The comparatively small size of this bird’s eyes renders it probable that it hunts by day, and the remarkable smallness of its feet and claws induces me to think that it does not prey on large animals. Dr RICHARDSON says that “it is by no means a rare bird in the Fur Countries, being an inhabitant of all the woody districts, lying between Lake Superior and latitudes 67° or 68°, and between Hudson’s Bay and the Pacific. It is common on the borders of Great Bear Lake; and there, and in the higher parallels of latitude, it must pursue its prey, during the summer months, by day-light. It keeps however within the woods, and does not frequent the barren grounds, like the Snowy Owl, nor is it so often met with in broad day light as the Hawk Owl, but hunts principally when the sun is low; indeed, it is only at such times, when the recesses of the woods are deeply shadowed, that the American hare and the murine animals, on which the Cinereous Owl chiefly preys, come forth to feed. On the 23d of May I discovered a nest of this Owl, built on the top of a lofty balsam poplar, of sticks, and lined with feathers. It contained three young, which were covered with a whitish down. We got them by felling the tree, which was remarkably thick; and whilst this operation was going on, the two parent birds flew in circles round the objects of their cares, keeping, however, so high in the air as to be out of gunshot; they did not appear to be dazzled by the light. The young ones were kept alive for two months, when they made their escape. They had the habit, common also to other Owls, of throwing themselves back, and making a loud snapping noise with their bills, when any one entered the room in which they were kept.” STRIX CINEREA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 291.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 58—_Richards._ and _Swains._ Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p 77. Adult Female. Plate CCCLI. Bill short, stout, broader than high at the base, its dorsal outline convex to the end of the cere, which is covered with stiffish linear feathers having their barbs separated, the ridge very broad, the sides sloping and nearly flat, the tip compressed, decurved, acute; lower mandible small, with the angle long and wide, the dorsal line convex, the edges sharp, the tip narrow; the gape-line straight, at the end decurved. Nostrils large, elliptical; eyes large, but proportionally smaller than in most other Owls. The body is slender, anteriorly broad, but seems large and full on account of the great mass of plumage; the neck short; the head extremely large. Feet rather short; the tarsi very short, and feathered; the toes very short and feathered, there being only two or three bare scutella at their extremity. Claws slightly curved, long, slender, compressed, tapering to an extremely narrow point.