MOTTLED AND RED OWL. l^S 



appears necessary. When approached towards evening, 

 he appeared strongly engaged in reconnoitring the ob- 

 ject, blowing with a hissing noise (shay, shay, shay), 

 common to other species, and stretching out his neck 

 with a waving, lateral motion, in a threatening attitude, 

 and, on a nearer approach, made a snapping with the bill, 

 produced by striking together both mandibles, as they are 

 equally movable. He was a very expert mouse-catcher, 

 swallowed his prey whole, and then, after some time, 

 ejected from the bill, the bones, skin, and hair, in pel- 

 lets. He also devoured large flies, which at this time 

 came into the room in great numbers, and even the dry 

 parts of these were also ejected from the stomach with- 

 out digestion. He never showed any inclination whatever 

 to drink. 



H\\e female Mottled Owl, or old bird, is 10 to 11 inches long, and 

 22 or more in extent. The upper parts are dark brown, shaded with 

 paler, and thickly lined and spotted with zigzag points of black and 

 ash. The wings lighter, and spotted with white. Tail mottled with 

 black, brown, and whitish on a dark ground; beneath, grey. Horns 

 or auricular tufts, prominent, each composed of 10 graduated feath- 

 ers. Face whitish, with small dusky spots, and bounded on either 

 side by a black circle. Breast and belly whitish, variegated with 

 broad lines and zigzag bars of black, with blended touches of brown. 

 The legs feathered nearly to the claws, with hairy down of a pale 

 brown. Vent and under tail coverts nearly white, the latter faintly 

 marked with brown. Iris brilliant yellow. The bill and claws grey- 

 ish horn color. The male is smaller and darker, and the white on 

 the wing-coverts less pure. 



