SPECIES 9. STRIX NMVM* 
MOTTLED OWL. 
[Plate XIX. — Fig. 1. Female.] 
Arct. Zool. 231. Xo. 118. — Latham, i, 126. — Turton, i, 167.-- 
Peale’s Museum, JV*o. 444. 
On contemplating the grave and antiquated figure of this 
night wanderer, so destitute of every thing like gracefulness of 
shape, I can scarcely refrain from smiling at the conceit, of the 
ludicrous appearance this bird must have made, had nature be- 
stowed on it the powers of song, and given it the faculty of 
warbling out sprightly airs, while robed in such a solemn exte- 
rior. But the great God of Nature hath, in his wisdom, assigned 
to this class of birds a more unsocial, and less noble, though, 
perhaps, not less useful, disposition, by assimilating them, not 
only in form of countenance, but in voice, manners, and appe- 
tite, to some particular beasts of prey; secluding them from the 
enjoyment of the gay sunshine of day, and giving them little 
more than the few solitary hours of morning and evening twi- 
light, to procure their food, and pursue their amours; while all 
the tuneful tribes, a few excepted, are wrapt in silence and re- 
pose. That their true character, however, should not be con- 
cealed from those weaker animals on whom they feed, (for hea- 
ven abhors deceit and hypocrisy) He has stamped their coun- 
tenance with strong traits of their murderer the Cat; and birds 
in this respect are, perhaps, better physiognomists than men. 
The Owl now before us is chiefly a native of the northern 
regions, arriving here, with several others, about the commence- 
* Slrix asio. This is the adult of the following' species, and the name asio 
given to the young, must be retained for the species, as the young was first 
described. See Linn. Sysl. i, p. 92, J^o. 3, Ed. 10. 
