SHORT-EARED OWL. 
65 
a few miles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of pines. It 
has the stern aspect of a keen, vigorous, and active bird ; and 
is reputed to be an excellent mouser. It flies frequently by 
day, and particularly in dark cloudy weather, takes short flights ; 
and, when sitting and looking sharply around, erects the two 
slight feathers that constitute its horns, which are at such 
times very noticeable ; but, otherwise, not perceivable. No 
person on slightly examining this bird after being shot, would 
suspect it to be furnished with horns ; nor are they discovered 
but by careful search, or previous observation on the living 
bird. Bewick, in his History of British Birds , remarks, 
that this species is sometimes seen in companies, — twenty- 
eight of them having been once counted in a turnip field in 
November. 
Length, fifteen inches ; extent, three feet four inches ; 
general colour above, dark brown, the feathers broadly 
skirted with pale yellowish brown ; bill, large, black ; 
irides, rich golden yellow, placed in a bed of deep black, 
which radiates outwards all around, except towards the bill, 
where the plumage is whitish ; ears, bordered with a semi- 
circular line of black and tawny yellow dots : tail, rounded, 
longer than usual with Owls, crossed with five bands of dark 
brown, and as many of yellow ochre, some of the latter 
have central spots of dark brown, the whole tipt with white 
quills also banded with dark brown and yellow ochre ; breast 
and belly streaked with dark brown, on a ground of 
yellowish ; legs, thighs, and vent, plain dull yellow ; tips of 
the three first quill- feathers, black ; legs, clothed to the claws, 
which are black, curved to about the quarter of a circle, and 
exceedingly sharp. 
The female I have never seen ; but she is said to be some- 
what larger, and much darker, and the spots on the breast 
larger, and more numerous.* 
* The female is nearly of the same size with the male ; the colours are all 
of a browned tinge, the markings more clouded and indistinct ; the white of 
the lower parts, and under the wings, is less pure, and the belly and vent are 
VOL. lie E 
