LITTLE OWL. 
91 
color is a bright iron gray, the fur being of a reddisli cream at bottom, 
then strongly tinged with lake, and minutely tipped with white ; the_ 
ears are scarcely half an inch long, with two slight valves ; the nostrils 
are somewhat tubular ; fore teeth in the upper jaw, none — in the lower, 
four, not reckoning the tusks ; the eyes are very small black points ; 
the chin, upper part of the breast and head, are of a plain reddish 
cream color ; the wings have a single hook or claw each, and are so con- 
structed, that the animal may hang either with its head or tail doAvn- 
waril. I have several times found two hanging fast locked together 
behind a leaf, the hook of one fixed in the mouth of the other ; the hind 
feet are furnished with five toes, sharp-clawed ; the membrane of the 
wings is dusky, shafts light brown ; extoit twelve inches. In a cave, 
not far from Carlisle in Pennsylvania, I found a nnmber of these bats 
in the depth of winter, in very severe weather ; they were lying on the 
projecting shelves of the rocks, and when the brand of fire was held 
near them, wrinkled up their mouths, showing their teeth ; when held in 
the hand for a short time, they became active, and after being carried 
into a stove room, flew about as lively as ever.* 
Species V. STB LT PASSE RINA. 
LITTLE OWL. 
[Plate XXXIV. Fig. 1.] 
Arc!. Zool. 236, No. 120.— Turton, Si/st. 172,t 
This is one of the least of its whole genus, but like many other little 
folks, makes up in neatness of general form and appearance, for de- 
ficiency of size, and is jierhaps the most shapely of all our Owls. Nor 
are the colors and markings of its plumage inferior in simplicity and 
effect to most others. It also possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and 
brillia^ncy to the best of them. 
This species is a general and constant inhabitant of tlie middle and 
northern states ; but is found most numerous in the neighborhood of the 
seashore, and among woods and swamps of pine trees. It rarely 
rambles much during day ; but if disturbed, flies a short Avay, and again 
* This species Dr. Goodman calls the V^spcriilio iiovcboraccnsis of Linnaeus. See 
his American Natural History, vol. i., p. -J8. "Wilson, it should seem, was of a 
diiferent opinion. 
t We add the following synonymes : Slrix passen'iia, Lin'jj. Si/sf. ed. 10, vol. I., 
p. 9.3. Gmel. Si/st. I., p. 290. No. 12. — S/rix acadieiisis, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 65. — S. 
acadica, G.mel. S/jst. i., p. 290, No. 43. — Temm. Man. d' Orn. i., p. 92. 
