104 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



dictory, and can only be reconciled by considering that 

 the observations of travellers apply to distinct species of 

 these birds. Vieillot tells us that the owl he observed in 

 St. Domingo digs itself a burrow two feet deep, at the 

 bottom of which its eggs are deposited on a bed of moss, 

 stalks of herbs, and dried roots, and that the young, 

 when only covered with down, frequently ascend to the 

 entrance to enjoy the warmth of the sun, but, being very 

 fearful of danger, they quickly hide themselves in the 

 burrow the instant they are approached. Azara, on the 

 other hand; says that the diurnal owl, which he calls 

 Suinda, never enters woods or perches upon trees, but 

 exclusively haunts the open country where game abounds, 

 making its nest and concealing itself in the holes or kennels 

 of the armadillos, which are not very deep but well 

 lined with hay or straw. 



