THE WHITE OWL. 559 
“Its cry,” says he, ‘‘is waahk, waahha, which one is tempted to 
compare with the affected laugh of a votary of fashion. Often in my 
distant excursions, when encamped under the trees, and roasting a 
slice of venison or squirrel by means of a wooden spit, I have been 
greeted with the laughter of this nocturnal disturber. It stopped at a 
few paces from me, exposing its whole body to the gleam of my fire, 
and looking at me in such an odd way, that had I not feared to make 
a fool of myself in my own eyes, I should have politely invited him 
to come and partake of my supper. This bird visits Louisiana, and 
is met with in all the most isolated woods, even in open day. If it 
appears likely to rain, it laughs louder than ever; its waah, waahha, 
penetrates into the most remote recesses of the woods, and its 
comrades answer it in strange and discordant tones; one might 
almost think that the owl nation was celebrating some extraordinary 
jéte.” 
Audubon adds that when you approach one of these birds it 
thoroughly scrutinises you, assuming at the same time the most 
grotesque attitudes. If any one fires at it and misses, it flies away, 
but stops at a little distance and utters its mocking cry. 
The name Hawk Owls has been given to this genus, as it serves as 
a transition from the nocturnal to the diurnal birds of prey. In fact, 
although by their general shape and physical conformation they 
evidently belong to the former, they are also connected with the latter 
by their habits and mode of hunting, which are very like those of the 
Sparrow Hawk; hence their name. ‘They are easily recognised by 
their long and tapering tail, and by their free and bold gait. They 
form a very characteristic group, and the species, which are four in 
number, present but little diversity. 
The White Owl (JVictecvea), sometimes called the Harfang, can be 
tamed ; but it must not be closely confined. It requires both air 
and space to move about at will. Under these conditions it con- 
stitutes a useful auxiliary to the farmer, and will advantageously take 
the place of several cats, for it possesses great strength and equal 
courage; but if it is kept in a cage it refuses food, and dies after a 
few days’ captivity. 
The White Owl may be found in all parts of Europe, Asia, and 
North America. Its plumage is a brilliant white, with some black 
spots on the head. ‘This colour is well suited to the nature of the 
places in which it lives, for it sometimes inhabits the most desolate 
solitudes to the north of America: Newfoundland, Hudson’s Bay, 
Greenland, Iceland, and the neighbouring islands. Thanks to its 
colour, which harmonises so perfectly with all around, it is enabled 
