146 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



makes a really intelligent pet. The American species is not common 

 in the Middle States. We saw one this spring, a gay, attractive bird, 

 in an hotel at Tom's River, New Jersey. It fairly glowed in a warm, 

 bright tawny hue. In reply to an inquiry, we promptly pronounced 

 it a young barn-owl ; but its owner was piqued at the idea that any- 

 body should have seen its like before. 



2. The sub-family Subonince, the eared or horned owls, are so called 

 because of a pair of feathery, ear-like tufts, which are so set upon the 

 head as to have earned for these birds the general name, cat-owls. 

 Their facial disk is not quite perfect. The most famed bird of this 

 group is the great horned-owl {Bubo Virginianus, Bonap.) (see Fig. 

 3). This bird has usually a white collar round the neck. It is truly 



_,-:j 



Fig. 3. Great Horned-Owl {Bubo Virginianus). 



, a magnificent bird, of indomitable spirit and large size, being about 

 two feet in length. It does not migrate, and is found pretty much 

 all over North America. It breeds in winter and early spring, nest- 

 ing in hollow trees and crevices of rocks, and is said to build also on 

 some large branch, or in the crotch of a tree. Dr. Coues gives an in- 

 teresting account of two imfledged ones, which he captured in Da- 

 kota, in the month of June. They were his pets for the whole sum- 

 mer, and traveled with him several hundred miles. For a while they 

 had two different notes, the one of hunger or loneliness, a querulous, 

 explosive syllable, and the other a harsh cry of anger, or remon- 

 strance, when rudely handled. They did not begin to hoot until they 

 were about four months old, and then only while at liberty during the 

 night; for, says he, they became so thoroughly tame that, as their 

 wings grew, enabling them to take short flights, I used to release 

 them in the evening from the tether by which they were confined. 

 They enjoyed the liberty, and eventually would stay away all night. 



