BRITISH BIRDS. 
49 
dark ftreak in the middle of each ; the whole up- 
per part of the body is varioufly marked with dark 
brown and tawny, the feathers being moftly edged 
with the latter ; the breaft and belly are of a pale 
yellow, marked with dark longitudinal breaks, 
which are moft numerous on the breaft ; the legs 
and feet are covered with feathers of a pale yellow 
colour ; the claws are much hooked, and black ; 
the wings are long, and extend beyond the tail ; 
the quills are marked with alternate bars of a duf- 
ky and pale brown; the tail is likewife marked 
with bars of the fame colour, the middle feathers 
of which are diftinguiftied by a dark fpot in the 
centre of the yellow fpace ; the tip is white. Of 
feveral of tliefe birds, both male and female, which 
we have been favoured with by our friends, we 
have obferved that both had the upright tufts or 
ears : In one of thefe, which was alive in our pof- 
feflion, they were very confpicuous, and appeared 
more eredt while the bird remained undifturbed ; 
i 
but when frightened, were fcarcely to be feen -in 
the dead birds they were hardly difcernible. 
Mr Pennant feems to be the fir ft defcriber of 
this rare and beautiful bird, which he fuppofes to 
be a bird of paffage, as it only vifits us the latter 
end of the year, and returns in the fpring to the 
places of its fummer refidence. It is found chiefly 
in wooded or mountainous countries : Its food is 
principally field mice, of which it is very fond. 
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