MOTTLED OWL. 
307 
caterpillars, and the inside is lined with fine dry grass and 
hair. The female lays five eggs, pure white, marked near 
the great end with a very few small dots of deep black or 
purple. They generally raise two broods in a season. They 
seem particularly attached to thickets of this species of smilax, 
and make a great ado when any one comes near their nest ; 
approaching within a few feet, looking down, and scolding 
with great vehemence. In Pennsylvania they are a numerous 
species. 
The White-eyed Flycatcher is five inches and a quarter 
long, and seven in extent ; the upper parts are a fine yellow 
olive, those below, white, except the sides of the breast, and 
under the wings, which are yellow ; line round the eye, and 
spot near the nostril, also rich yellow,* wings, deep dusky 
black, edged with olive green, and crossed with two bars of 
pale yellow ; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with green 
olive ; bill, legs, and feet, light blue ; the sides of the neck 
incline to a grayish ash. The female and young of the first 
season are scarcely distinguishable in plumage from the male. 
MOTTLED OWL — STRIX NiE VIA — Plate XIX. Fig. 1. 
Arct . Zool. 231, No. 118. — Lath. i. 126. — Turton, i. 167. — Peale's Museum, 
No. 444. 
STRIX ASIO. — Linnjeus. * 
Strix asio, Bonap. Synop. p. 36. — Hibou asio, Temm. PI. col. pi. 80 The Little 
Screech Owl, And. pi. 97, adult and young ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 486. 
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 difference in the plumage of the young and old, has caused Wilson to 
fall into a mistake, and multiply species, by introducing the different states 
under distinct specific appellations. On Plate XLII, is represented the 
young plumage of the bird, under the name which must be adopted for 
