OUR AMERICAN OWLS. 153 



and others were seen perched on the churches and house-tops. For 

 several days they were common in the city and vicinity of Portland 

 Maine, where not less than one hundred and fifty were shot. A 

 worthy farmer near my home was taking his family to church. A 

 snowy owl sat on a fence by the road, caring nothing for the passino- 

 wagon. The good man fretted, "If it wasn't Sunday, I'd bag that 

 chap ! " Probably the fellow in Washington Territory was less con- 

 scientious, for he filled two barrels with these noble birds ! Almost 

 everywhere the village taxidermists in the Eastern and Middle States 

 had a harvest of employment. Says Ruthven Deane : " Many of the 

 specimens were in exceedingly poor condition. Of some two hundred 

 examined by me, nearly all were in very dark plumage, and none 

 wore that almost spotless dress which we occasionally see." 



One of these was brought by a pupil to my lecture-room in No- 

 vember. It was a fine fellow, but was badly hurt by the shot. It 

 was given in charge of a young friend, who, as bird-artist, knew the 

 worth of his prize. He kept it in his room, which served for studio 

 and sleep. The bird bad the freedom of the room, and became quite 

 gentle, permitting itself to be fondled. One night it persisted in get- 

 ting on its master's bed. This the jealousy of the hunting-dog could 

 not stand, and every time the bird flew on the bed the dog jumped on 

 and fought it off". At last the young man told the dog to keep quiet, 

 when the bird came again, and, squatting by the side of its owner, 

 kept still for the whole night. It was a great feeder. A weasel 

 which the youth had meant to mount was stolen and devoured by the 

 bird. Muskrats, rabbits, and birds, all went the same way ; and to 

 see him dine was a droll siglit. He would open wide his great brassy 

 optics, then insert his beak into his prey, then, shutting his eyes 

 excruciatingly tight, would lift his head high, and gulp clown what- 

 ever he had detached all of which would be executed in the most 

 grotesque batrachian style : for, who ever saw a frog swallow an insect 

 biit that he went it blind? Occasionally it was let out upon the 

 snow. This was indeed a luxury, it was so like home; and the bird 

 would swallow the snow in mouthfuls. A fine owl is this arctic bird ! 

 It will smite ducks and grouse on the wing, like a falcon ; will swoop 

 upon a hare on the ground, and dart at a fish in the shallows ; and 

 it does most of its hunting by day. 



In this group occurs also that truly fine bird, the Canada or hawk 

 owl, which is some sixteen inches long. It is often called, from its 

 diurnal habit, the day-owl ; for, though an owl, no owler is he. His 

 work is done up clean by daylight, and it is extremely rare to hear 

 of his being abroad at night. Looking now at Fig. 10, the Canada 

 owl {Surnia ulula, Bonap.), how easily, upon a casual glance, might 

 one mistake it for a hawk ! Like some of the falcons, it will watch 

 from the top of a tree, and will swoop thence upon its prey. It is 

 also arboreal in its nesting, and, with its mate, is splendidly coura- 



