EAGLE OWL, 
159 
consider the seeming intemperate habits of the bird, sometimes fasting, 
through necessity, for several days, and at other times gorging itself 
with animal food, till its craw swells out the plumage of that part, 
forming a large protuberance on the breast. This, however, is its 
natural food ; and for these habits its whole organization is particularly 
adapted. It has not like man invented rich wines, ardent spirits, and a 
thousand artificial poisons in the form of soups, sauces, and sweetmeats. 
Its food is simple, it indulges freely, uses great exercise, breathes the 
purest air, is healthy, vigorous, and long-lived. The lords of the 
creation themselves might derive some useful hints from these facts, 
were they not already, in general, too wise or too proud to learn from 
their inferiors, the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field.” 
In the Edinburgh edition of Wilson’s work, the first volume of 
which I have just seen. Dr. Jamieson says, in a note to the Sea 
Eagle, {Falco ossifragus,^ “ This is the young of the Falco leucoce- 
phalus^ or White Headed Eagle, not the young of the Falco alhiciUa, 
or Cinereous Eagle, which is the Sea Eagle of Britain.” He does not 
inform us upon what grounds he has come to this decision, in opposition 
to the best authorities on the subject. See Temminck, vol. i. p. 50 ; 
Selby’s Illustrations, pt. i. p. 9.* 
EAGLE OWL {Buho maximus, Sibbald.) 
* Strix Bubo, Linn. 1. p. 131. — Gmel. Syst. p. 286. sp. 1. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. p. 
51. — Raii, Syn. p. 24. \,-—Will. p. 63. t. 12.. — Briss. 1 p. 477 — Le Grand 
Due. Buff. Ois. 1. p. 322. — Ib. pi. Enl. 435. — Veil. Ois. d’Afr. 1. p. 106. pi. 
40.— Bubo maxiinus, Gerin. 1. p. 81 — Flem. Br. Anim. p. 57. — Sibbald, Scot. 
p. 15. — Hibou Grand Due, Temm. Man. d’Orn. 1. p. 100 Grosse Ohreule 
huhu, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 2. p. 882 — Meyer, Tassch. Deut. 1. p. 70. — Ib, 
Vdg. Liv. und Esth. p. 33. sp. 4. — Strix Bubo Athenieiisis, Gmel. Syst. l.p. 
286. var. B.— Black-winged Horn-Owl, Albin, 3. t. 6. — Athenian Horn-Owl, 
Edw. t. 64. — Lath. 1. p. 118 — Great-eared Owl, Br. Zool. 1. No. 64. t. 29. — 
Arct. Zool. 2. No. 114. — Albin, 3. t. 6 Will. (Angl.) p. 99. t. 12 Lath. 
Syn. 1. p. 116. 1 — Ib. Supp. p. 40, — Lewin’s Br. Birds, 1. t. 23 Mont. Orn. 
Diet. — Ib. Supp— Beiric/c’s Br. Birds, Supp.— lEa/c. Syn. — Shaw’s Zool. 7. p. 
211 .* 
Frovincial. — Great Owl. Great Horned Owl. 
This species is almost equal to an eagle in size. Irides bright yellow. 
The plumage of the whole bird is a mixture of black-ferruginous, 
brown, and cinereous, elegantly varied with lines, spots, and specks ; 
the wings are very long, the second and third quill-feathers being the 
longest ; tail short, marked with dusky bars ; legs strong, covered 
thickly with a light-coloured down quite to the claws, which are strong, 
much hooked, and dusky. 
This bird is rarely met with in England ; a few instances only are on 
record. It has been shot in Yorkshire and in Sussex, as well as in 
Scotland, but is more plentiful in Norway and other parts of Europe. 
