ACCIl’lTRES.' 
266 
-BIRDS- 
-Strigid^. 
with reddish spots, and the beak lead-colour, with the 
point yellowish. This bird does not appear to occur 
in Britain, but some confusion has arisen between this 
and the preceding species, in consequence of which the 
Athene passerina has been, recorded as a British bird. 
It is found prettj'- commonly in Germany, and its habits 
seem to agree with those of the A. Noctiia. Scopoli 
states that in Carniola this bird builds in chimneys; 
and two of the birds, to which the name of the Little 
Owl has been applied in this country, were taken in 
diimneys, so that it is just possible both species may 
occasionally pay us a visit. 
THE LITTLE INDIAN OWL {Athene Brama), an 
abundant species in Southern India, closely resembles 
the G. Noctua both in size and plumage. It lives in 
families of four or five together, usually roosting during 
the day in large trees, but also about the eaves and 
roofs of houses, where it is often exceedingly noisy. It 
sallies forth from its retreat in search of food about 
sunset, when it generally takes short undulating flights 
from one resting-place to another, snapping up the 
insects which constitute its principal food as they also 
are taking their evening flight, or occasionally snatch- 
ing one from its resting-place on the ground or the 
trunk of a tree. It also sometimes captures mice. Its 
flight is supposed, in some parts of the countiy, to prog- 
nosticate the course of future events; and Colonel 
Sykes sajs that amongst the Mahrattas, where this or 
a similar superstition prevails, “ a class of persons, 
called from it, Peengleh, live on the credulity of the 
people by pretending to consult it, and jiredict events.” 
THE RADIATED OWL {Athene rndiata), an inhabi- 
tant of India and China, is very common in thickly- 
wooded districts in those countries, inhabiting the 
largest trees, from which it sends forth its clamorous 
cries often throughout the whole day. It also flies 
actively in the daytime — at least when disturbed. Its 
food consists of insects, principally large beetles. 
THE HAIRY OWL {Athene scutulata), which is also 
an inhabitant of India, and of the countries and islands 
to the east of that peninsula, is a small species of a 
reddish-brown colour above, and spotted with bright 
red beneath. It is further distinguished by having the 
toes fringed with stiff bail’s, resembling the teeth of a 
comb. It is nocturnal in its habits, passing the day in 
the thickest jungles, and coming towards the edges and 
open parts at night. During its period of activity, its 
cries are incessant, and may be heard at a great dis- 
tance. They are said strongly to resemble those of 
a cat undergoing the process of strangulation. Mr. 
Elliott says that, “ when seized, it cries like a child.” 
Its presence is regarded as ominous of misfortune by 
the natives; and when one of them is heard crying in 
the vicinity of a house, the inhabitants go out with 
lights to frighten it away. 
THE BOOBOOK OWL {Athene hoohook), which is 
exceedingly common all along the southern coast of 
Australia, is a small species about ten or eleven inches 
long, with the plumage of the upper surface and wings 
reddish-brown, spotted in some places with white, and 
that of the lower surface nearly white, reddish on the 
throat, and streaked with reddish brown. It flies in 
pursuit of prey both by day' and night ; but its pecu- 
liar cry of huck-huck, from which its native name is 
derived, is only heard during the period of twilight and 
darkness. The note is said' to bear some resemblance 
to that of the European cuckoo, and hence the colo- 
nists imagining that everything goes on by the rule of 
contraries at their end of the globe, determined that 
it was the cuckoo, which, in accordance with the law 
above-mentioned, uttered his notes at night instead ol 
during the day. The food of this owl consists of small 
birds and large insects. It breeds in the holes of large 
old gum trees, laying its eggs upon the rotten wood 
occupying the bottom of the cavity. 
THE SPOTTED OWL {Athene maculata), a still 
smaller species, measuring scarcely ten inches in length, 
seems to replace the preceding in "Van Diemen’s Land, 
where it inhabits the thickly-wooded gullies, and ap- 
pears to seek its food principally at night, although 
able to endure the light of day. Its habits resemble 
those of the preceding species, and its food consists 
principally of small birds and insects. Its colour is 
brown, with numerous white spots on both the upper 
and lower surfaces. 
THE POWERFUL O'WL {Athene stremia), which ap- 
pears to be peculiar to New South Wales, is a large 
and formidable species, measuring about eighteen 
inches in length. It has a strong and prominent bill ; 
the whole upper surface is dark-brown, spotted and 
barred with paler brown ; the throat is buff and the 
belly white, each feather bearing a transverse band of 
dark-brown near its tip. It is an inhabitant of the 
dense bushes, where it sleeps during the dayq and 
which afford it a plentiful supply of birds and small 
mammalia during its nocturnal rambles. Its cry, 
which is hoarse and mournful, is compared by IMr. 
Gould to the “ bleating ” of an ox. 
THE BURROWING OWL {Athene cunicularia), which 
is distributed over a great extent of country in America, 
from the i)rairies of the Mississippi to Chili and 
Coquimbo, is remarkable for some peculiarities in its 
habits. Wherever it occurs, it dwells, at all events 
during the breeding season, in burrows formed in the 
earth either by its own labour or by that of some digging 
mammal. At the bottom of its burrow the eggs are 
deposited on a bed of moss, grass, and dry roots ; and 
here the young remain during the downy period of 
their existence, occasionally advancing to the entrance, 
but retreating immediately on the approach of any 
suspicious object. In the western prairies of the 
United States the Burrowing Owl is a constant in- 
habitant of the villages formed by the habitations 
of the marmot, or prairie-dog, as it is called, liv- 
ing on pretty good terms with tlie true owners. 
In fact the mode in which the marmots sport about 
near the entrances of their burrows, whilst the owls 
move briskly amongst them is said to furnish a most 
delightful and amusing spectacle. It is singular 
that the cry of this bird resembles that of the 
marmot, which consists of the syllables cheh-cheh 
pronounced several times in rapid succession, and 
that this note is also common to the individuals in- 
habiting the West Indies and other parts of America 
where no marmots occur. Hence, as Prince Charles 
Bonaparte remarks, we cannot suppose the marmot to 
