¿Utico
. '-The Brown Owl. Strix,
Numb. IX.'
IT S Weight vías 12 Ounces and 8 Drams, Length from the end of the Bill to the end
of the Tail was 14 Inches; its Breadth When the Wings are extended was 2 Feet and
8 Inches.
The Bill was hooked, an Inch long or more, of a Horn Colour ; the Tongue neither
very fleftiynor broad, a little divided at the Tip, it had a Cavity in the Palate equal to the
Tongue ; it had large Eyes almoft twice as big as thofe of the Barn or white Owl, and
protuberant with Membranes for Nidation, drawn from above downwards, having black
Edges, the Borders of the Eyes very broad with red Edges, the Ear-hoies three times as
big as thofe of the white Owls, and covered- with-Valves, a Circle of Feathers encompaf.
fing the Eyes and Chin like a Woman’s Hood : This Circle conflits of a double Row of
Feathers, theexterior more rigid, variegated with white, black and red ; theiijtçrior eon-
fifting of foft Feathers, of a white mingled with a flame Colour ; the middle Part' o f the
Head without the Hood is of a dark brown; the exterior Circle of the Hood compaflès
the Ears ; the greateft Part of the inferior Feathers of it, where it palles the. Ears; grows
out of the Covers of the Ears. The Eyes are nearer to the Ears in this Bird than in any
other Animal Beyond theNoftrils and below the Eyes- grow briftly Feathers, with black
Shafts. The back and upper Side of the Body was party-eolour’d of ferrugiheous and
dark brown, black taking up the middle Part of each Feather, and the ferrugineous the
Out-fides. I f one curioufly view and obferve. its Feathers, you will find them waved with
tranfvetfe Lines, cinereous and brown,- alternately fucceeding each other. The Belly and
lower Side of the Body are o f the lame Colour with the Back, but paler, and diluted with
white. The Feathers in this and other Owls Which invert the whole Body are longer
than in mort other Birds, fo that the Bird feems to be much bigger than indeed it is.
The Feet are cover’d with a thick dirty white Plumage, fprinkled with fmall dark Specks
altnoft down to the Claws,
The Number of flag Feathers in each Wing are 24, the exterior Webs of the outmoft
whereof were terminated ln flender Points like Briftles, feparate from each other, and
Handing like the Teeth of a fine Comb.
The Wing and Tail Feathers were marked with 6 or 7 crofs Bars, o f dirty white
tinrtur’d in fome with ferrugineous, and in others with brown. The Wings complicated
fall very much ihort of the End of the Tail.. The covert Feathers of the Wings, chiefly
thofe about the middle, and thofe long ones fpringing from the Shoulders, were fpotted
with white, efpecially their interior Vanes.
The Tail, wap 6 Inches and a half long, made up of 12 Feathers ; the middlemoft
being the longeft, the reft in order lhorter to the outmoft, all ending in iharp Points ;
whereas in thofe of the Barn Owl the Tops are blunt.
The Sole o f the Foot was callous, of a horny or blackilh Colour ; that of the middle
Toe had not the ihner Edge ferrate as in the white Owl, all its Toes being feparate to
the very Divarication. The outmoft of the fore Toes is made to turn backward, and fup-
ply the room of a back Toe, as in the reft of this Kind.
The Guts are 30 Inches long, and had many Revolutions j the blind Guts were £ Inches
and a half long, toward their Ends tumid and full of Excrements; the. Liver divided into
two halves ; it had a large Gall, and great black Tefticles ; the Stomach feemed to be
more flefty than in other carnivorous Birds, and above it a granulated Echinus or Ante-
Stomach ; in the Stomach was found the Fur of Mice.
Thefe and moft of the Owl Kind are great Deftroyers of young Hares and Rabbits, at
Time of Feeding in the Evening.
D Vht