BRITISH BIRDS. 
45 
THE GREAT-EARED OWL. 
( Strix Bubo , Lin. — Le grand Due, Buff.) 
This bird is not much inferior in fize to an Ea- 
gle : Its head is very large, and is adorned with 
two tufts, more than two inches long, which Hand 
juft above each eye ; its bill is ftrong, and much 
hooked ; its eyes large, and of a bright yellow ; 
the whole plumage is of a rufty brown, finely va- 
riegated with black and yellow lines, fpots, and 
fpecks ; its belly is ribbed with bars of a brown 
colour, confufedly intermixed ; its tail fliort, mark- 
ed with dulky bars ; its legs are ftrong, and cover- 
ed to the claws with a thick clofe down, of a ruft 
colour ; its claws are large, much hooked, and of 
a dufky colour : Its nefi is large, being nearly three 
feet in diameter; it is compofed of fticks bound 
together by fibrous roots, and lined with leaves ; 
it generally lays two eggs, fomewhat larger than 
thofe of a Hen, and variegated like the bird itfelf ; 
the young ones are very voracious, and are well 
fupplied with various kinds of food by the parents. 
This bird has been found, though rarely, in Great 
Britain; it builds its neft in the caverns of rocks, 
in mountainous and almoft inacceflible places, and 
is feldom feen in the plain, or perched on trees ; 
it feeds on young hares, rabbits, rats, mice, and 
reptiles of various kinds. 
