OWL 
brown and v;hlte ; the rump and covert feathers 
of the tail are dark brown, tranfverfely barred and 
mixed with a lighter brown ; the tail, on the up- 
per fide, is dark brown, and afli-coloured beneath, 
tranfverfely barred with light brown; and the 
breaft, belly, thighs, and coverts under the tail, 
are white, barred acrofs with narrow brown lines 
in a regular manner. The feet and legs are en- 
tirely covered with fine foft feathers of the colour 
of the belly, but the variegating lines are fmaller; 
and the claws are fharp, pointed, and of a dark 
brown colour. 
This fpecies is a native of Hudfon's Bay. It 
preys on white partridges, which are very nume- 
rous in thofe climates ; and is faid to be fo intrepid, 
that it will attend a fowler with his gun, and fome- 
times carry off the prey he has fliot. It was firft 
mentioned and figured by Edwards. 
Owl, Brazilian j the Cabure of Marcgrave. 
This Owl is about the fize of a fmall thrufh : the 
bill and irides are yellow ; the whole upper part 
of the head, back, and wings, are of a faint um- 
ber colour fpotted with white, the fpots on the 
head and neck being fm«ll, but large on the 
wings ; and the breaft and belly are white, varie- 
gated with faint brown fpots. The legs are 
fnort, and covered with feathers ; the claws are 
black ; and the tail is broad, and of the colour 
of pale umber waved with white. 
Owl, Ceylonese. This curious fpecies is near 
two feet long ; and weighs upwards oi'two pounds 
and a half The irides are yellow ; tlie circles 
round the face are of a pale reddifli brown colour 
flreaked with black ; the ears are lliort, ere^f, and 
pointed; the back, and the coverts of the wings, 
are a pale reddifli brown, ftreaked with black ; the 
breaft and belly are white tinged with yellow, and 
ftreaked in a fimilar manner with the back ; the 
primaries and tail are barred with black, white, 
and pale red ; and the legs are naked to the knees. 
This bird is a native of Ceylon, where it is 
called Raja Allia. 
Owl, Churn; the Caprimulgus Europasus of 
Linnaeus. This Owl is moderately large : the 
head is fmaller in proportion to the body than that 
of other birds of this kind j the beak is black, and 
very fhort; the mouth is extremely wide; and the 
irides are hazel-coloured. The plumage has a 
beautiful mixture of black, white, afh-colour, 
and ferruginous, difpofed in lines, bars, and fpots. 
The male is diftinguiflied from the female by a 
large oval white fpot near the end of the three firft 
quill-feathers, and another on the exterior fea- 
thers of the tail ; the plumage is alfo more ferru- 
ginous. The legs are fhort, fcaly, and feathered 
belov/ the knees ; the middle is connected with 
thofe on each fide by a fmall membrane as far as 
the firft joint ; and the claw of tlie middle toe is 
thin, broad, and ferrated. 
This bird is migratory in Britain. It appears 
about the latter end of May ; and difappears in 
the northern counties about the end of Auguft, 
but does not quit the fouthern for a month after. 
It has obtained the appellation of the goat-fucker 
from a vulgar opinion that it fucks the teats of 
goats'; an error handed down from the days of Ari- 
ftotle. It's notes are very finguiar : the loudeft 
refembles the noife of a large fpinning-wheel ; 
and the common is a fliarp fqueak, which it of- 
ten repeats, and feem.s to be a note of love. 
OWL FISFI OR SEA-OWL. An appella- 
tion by which fome exprefs the lum.pus, or lump- 
filh ; called in Scotland the cock-paddlc. 
O X F 
OWL PIGEON. A particular fpecies of pi- 
geon called by Moore Columba Bubo Nominata. 
It's body is fmall and ftiort; it has a fliort round 
head ; and a feries of feathers that feparate and open 
on the breaft : but it's moft remarkable charafter 
is it's beak, the upper chop of which is bent, and 
hooked over like that of an owl ; and this o-ives 
rife to it's name. It is of various colours, as 
v/hite, blue, or black ; but is never pied. 
OX. In the common acceptation of this term, 
it denotes black cattle in general, without regard 
to fcx : in a more limited fenfe, it figniftes a caf- 
trated bull. The generic charafters of the ox are; 
that the horns bend out laterally ; that there are 
eight cutting-teeth in the lower jaw, and none in 
the upper; and that the fivin along the lower fide 
of the neck is pendulous. The fpecific marks of 
the common bull and cow are, rounded horns, 
with a large fpace between their bafis. 
Formerly the Ox conftituted the whole riches of 
mankind ; and he is ftill the bafis of the riches of 
nations which fubfift and flourifh in proportion to 
the cultivation of their lands and the number of 
their cattle: for in thefe all real wealth confifts; 
every other kind, even gold and filver, being 
only fiftitious reprefentations, and having no va- 
lue but what is conferred on them by theproduc- 
tions of the earth. 
The Ox, though lefs generally ufed than for- 
merly for agricultural purpofes, is neverthelefs ftill 
a very ferviceabie animal : he draws with an:iaz- 
ing fteadinefs and perfevcrance ; but is incapable 
of fupporting an accelerated pace ; and therefore 
his labours are in a great meafure fuperfeded by 
thofe of the horfe. See Cow. 
OX-FLY. A fpecies of two-winged fly bred 
from a worm hatched under the {kin of the ox, 
from the egg of the parent fly depofited there. 
The female of this fly makes a number of finall 
incifions in the backs of horned cattle ; and in 
each of thefe depofits an egg, which is afterwards 
hatched by the warmth of the creature's body. As 
foon as hatched, the nafcent worm makes i'tfclf a 
very convenient lodging, in every refped adapted 
to fupply all it's exigencies. 
The places where thefe infecls lurk are eafily 
difcoveredby a furroLinding tumour, within which, 
and under the fl<:in of the animal, the worm is 
lodged ; and as the gad-fly is the moft vexatious 
to the cow kind, it has been generally fuppofed 
that this worm is produced from the egg of that 
fly. But this is an erroneous opinion : Vallifnieri, 
v.'ho feems to have been the firft that underftood 
the true ftate of the cafe, has given a very full and 
fatisfaftory account of it. 
Thefe worms, according to the above author, 
may be properly enough denominated the inhabi- 
tants of animal galls, fince the tumours which con- 
tain them are truly analagous to the galls of the 
oak, and other fimilar vegetable excrefcences : in 
thefe tumours there is an aperture, which is not 
only beneficial to the animal as a breathing-place, 
but is alfo necefiary to difcharge the redundant 
matter formed in the tumour, which, if confined 
there, v/ould occafion a large abfcefs, and foon 
fufixDcate and deftroy the animal. 
If thefe worms polTefl^ed the fame qualities with 
the comiinon flefh-fly, and v/ere furnifiied with 
hooks to lacerate and pull the flefli in pieces, the 
creature that had a number of thefe gnawing de- 
vourers preying on it's back at once, would feel 
itfelf in a moft wretched ftate : but this is by no 
means the cafe j the infeds~ having no organs for 
tearins: 
