Hobbit2 - Chapter 02 - Roast Mutton - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

jallanite · 05-15-2012, 01:16 PM

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screech_owl .

Screech owl is sometimes used to mean barn owl but usually denotes a separate kind of owl from the barn owl. Unfortunately this kind of owl is a kind of American owl.

I suspect that Tolkien borrowed this distinction from some account associated with the New World and himself did not know the distinction.

The barn owl (Tyto alba) is found almost worldwide. The screech owl, (Strigidae) belonging to the genus Megascops, is limited to the Americas.

See http://www.inkart.com/pages/nature/owls.html

05-15-2012, 01:16 PM	#7
jallanite Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 479	See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screech_owl . Screech owl is sometimes used to mean barn owl but usually denotes a separate kind of owl from the barn owl. Unfortunately this kind of owl is a kind of American owl. I suspect that Tolkien borrowed this distinction from some account associated with the New World and himself did not know the distinction. The barn owl (Tyto alba) is found almost worldwide. The screech owl, (Strigidae) belonging to the genus Megascops, is limited to the Americas. See http://www.inkart.com/pages/nature/owls.html Last edited by jallanite; 05-15-2012 at 02:10 PM.