166 OWLS. 



vey it to its nest. It has been conjectured by some, 

 that as fish are attracted by a light or any shining 

 substance, there may be a luminous appearance in the 

 large round and bright eyes of an Owl, like those of a 

 cat, which are known to all for their glaring in the dark, 

 by which the fish are attracted within reach of its beak 

 or claws. How far this conjecture may be true we 

 know not, but it is worthy of consideration, on account 

 of a very singular power possessed by one of the 

 American Bitterns, which has been confirmed by several 

 witnesses whose veracity it would be impossible to 

 doubt. This bird, which lives almost entirely on fish, 

 when in pursuit of prey, decoys them within reach by a 

 light from its breast of considerable brilliancy, described 

 by those who have seen it, " as equal to the light of a 

 common torch." Whether it has the power of increas- 

 ing or diminishing, or entirely putting out this light, is 

 not known, but its use to it as a fishing-bird is very 

 great, for it not only attracts the fish within reach, but 

 when they are there, enables the Bittern to see them 

 without difficulty. 



Owls have been noticed for an extraordinary attach- 

 ment to their young; whether, however, it exceeds that 

 of other birds or animals may be difficult to say, but 

 they will certainly visit and feed them long after they 

 have been separated from the nest. Some young Owls, 

 which had been so far tamed as to take food from the 

 hand, were observed to lose all their familiarity on being 

 hung out during the night, in consequence of renewed 

 visits from the supposed parent birds, who fed them with 

 as much care and attention as if they had been with them, 

 without interruption. 



Another instance in point was witnessed by a Swedish 

 gentleman who resided several years on a farm, near a 

 steep mountain, on the summit of which two Eagle- 

 Owls (Striae bubo) had built their nest. One day, in the 

 month of July, a young bird, having quitted the nest, 

 was caught by the servants. This bird was, considering 



