20 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



GREAT HORNED OWL. 



A. O. \/. JSo. 375. CBabo xJir^inianuj.y 



RANGE. 



Whole of eastern North America from Labrador to Mexico, being a 

 resident wherever found except in the extreme north. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, male, twenty-one inches; extent, forty inches; tail,, 

 eight inches. Female, length, twenty-three inches; extent, fifty- 

 one inches; tail, nine inches. Bill and claws strong and well curved. 

 Color, .above, including wings and tail, very dark brown, the 

 feathers . being mottled, and barred with white and rufous, the 

 barring being heavier on the wings and tail. Ear tufts are 

 dark brown, almost a black, edged with rufous on the inner margin. 

 The face is rufous strongly marked with black, the feathers being 

 lightest nearest the eyes. There is a large patch of white across 

 the throat and upper part of the breast. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



The horned owl breeds from the latter part of January to the 

 end of April, according to locality, the fact that the weather is 

 extremely cold making little difference. The nest is either in a 

 decayed tree trunk, or formed of sticks and twigs, and lined usu- 

 ally with a few leaves and feathers. The eggs are pure white and 

 from two to four in number. 



HABITS. 



The great horned owl, also Horned owls are frequently tak- 

 called the "hoot or cat owl," is the en from the nest when young 

 largest, strongest and most de- and kept in captivity for years, 

 structive bird of this family in They make very unsatisfactory 

 the United States, it is a noctur- pets, however, as their temper is 

 nal bird and rarely ventures out very variable and they are apt to 

 in the daylight, unless disturbed attack their keeper without provo- 

 and driven from its roosting cation of any kind, or any warn- 

 place, which is generally a large ing on their part, and intlict se- 

 oak or pine tree, where it sits all vere injuries with their powerful 

 day as motionless as a sphinx, talons before he can prepare to de- 

 Its flight is graceful and not un- fend himself. Not only are these 

 like that of a hawk, from which birds ill disposed towards man- 

 it can be distinguished by its kind, but they are very unsociable 

 large and rounded wings. among themselves, the same neigh- 



