. The royal natural history. io), which has a veryextensive range and numerous varieties, and is distinguished by its feathered toes;and, lastly, the crested screech-owl (S. cristatus) of Amazonia, which attains alength of fully 16 inches. The common screech-owl is an abundant bird, exhibit-mg a grey and a red phase of plumage, and is not migratory. Although living forthe greater part of the year in forests, when the ground is mantled in snow thisowl seeks the protection afforded by buildings, and is then more frequently seen. EAGLE-OWLS. 16 = It is considered a true friend to the farmer, as i
. The royal natural history. io), which has a veryextensive range and numerous varieties, and is distinguished by its feathered toes;and, lastly, the crested screech-owl (S. cristatus) of Amazonia, which attains alength of fully 16 inches. The common screech-owl is an abundant bird, exhibit-mg a grey and a red phase of plumage, and is not migratory. Although living forthe greater part of the year in forests, when the ground is mantled in snow thisowl seeks the protection afforded by buildings, and is then more frequently seen. EAGLE-OWLS. 16 = It is considered a true friend to the farmer, as it lives almost exclusively on miceand other small rodents and the larger insects. Hollow apple and oak trees areits favourite nesting-resorts; the eggs, usually five or six in number, being laidon the bare wood. The great horned owls, or eagle-owls, include the largest andmost powerful representatives of the entire order, but few of thespecies falling short of 20 inches in length. Allied to the screech-owls, they EAOLE-owi. {\ nat. size). may be distinguished by their relatively shortci- wings, which never reach withina considerable distance of the end of the tail: while the great size of the ear-tufts and the beautifully barred plumage aitls in recognising these magnificentbirds. Although the toes may be sometimes bare or but sparsely feathered, themetatarsus is always plumed throughout. The beak is short and strong, with acompressed tip, and the large nostrils are either oval or rounded. Of eagle-owls there are nearlj^ a score of species, ranging over the greater part of theOld and Now Worlds, although unrepresented in Australasia. As being the only i66 O JFLS. species found in Western Europe, the best known of ail is the great eagle-owl{Bubo ignavus), of which specimens are occasionally taken in Britain. Thissplendid bird, of which the total length may reach 28 inches, belongs to a group oftwo or three species characterised by the toes being so thickly feathered
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booksubjectzoology
