STRIX ELAMMEA. 
112 
and was once caught in a harn in my neighbour!!**® j 
European writers inform us, that it makes no nesh 
deposits its eggs in the lioles of walls, and lays ti'® 
six, of a whitish colour ; is said to feed on mice ‘ 
small birds, which, like tlie most of its trihe, it sn ab® J 
whole, and afterwards emits the hones, feathers, ^ 
other indigestible parts, at its mouth, in tlie 
small round cakes, which are often found in the ciUj 
buildings it freipients. During its repose it is 
'"'V 
make a blowing noise resembling the snoring of a nc'’. 
It is distinguished in England by various uames> ,, 
barn on l, the church owl, gillihon let, and screech 
lu the lowlanils of Scotland it is universally caUea 
hoolet. jjil 
The white or barn owl is fourteen inches long; ' j 
upwards of three feet six inches in extent; 
whitish horn colour, longer than is usual amoi'r 
tribe ; space surrounding each eye remarkably 
the radiating feathers meeting in a high proj®®.^^.;,! 
ridge, arching from the bill upwards; between * ^ 
lies a thick tuft of bright fawny feathers, 
scarcely seen, unless tlie ridges be separated; 
white, surrounded by a border of narrow thickset 
vety feathers, of a reddish cream colour at the tip> 
silvery white below, and finely shafted with 
whole u])per parts, a bright tawny yellow, 
sprinkled with whitish and pale purple, and hcau' 
till*' 
tit"' 
interspersed with larger drops of white, each feat!"-! 
the back and n ing-coverts ending in an oblong fP® 
white bounded by black ; head, large, tumid ; 
the neck, pale yellow ochre, thinly sprinkled will* 
touches of dusky ; primaries and secondaries the !• ,|,|i 
thinly barred, and thickly sprinkled with dull P'"! d"' 
brown ; tail, two inches shorter than the tips ® 
wings, even, or very slightly forked, pale j„itl' 
crossed with live bars of bi'own, and thickly dotte‘.^j,,c 
the same ; whole lower parts, pure white, thinly jli* 
spersed with small round spots of blackish ; tliig"''’ 
* Bewick, I, p. 20. 
G 
