill and talons are of a dufky, blackifh, 
or horn-colour; the eyes are of a fine golden hue, 
with black pupils; and the face, which is of a 
whitifh grey, is terminated on every fide by black 
lines and fpots. The horns or ears are compofed 
of feathers which the bird can either elevate or 
deprefs : thefe are brown on their upper fide, and 
black bciicath; which blacknefs extends likewife 
above the eyes; and a dufky line Vv^holly encircles 
them, as if nature had thereby defigned to heighten 
the brilliance of their luftre. The whole body 
is covered with brown plumage, variegated with 
black; but the brown is lighter on the breafl and 
belly than on the back; and, on the lower part of 
the belly, dies away into a faint afh-colour. Some 
of the large fpots on the back and wings are 
tranfverfc, and others longitudinal; and, befides 
thefe larger fpots, a number of minute duficy 
tranfverfe lines are perceptible. The infides of 
the quills, and the under-fide of the tail, are cine- 
reous, with tranfverfe bars, fainter than the exter- 
nal ones; and the legs and feet are feathered to 
the extremity of the toes with whitifh downy plu- 
mage. 
Edwards informs us, that the bird from which 
this defcription is taken, was imported from 
Athens; and in 1755 '^^^ alive, and the property 
of the late Dr. Fothergill. 
Owl, Short-Eared. The horns of this fpe- 
cies are fmall, confifting only of a fingle feather 
each, which the bird can raife or deprefs at plea- 
fure; and, in a dead fpecimen, they are fcarcely 
perceptible. This Owl, which inhabits moun- 
tainous and woody fituations, far retired from the 
abodes of men, feldom makes it's appearance in 
thefe kingdoms. The head is fmall, refembling 
that of a hawk; the bill is dufky; the circle of 
feathers which immediately furrounds the eyes is 
black; but the larger circle is white, terminated 
v/ith tawny. The plumage on the head, back, 
and coverts of the wings, is brown, edged with a 
dull yellow; the breaft and belly are of the fame 
colour, with a few long narrow ftreaks of brown 
pointing downwards; and the thighs, legs, and 
toes, are covered with yellow feathers. The 
quill-feathers are duflcy, barred with red; the tail 
is of a deep brovv^n hue, embellifhed with a yellow 
circle on each fide of the ftiaft of every feather^ 
and .it's tips are white. 
This Owl never builds a neft on it's own ac- 
count ; but is fatisfied with the forfaken one of 
fome other bird. It lays four or five eggs. The 
young, when firft produced, are entirely white; 
but they change their colour in about a fortnight. 
There is another variety of the Horn-Owl, not 
much larger than a thrufli, with remarkably fhort 
horns. It is a native of the continent of Europe, 
but has never been difcovered in thefe iflands. 
Owl, White; the Strix Flammea of Linnaus. 
This bird is almoft doraeftic, inhabiting, during 
the greateft part of th£ year, barns, hay-lofcs, and 
other out-houfcs ; and is extremely ufeful in clear- 
ing 
