96 GREAT HORNED OWL— CAT OWL. 



in the summer, from which circumstance I am inclined to beHeve 

 that the majority breed in the fur countries, and extend during the 

 nesting season even to very extreme latitudes. In the McKenzie 

 River district, Ross speaks of its occurrence to the Arctic coast 

 and beyond. The same is also true respecting the Long and 

 Short-eared Owls, the common Grey or Barred Owl, and the 

 Hawk Owl, although there is not a doubt but that a number of 

 pairs of each of these species nest regularly in suitable places 

 throughout the Canadas. It is decidedly an uncommon event to 

 meet with an Owl's nest, and I know of but few instances on 

 record where the eggs of any of the Owls have been taken by 

 collectors in Canada. This may in a measure be owing to the 

 nocturnal habits of many of the species, and the out-of-the-way 

 spots these birds select to nest in, as well as to the smallness of 

 the number of our field ooloaists. The Great Horned Owl is not 

 very often seen abroad during the day, but I have many a time 

 stumbled upon one or more of them in their cozy retreats, in some 

 of our cross-country excursions. It is, however, a strictly noctur- 

 nal bird. During the glare and heat of the mid-day sun it quietly 

 dozes in some well shaded grove or cedar thicket, but is ever on 

 the alert, and cannot be surprised, or, as some imagine, taken by 

 the hand ; but no sooner has the sun lowered and the heat some- 

 what abated, than, slipping from his perch, he flits noiselessly from 

 one ledge of rock to another in eager search of some living object. 

 On several occasions we have drawn this Owl from his retreat in 

 broad day-light by accidentally burning something in our camp fire, 

 the smell of which aroused his slumbering appetite. In dark and 

 rainy weather these Owls are on the move all day long, and just 

 before a storm I have heard their sepulchral notes from every part 

 of the surrounding forest. These cries I cannot describe, nor can 

 I attempt to set them to music, as a writer in the American 

 Naturalist has done in a very happy manner with the sounds 

 produced by some of the insect tribes. In my opinion were I 

 even to succeed in accurately representing by note the night 

 concerts of these birds, I should find still greater difficulty in pro- 

 curinof a human beinof able to g-ive utterance to them. In some 

 of my note-books, however, I find various attempts made to give a 



