EAGLE OWL. 109 



flight is easy and buoyant, but not rapid ; and from the soft 

 texture of the feathers, even those of the wings, their flight 

 is performed without noise. 



The species vary greatly in size ; and, according to their 

 several powers, their food consists of mammalia, birds, rep- 

 tiles, and occasionally fishes ; while, among the smaller species 

 of Owls, twilight-flying beetles and large moths are the ob- 

 jects of search. Owls, like the Falcons, return by the mouth 

 the indigestible parts of the food swallowed in the form of 

 elongated pellets ; these are found in considerable numbers 

 about the usual haunts of the birds, and examination of 

 them, when softened in warm Avater, detects the nature of 

 the food. 



The Owls are usually arranged in two principal groups : 

 one in which all the species exhibit two tufts of feathers on 

 the head, which have been called horns, ears, and egrets ; 

 in the second group, the heads are smooth and round without 

 tufts. 



The Eagle Owl is one of the largest species of the family, 

 and inhabits the North of Europe generally ; but must be 

 considered a rare bird in England, an example occurring 

 only occasionally, and at uncertain intervals. Its food con- 

 sists of the larger sorts of game among mammalia as well as 

 birds, such as fawns, hares, grouse, &c. which it pounces on 

 upon the ground, seizing its prey Avith its feet, and seldom 

 advancing its head towards the victim till its struggles are 

 over. 



The nest of this bird is large, the materials collected being 

 spread over a surface of several square feet among rocks, 

 or the walls of old ruins. The female is larger than the 

 male, and produces two or three eggs of a short oval shape, 

 two inches five lines long by one inch ten lines wide, and 

 perfectly white. 



Linneus, when making a tour in Lapland, found this bird 



