Sono of the owls have the disks of the face imperfect above the eyes. the whole aspect somewhat approaching to that of falcons; the conches of the ears and the habits lest nicotined than the rest of this family. These constitute one of the three generally received divisions in which the species are arranged. Another division, with more per feet disks around the eyes, is characterized by the presence of two feathery tufts on the head, popolarly called horns, or ears, 91111 sometimes egrets or aigrettes. 'fee third divis ion is destitute of the-e tufts, the disks of the face lire perfect, and the ears are very large. On these ilistinctions, and on the feathered or nufeathered toes, awl other points not of great importance, are fimnded the genera into which the Linnfein genus rel•i.c has been broken down by recent ornithologists. See, for exiimpla, the characters of Bilk, in the article Eines': Owe.
Owls arc faun I in all parts of the world, and in all climates. Ten species are reck oned as 'olives of the British islmels, some of which, however, are very rare, and about fifteen are natives of Europe. Some of the species have a very wide geographical range. One of lie• most. pl ntiful British species is the WHITE OWL, or BAssei Owe, or St'In..ECIf oue of those ha vin perfect disks around the eyes, and no aigrettes. It is about 1• in. in its whole length. The tail is, as in most of the owls, rather short and romilleil; the wings reach rather beyond the tail. The toes are not feathered. The head an I upper parts are of a pale orange eider, Marked by a multitude of small, scat tered chest:be-col sreil spots, and gray and brown zigzag lines; the face and throat white. That owl very generally frequents old buildings and out-houses. It destroys great num bers of rats and mice, and deserves tile protection of the farmer. The voracity of owls is and they kill, if possible. more then they need, storing it up for flame use. 'Inc loom owl is easily tamed if taken young. When irritated, it has, like some others— perhaps all—owls, a habit of hissing and snipping its maudibles together. It almost never leaves i•s re; reiLby illy, unless driven ont; and when this is the essee, all the little birds of the neighborlmoil congregate about it as an enemy which may then be safely sum iyed, and toe grilnieee of ths pear owl, blinded by the too string light. are very
grotesTle and anm 'Mg. This species has been said to be an inh•bit:int of almost all parts of the world, lest these is reason to think that similar species have been con twin The TAWNY OWL, 13nOWN Owe, or Ivy Owe or S.lenioot, or raw i) is another el the most eo:nmon British owls, a species about the size of the barn owl, or ratfor larger, with rather longer tail, and comparatively short wings, the feet It:mitered to the claws; Bic upper parts mostly ash-gray mottled with brown, the under pi•ts grayis :Ind mottled. The LoNG-EAlt2D OWL (Stri.• ot O'ux ralgarkr) and tae elooler-Eeu•n, Owe (e'. or 0. b)'n dont() .), species with aigrettes, mint un frequent British birds. The EAGLE: Owe (q.v.) occurs. but is rare. Of the species with imperfect disks mound the eyes and more falcon-like aspect, the most interesting in the British fauna is the Sxowy Owe (ee'ri.e. or Sarnia. nye:WI), the Ha Ificall of the Swedes, a species oecasionally seen in the Shetland islands. and very rarely in more southern rig:mit in whiter. httt, Well known in all the very nonlorn parts of the worth It is front 22 to :27 in. in length, feeds on every kind of animal food which it e m obtain, and has white plumags• spotted and borrist with brown. the legs densely feathered to the (laws. Of owls not natives of Britain one of the most interesting is the Benttowiso Ow or _l r nee nlarin). a North American species, which, when necessary, excavates a for itself, but prefers to take poseession of those of the marmot, called the prairie dog (q.v.). it is not the only specie! of owl which inhabits holes in the ground. The Iloonook or Boo :hoar. of Australia (Stri.e, or Nocion, Booboo):) is a species of owl, which frequently repeals during the night, the cry represented by its name, as if it were a noc turnal Seine of the species of owl are small birds; among the rarer British species are one of in., and one scarcely more than 7 in. long. Some owls are at Lest ally birds of passage, of which, among British species, the short-eared owl is au example.