. A history of British birds . rred withdark lines ; the outer web of the wing-feathers barred alter-nately with white and speckled brown ; tail barred and spottedwith black, brown and pale wood-brown ; the whole of thebreast and belly varied with greyish-white and pale brown,with several decided streaks and patches of umber-brown;under tail-coverts and tail-feathers beneath greyish-white,mottled and barred transversely with brown ; feathers of thetarsus brownish-grey with a median streak ; toes brown ;claws white at the base, nearly black at the tip. Adult males and females are very similar i
. A history of British birds . rred withdark lines ; the outer web of the wing-feathers barred alter-nately with white and speckled brown ; tail barred and spottedwith black, brown and pale wood-brown ; the whole of thebreast and belly varied with greyish-white and pale brown,with several decided streaks and patches of umber-brown;under tail-coverts and tail-feathers beneath greyish-white,mottled and barred transversely with brown ; feathers of thetarsus brownish-grey with a median streak ; toes brown ;claws white at the base, nearly black at the tip. Adult males and females are very similar in plumage, butyoung birds have a more rufous tinge. Length about seveninches. * North America is inhabited by an allied species, S. mio (Linn.), of which anexample was recorded by Dr. Hobson in the Naturalist for 1855 (p. 169) ashaving been shot near Kirkstall Abbey in Yorkshire in 1852; and, according toMr. Stevenson, another specimen is supposed to have been killed near Yarmouthin Norfolk. 17SACOIPITMES. Carine noctua (Scopoli*).THE LITTLE OWL. Noctua passcrlnaf. Cakinb, KaupX.—Beak decuivuil from the base ; cere short ;uid swollen ; nos-trils oval; lower mandible sinuated. Auditory conch large, the orifice small andwithout an operculum. Facial disk not well defined. Wings large; the thirdand fourth quill-feathers nearly equal in length. Legs long, covered with shortfeathers, and toes above with bristles only. Head round, large and withouttufts. The Little Owl, like several others, can only be consideredan occasional visitor to this country, though it has now beentaken several times. There is no doubt, however, as has * Strix noctua, Scopoli, Annus I. Historico-Naturalis, p. 22 (17(J9).t Not Strix jtasserina, Linnaeus. X Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Greschichte und Natiirliches System der EurojaischenThierwelt. p. 29 (1829). LITTLE OWL. 179 been already mentioued, that from the general similarity inappearance of this and Tengmalms Owl, they have beenmore th
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsaun, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds
