OTUS VULGARIS.
Long-eared Owl.

Otus albicollis, Daud. Traité d’Orn., tom. ii. p- 213.

— Italicus, Daud. ibid., p. 213.

— vulgaris, Flem. Hist. of Brit. Anim., p. 56.

— Europeus, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. pt. ii. p. 57
—— communis, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 110. —
— aurita, Mont. Orn. Dict. Renn. edit., p. 262.

—— asio, Leach, Syst. Cat. Brit. Mus., p. 11.

—— sylvestris, Brehm, Vog. Deutsch. p. 121.

— arboreus, Brehm, ibid., p. 122.

— gracilis, Brehm, ibid., p. 123.

Asio italicus, Briss. Orn., tom. 1. p. 491.

— otus, Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. 1. p. 116.

Strix otus, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 132.

Ulula otus, Macgill. Rapt. Birds of Brit., p. 403.

 

Why one group of Owls should have elongated tufts on the forehead, like the Otus vulgaris, others short
plumes, as in the Brachyotus palustris, while other groups have no trace of these appendages, is a matter for
speculation among naturalists. These lengthened feathers have obtained for the two birds above mentioned
the trivial names of the Long- and Short-eared Owls; but it must be understood that they are totally
unconnected with the ears, and are, in fact, nothing more than a prolongation of that particular part of the
bird’s plumage. Of course the anatomist would find a particular muscle for the erection and depression of
these tufts, for nature never bestows such a feature without the means of showing it off to the best
advantage: thus the fine colours on the side of the Red-legged Partridge are displayed to the utmost, so
that every band falls into its right place, and so that the varied colours are in perfect harmony; and this law
prevails with every bird, from the Peacock, with its gorgeous train, to the humble Sparrow on the house-top,
who, in bis manifestations of love, exhibits to his mate far more varied markings than he is generally supposed to
possess. My own opinion 1s, and always has been, that ornamentation is the chief design and intention of
these beauties, and that they have little or no ‘fluence whatever on the bird’s well-being and economy. It is
remarkable, too, how one group represents another in the great scheme of creation ; how Falcons, among
birds, answer to the salmon and the trout ; and the Owls the cats among Mammals, even to the appearance of
in their disposition and many of their actions. The poor mouse

the ears, to say nothing of the resemblance
|, the Stork, and the Heron, among birds, the cat and the

has, indeed, many enemies—the Owl, the Kestre
ds, and the snake and lizard among reptiles. But let us revert to the history of the

weasel among quadrupe
Does it constantly live in England ?

Long-eared Owl, one of the most interesting members of its group.
Is it strictly an indigenous bird 2? Is its dispersion general, from the most southern to the most northern
Does it inhabit the sister kingdom of Ireland, as well as the islands
I answer, Yes. Every extensive wood, nearly
Long-eared Owls; or if it be not so, it is
ling the poor bird, strive to extir-

parts of England and Scotland ?
contiguous to Britain 2 To all and every one of these queries
Scotch, or silver) has its pair of
, and the collector, instead of befrienc
ap forth when the covers are beaten for the stealthy
onvince every one of the folly

every plantation of firs (larch,
because the keeper, the sportsman
ry individual that may fl
s reflection only is necessary to C
ful a denizen of our woods and pastures,
young weasels, and smaller

pate it by ruthlessly shooting eve
Woodcock and the Pheasant. A moment’
of destroying so beautiful an ornament of the country, and so use

which is evidently designed to keep in check the numbers of the field-mice, |
birds, all of hich it readily devours. ‘To show the great amount of good it effects in this way, I may cite
from Mr. Selby’s account of this species :—" In the stomach of one individual I found
hout doubt, the relics from its repast of the previous night.”

the Long-eared Owl is found in all parts of Europe, from Prussia to
é for we know that it frequents the wooded
‘thin the Colony of the Cape. It has
in his recently published work on
ashmere, but is not very common :
s that neither this species nor

the following passage
five skulls of mice, which were, wit

Independently of the British Islands,
Italy. The chances are that it is generally dispersed over Africa 5
i of that country, and that it also occurs W
but Mr. Jerdon states,
ayas from Nepaul to C

Mr. Wheelwright state

regions of the northern parts
not yet been discovered in the Indian peninsula 5
the birds of that country, that ‘t inhabits the Himal
towards the east it evidently becomes more scarce.
the Brown Owl are met with in Lapland.

either this bird or a most nee