I 5 2 
O WLS. 
portions of its range it takes place in March or April. In defence of their eggs or 
young, both sexes of the short-eared owl display but little boldness, usually circling 
round and round the intruder, uttering a shrill cry, accompanied by a snapping of 
the beak, but not making any attempt at a direct attack. 
As its name implies, the long-eared owl {A. otus) belongs to a 
Long-Eared Owl. Qu p Q £ there are three or four representatives, characterised 
by the great length of the ear-tufts, which are about as long as the third toe and 
claw. From its beautifully mottled plumage, of which the general colour above is 
SCOPS OWL AND LONG-EARED OWL (J nat. size). 
blackish brown variegated with orange-buff, while beneath it is orange-brown 
streaked and barred with black, this owl is one of the handsomest of the British 
species. The facial disc is dusky white, with hair-like lines of brown, while 
immediately round the eyes the feathers are blackish. The head is finely mottled 
dusky and tawny; and both the quills and tail feathers are barred with dark 
brown, the number of such bands on the tail being seven. The bill is dusky horn- 
colour, and the iris of the eye orange-yellow. In size this owl is rather inferior to 
the short-eared species, its total length being 13f inches. The typical form of the 
long-eared owl is distributed all over Europe as far north as the 64th parallel, while 
southwards it ranges to North Africa in winter, and eastwards it extends to China, 
Japan, and North-Western India. In North America, as far south as Mexico, it 
is replaced by the American long-eared owl, regarded by Dr. Sharpe as a mere 
