S T R I X. 
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woodcock, its summer retreat is Norway. During the day, 
it lies hidden in long old grass; when disturbed, it seldom 
flies far, but will alight, and sit looking at any person who 
happens to be present, at which time the horns may be seen 
very distinctly. It has not been observed to perch on trees, 
like other owls; it will fly in search of prey in cloudy and 
hazy weather. Farmers are fond of seeing these birds in 
their fields, as they soon clear them of mice. It is fre¬ 
quently found on the hill of Hoy in the Orkneys, where it 
flies and preys by day, like a hawk. This bird in Hudson’s 
Bay is called the mouse-hawk. Here it never flies, like other 
owls, in search of prey, but sits quietly on the stump of a 
tree, watching the appearance of mice. It breeds near the 
coast, making its nest with dry grass upon the ground, and 
migrates southwards in the autumn. 
9. Strix Brasiliana, or Brasil owl.—Body above pale rusty- 
brown, spotted with white, beneath whitish, with rusty- 
brown spots. Bill, irids, short feet, and toes, yellowish.—It 
inhabits Brasil, and is about the size of a thrush. 
10. Strix Pulchella, or Siberian owl.—Body grey, varie¬ 
gated with brown, rusty, and white.—It inhabits Siberia, 
and is nine inches long. 
11. Strix Scops, or little horned-owl.—Ears of one feather 
each.—This inhabits Europe; is seven inches and a quarter 
long, and preys on field-mice. In the dead body the ears 
are scarcely conspicuous; the colour varies according to the 
age, grey, rufous, brown or blackish ; the legs are spotted 
with brown ; the toes and claws are brown. This is a 
species of uncommon elegance, and of a small size. The 
general disposition of its colours is similar to that of the 
eagle owl, but with a mixture of grey, which predominates 
on the breast and belly of the bird; it varies, however, 
considerably in the cast of its colours, according to the vari¬ 
ous circumstances of age and sex, and when young it is said 
to be wholly grey: the irids are also said to be of a pale 
yellow in the young, and deep yellow or even hazel in the 
old birds; the legs are covered to the toes with speckled 
grey and brown plumes. The scops is a native of the 
warmer parts of Europe, and is of a migratory nature. In 
France it is said to arrive and depart at the same time with 
the swallow. At particular times great flights arrive, and 
wage war against field-mice, in those years when these 
animals happen to be unusually numerous. 
II.—Earless. 
12. Strix nyctea, or snowy owl.—Body whitish, with a 
few brown lunate spots.—This is found in Europe, America, 
and Asia, and is two feet long; it flies abroad by day, and 
preys on herons, hares, mice, and sometimes carrion; makes 
a howling noise: in winter it is often snow-white. A va¬ 
riety has numerous spots; the bill and claws are black. 
According to Mr. Pennant, this species varies greatly in 
weight, being from three pounds to a pound and a half.— 
It inhabits the coldest parts of America, even as high as the 
remote mountains in the icy centre of Greenland, from which 
intense cold it migrates to the shores. It adds horror even 
to that country, by its hideous cries, resembling those of a 
person in deep distress. It is rare in the temperate parts of 
America, and strays seldom as low as Pennsylvania and 
Louisiana: it is very common in Hudson’s Bay, Norway 
and Lapland. It has no dread of the utmost rigour of the 
season, but bears the cold of the northern regions the whole 
year. It flies by day, and is scarcely distinguished from the 
snow; it falls perpendicularly on its prey; feeds on white 
grouse, and probably on hares; hence its Swedish name 
harfang. In Hudson’s Bay it is almost domesticated, har¬ 
bouring in places near the tents of the Indians. It is scarce 
in Russia, but rather common on the Uralian mountains, 
and all over the north and east of Siberia, and in the Asiatic 
empire, even in the hot latitude of Astrakan. In Kamtschatka 
it is very numerous. 
13. Strix tengmalmi, or Swedish owl.—Body grey, with 
small round spots.—It inhabits Sweden, and is the size of a 
black bird. 
14. Strix nebulosa, or barred owl.—Head, neck, breast, 
back, and wing-coverts, brown, spotted with white; the 
belly and vent are of a dirty-white, streaked with brown; the 
tail is marked with brown and whitish bands, whitish at the 
tip.—It inhabits Hudson’s Bay and New York; sometimes, 
but rarely, in England. It is two feet long, and feeds on 
mice, hare and cranes. 
15. Strix perspicillata, or spectacle owl.—Head white, 
smooth, downy; body above, area of the eyes and chin, 
brownish; beneath reddish-white; the breast is barred with 
reddish-brown.—It inhabits Cayenne, and is twenty-one 
inches long. 
] 6. Strix cinerea, or sooty owl.—Head, neck, and wing- 
coverts sooty, with dirty-white lines; breast and belly 
whitish, with large oblong dusky brown spots.—It inhabits 
Hudson’s Bay; is two feet long; flies in pairs, and preys on 
mice or hares. The bill is whitish; irids yellow; the tail 
is marked with oblique brown and dirty-white streaks; a 
part of the skin from the chin to the vent bare of feathers. 
17. Strix wapacutha, or spotted owl.—Back and tail-co¬ 
verts white, spotted with dusky; breast and belly of a dirty- 
white, with reddish lines cross each other. This also is 
found in Hudson’s Bay : it is two feet long; forms its nest 
of moss on the ground, and preys on mice and small birds: 
its flesh is considered as excellent food. 
18. Strix cunicularia, or Coquimbo owl.—Body above 
brown, beneath white; legs warty and hairy.—It is found in 
Chili; is the size of a pigeon; flies in pairs, sometimes by 
day; and preys on insects and reptiles; it lays four eggs, 
variegated with white and yellow, in long subterraneous 
burrows. The irids are yellow; the body above spotted 
with white. 
19. Strix aluco, or aluco owl.—Head rusty; irids black ; 
first quill-feathers serrate.—This is found in divers parts of 
Europe; is about fifteen inches long; lives during summer 
in woods, in winter near habitations: it feeds on mice. 
20. Strix sylvestris, or Austrian owl.—Body variegated 
white and brown; the space round the eyes is white, the 
irids red.—It inhabits Austria; is the size of a fowl; the 
covering of the head is an elegant radiate wreath of white 
feathers. 
21. Strix alba, or white owl.—Body above tawny, spotted 
with grey, beneath white; quill and tail feathers rufous, 
the latter tipt with white.—It inhabits Austria, as does the 
next. 
22. Strix noctua, or rufous owl.—Body pale rufous, with 
longitudinal brown spots; the irids are brown. 
23. Strix rufa, [or ferruginous owl.—Body rusty, spotted 
with brown; the irids are blueisli.—It inhabits the woods 
of Idria. 
24. Strix soloniensis, or solonese owl.—Body above black- 
brown mixed with tawny, beneath white; tail white, with 
blackish lines crossing each other near the tip.—This inha¬ 
bits France, and is fifteen inches long. Crown, and outward 
circle of feathers round the face, varied with reddish and 
white; toes horn-colour. 
25. Strix flammea, or common owl.—Body above pale 
yellow, with white dots, beneath whitish, with black dots.-— 
It inhabits Europe, America, and Northern Asia, and is 
about fourteen inches long. 
26. Strix barbata, or mountain owl.—Space round the 
eyes and chin black. Bill and irids yellow; body cinere¬ 
ous ; primary quill-feathers serrate on both edges. 
27. Strix stridula, or tawny owl.—Body rusty, the third 
quill-feather is longest.—It inhabits Europe and Tartary, and 
is nineteen ounces in weight. 
28. Strix ulula, or brown owl.—Body above brown, 
spotted with white; tail-feathers with linear white bands. 
A variety is much smaller, though some writers consider 
these two varieties as merely the male and female of the same. 
—This species inhabits Europe and Newfoundland, and is 
about fourteen inches long. With respect to the general 
manners of the brown owl, or, as it is called by Pennant, the 
wood owl, the naturalist observes, that by night these birds 
t 
