310 GREAT HORNED OWL. 



HABITS. 



I have described the Great Horned Owls as possessing certain, strongly marked feat- 

 ures by which they may be at once distinguished from all other members of the family. 

 This is not only true regai'ding form, plumage, etc., but they also exhibit many character- 

 istic habits, not observable in any other species of our native Owls. They axe the wildest 

 of the group and it is only by exercising the greatest caution that one can approach within 

 gun shot of them. Even in the wilds of Florida, they are very shy, notably so during 

 daylight, at which time they are extremely restless, especially during the breeding season, 

 and about the first of January, I have frequently heard them hoot at intervals from morn- 

 ing until night. It is not unusual to meet them flying about the swamps at any hour at 

 this time and I have even seen them in the piney woods at a considerable distance from a 

 hummock. When thus wandering, if they perceive an intruder, they will at once start, 

 flying as steadily as any of the diurnal birds of prey. They differ, however, from this class 

 for they will make frequent pauses in order to look at the object of their dislike. This 

 fear of man appears to be inherited for even the young, when scarcely able to fly, are very 

 wild and I once spent an hour among the Alleghany Mountains endeavoring to obtain a 

 shot at a Great Horned Owl which led me a chase of some miles and when I, at length, 

 succeeded in obtaining it, I was surprised to find that the bird was only in the nestling 

 plumage. 



Unlike any other Owls which I have kept, the Great Horned are very difficult to tame; ' 

 in fact, it will not be easy to find fiercer birds, for they will seldom permit one to caress 

 them and scarcely appear to recognize their best friend. The only exception to this rule 

 that ever came under my notice, is a fine specimen now in the possession of the Bangs 

 Brothers which, although far from being good-tempered, does acknowledge his masters 

 and will permit them to handle him on some occasions but will instantly attack all other 

 intruders. 



As ali-eady noted, the Great Horned Owls are not only variable in plumage but also 

 in regard to their notes, yet no one would be apt to mistake an Owl of this species for any 

 other when he saw it, no matter how singular the color; neither would any one fail to rec- 

 ognize the peculiar notes, even though there is considerable difference in the songs, if so 

 Ave may call them, of different individuals. My extended experience in the woods of Flor- 

 ida has brought me in contact with very many of this species and I have spent many hours- 

 in listening to them. The usual cry consists of four notes which may be expressed as fol- 

 lows: who-ho-ho-whoo, the first two being given quite rapidly, then a pause of a second or 

 two ensues and the third syllable comes out distinclly with emphasis, quickly followed by 

 the last which is dwelt upon, often with a rising inflection just as though the birds were ask- 

 ing a question. Some Owls add another note and one which came about our camp at 

 Blue Springs during the winter of 1872, gave eight distinct sounds. Besides this hoot, 

 thej' emit other sounds and when the males are pursuing the female? during the nesting 

 season, they utter a series of guttural notes, sounding like wack-wack-lw-ho-wa-who, all 

 delivered rapidly but dwelling on the last with the same rising inflection as when hooting. 



