THE GREAT OWL. 549 
The Great Cwl is very courageous, and often fights with the Tawny 
Eagle, not unfrequently becoming victor in such contests. The fight 
is sometimes so severe that it terminates in the death of both com- 
batants. 
M. Bailly relates that he was told by reliable witnesses that an 
Eagle and Great Owl, which were fighting together in the mountains 
of Savoy, drove their claws so deep into one another’s flesh that 
the belligerents could not withdraw them, so both died on the scene 
of action. Ina similar fight near Zurich a Great Owl, which was the 
conqueror, was so fastened to its adversary that even after both fell 
to the ground it was unable to disengage its talons, and in con- 
sequence was taken alive. 
When wounded so as to be unable to fly, if attacked by dogs, 
the Great Owl will sell its life dearly; for, turning upon its back, with 
open claws and menacing bill, it fights its enemies as long as possessed 
of life. 
In spite of ihis combative disposition, the Great Owl easily 
becomes tame; even learns its name, and comes at the call of 
its master. Perfect liberty may then be safely allowed it, as it will 
remain in the neighbourhood of its home, seldom failing to return at 
meal-times. Frisch relates that he twice kept birds of this kind, and 
that they lived for a considerable time; he fed them on ox-flesh. 
They would sometimes swallow as many as five mice without stop- 
ping, having first broken their bones with blows from their bills. In 
case of necessity they would eat fish. Some hours after taking their 
food, they ejected the bones and hair of their victims. Instances 
have been known, however, in which this Owl would not submit to 
confinement. 
The Great Owl is possessed of the strongest attachment to its 
young. M. Cronstedt, a Swiss gentleman, lived for several years on 
a farm situated at the foot of a mountain, on the top of whicha 
couple of Great Owls build their nest. The servants caught and shut 
up in a hen-house one of the young birds, which thirst for rapine 
had doubtless impelled prematurely to leave the maternal abode; 
the next morning they were surprised to find at the door of the hen- 
house a freshly-killed partridge. The idea was tha‘ the parent birds, 
attracted by the cries of the young owl, had thus provided for its 
sustenance: the same thing occurred fourteen days running. M. 
Cronstedt, wishing to have ocular proof, watched during several 
nights, in order to surprise the hen bird in this act of maternal love. 
But he failed, probably because the bird, thanks to its powerful 
vision, took an opportunity to leave her offspring’s provisions at a 
