110 STRIX PASSERINA. 
rambles much during day; but, if disturbed, 
short way, aud again takes shelter from the light 
the approach of twilight it is all life and activity, 
a noted and dexterous mouse-catcher. It is foUU“ 
far north as Nova Scotia, and even Hudson’s BaV' ^ 
frequent in Russia; builds its nest generally in p'jlL 
half way up the tree, and lays two eggs, which, ** 
those of the rest of its genus, are white. The *,,1 
choly and gloomy umbrage of those solitary evergt^ ^ j 
forms its favourite haunts, where it sits dozing “'•j 
slumbering all day, lulled by the roar of the neighboot’ 
The little owl is seven inches and a half longi 
eighteen inches in extent ; the upper parts are a P' 
hrown olive, the scapulars aud some of the greater 
lesser coverts being spotted with white ; the first . 
primaries are crossed obliquely with five bars of .jfll 
tail, rounded, rather darker than the body, crossed '' i,. 
two rows of white spots, aud tipt with white; n’® 
interior vanes of the wings, spotted with the 
auriculars, yellowish brown ; crown, upper part 01 * j 
neck, and (drcle surrounding the cars, heautifully 
with numerous points of white ou an olive 
ground ; front, pure white, ending in long blackish h^' v 
at the internal angle of the eyes, a broad spot of *” 1 )) , 
radiating outwards; irides, pale yellow ; bill, a blat 
horn colour; lower parts, streaked with yellow 
and reddisli bay ; thighs, aud feathered logs, pal® I 
toes, covered to the claws, which ai-e black, larg®; ‘ [ 
sharp-pointed. 
The bird, from which the foregoing descriptioo^^f, 
taken, was shot on the sea shore, near Great Egg ^ 
hour, in New Jersey, in the month of November, ao 
dissection, w’as found to be a female. Turton 
a species called the white-fronted owl (^S. albij'' 
which, in every thing except the size, agrees ,,o|( 
bird, aud has, very probably, been taken from a 
male, which is sometimes found considerably 1 ®*® 
the female. 
