GREAT HORNED OWL. 
259 
quarter of the United States. His favourite residence, how- 
ever, is in the dark solitudes of deep swamps, covered with a 
often given to women in labour. The flesh, bones, &c. boiled down to a jelly, 
are used to cure spasms or rheumatism. Some of the fat, given to a child 
newly born, averts misfortune from him for life.” Independent of these, 
says our correspondent, “ there are innumerable superstitions regarding this 
bird, and a native will always kill one when he has an opportunity. 
We must mention here a very beautiful species, which is certainly first 
accurately described in the second volume of the Northern Zoology, though 
Wilson appears to have had some information regarding a large white Owl ; 
and Dr Richardson is of opinion, that the Strix Scandiaca of Linnreus, if not 
actually the species, at least resembles it. It is characterized and figured by 
the northern travellers under the name of Bubo arctica, Arctic, or White- 
horned Owl ; and we add the greater part of their description. 
“ This very beautiful Owl appears to be rare, only one specimen having been 
seen by the members of the expedition. It was observed flying, at mid-day, in 
the immediate vicinity of Carlton House, and was brought down with an arrow 
by an Indian boy. I obtained no information respecting its habits. 
“ The facial disk is very imperfect ; the ears, small, and without an 
operculum, as in Strix Virginiana ; the ear-feathers, ample ; but the disk even 
smaller than in the last mentioned bird, and the tarsi somewhat longer. The 
toes are similarly connected. The tail is of moderate length, and considerably 
rounded. The bill is strong, and rather short. 
“ Description. — Colour of the bill and claws, bluish black. Irides, yellow. 
The face is white, bounded posteriorly by blackish brown, succeeded by white, 
which two latter colours are continued in a mixed band across the throat. 
Egrets, coloured at the base, like the adjoining plumage ; the longer feathers 
tipped with blackish brown, their inner webs, white, varied with wood brown. 
The whole dorsal aspect is marked with undulated lines, or fine bars, of umber 
brown, alternating with white ; the markings bearing some resemblance to 
those of the Virginian Owl, but being much more lively and handsome. On 
the greater wing-coverts, on the inner half of the scapularies, and also partially 
on the neck and lesser wing-coverts, the white is tinged, or replaced by pale 
wood brown. The primaries and secondaries are wood brown, with a con- 
siderable portion of white along the margins of their inner webs. They are 
crossed by from five to six distant umber brown bars on both webs, the inter- 
vening spaces being finely speckled with the same. Near the tips of the 
primaries, the fine sprinkling of the dark colour nearly obscures the wood 
brown. On the tertiaries, the wood brown is mostly replaced by white. The 
tail-feathers are white, deeply tinged on their inner webs by wood brown, and 
crossed by six bars of umber brown, about half as broad as the intervening 
spaces ; their tips are white. 
“ Under surface — Chin, white. Throat, crossed by the band above 
