100 MOTTLED OWL. 



shutting, as if suffering from the glare of day ; but no sooner was the 

 sun set, than its ■whole appearance became lively and animated ; its full 

 and globular eyes shone like those of a cat ; and it often lowered its 

 head, in the manner of a cock ■when preparing to fight, moving it from 

 side to side, and also vertically, as if reconnoitring you ■with great 

 sharpness. In flying through the room, it shifted from place to place 

 with the silence of a spirit, (if I may be allowed the expression), the 

 plumage of its wings being so extremely fine and soft as to occasion 

 little or no friction with the air ; a wise provision of nature, bestowed 

 on the whole genus, to enable them, without giving alarm, to seize their 

 prey in the night. For an hour or two in the evening, and about break 

 of day, it flew about with great activity. When angry, it snapped its 

 bill repeatedly with violence, and so loud as to be heard in the adjoining 

 room, swelling out its eyes to their full dimensions, and lowering its head 

 as before described. It swallowed its food hastily, in large mouthfuls ; 

 and never was observed to drink. Of the eggs and nest of this species 

 I am unable to speak. 



The Mottled Owl is ten inches long, and twenty-two in extent ; the 

 upper part of the head, the back, ears and lesser wing-coverts, are dark 

 brown, streaked and variegated with black, pale brown, and ash ; wings 

 lighter, the greater coverts and primaries spotted with white ; tail short, 

 even, and mottled with black, pale brown, and whitish, on a dark brown 

 ground ; its lower side gray ; horns (as they are usually called) very 

 prominent, each composed of ten feathers ; increasing in length from 

 the front backwards, and lightest on the inside ; face whitish, marked 

 with small touches of dusky, and bounded on each side with a circlet of 

 black ; breast and belly white, beautifully variegated with ragged streaks 

 of black, and small transverse touches of brown ; legs feathered nearly 

 to the claws, with a kind of hairy down, of a pale brown color ; vent 

 and under tail-coverts white, the latter slightly marked with brown ; 

 iris of the eye a brilliant golden yellow ; bill and claws bluish horn 

 color. 



This was a female. The male is considerably less in size ; the gene- 

 ral colors darker ; and the white on the wing-coverts not so observable. 



Hollow trees, either in the woods or orchard, or close evergreens, in 

 retired situations, are the usual roosting places of this and most of our 

 other species. These retreats, however, are frequently discovered by 

 the Nuthatch, Titmouse, or Blue Jay, who instantly raise the alarm ; a 

 promiscuous group of feathered neighbors soon collect round the spot, 

 like crowds in the streets of a large city, when a thief or murderer is 

 detected ; and by their insults and vociferation oblige the recluse to 

 seek for another lodging elsewhere. This may account for the circum- 

 stance of sometimes finding them abroad during the day, on fences and 

 other exposed situations. 



I 



