THE OWLS 1905 



being, as might be expected in nocturnal birds, invariably absent. The young are 

 born in a helpless condition, and covered with down; and the eggs are invariably 

 white, and of a rounded form. In size, these birds are subject to great variation; 

 the eagle owls reaching to twenty-eight inches in length, while the owlets are not 

 larger than a thrush. Considerable diversity of view has obtained as to the affini- 

 ties of the owls, some authorities considering that their nearest relationships are 

 with the diurnal birds of prey, while others regard them as more nearly related to 

 the Picarians. From their osteology alone they appear, however, to be related on 

 the one hand to the parrots, while on the other they are intimately connected 

 through the ospreys with the diurnal birds of prey; in their soft internal parts they 

 differ, however, very considerably from the latter. 



Unlike the parrots, the owls (of which there are probably about 

 Distribution ^ wo hundred species), enjoy a cosmopolitan distribution, ranging from 

 the Arctic regions to the most distant islands of Oceania. The great 

 majority of them are crepuscular and nocturnal in their habits, and 

 are more or less completely dazed if disturbed and driven from their haunts during 

 the daytime. Others, however, are but little incommoded by daylight; while the 

 hawk owls actually seek their prey in the full glare of the sun. As owls subsist 

 entirely on living prey, which at night must be closely approached before it can be 

 detected, an absolutely silent flight is essential, and this is effected by the soft and 

 fluffy nature of their plumage. It is doubtless from this ghost-like, stealthy flight, 

 coupled with their nocturnal habits, their large glaring eyes, and their weird hoot- 

 ings and screechings, that these birds have in all ages and in all countries been 

 regarded as creatures of ill-omen. Indeed, in this respect, owls hold a position 

 among birds precisely similar to that occupied by lemurs among mammals; with the 

 difference that, owing to distribution, while in the one case the superstition is 

 universally diffused, in the other it is confined to certain races inhabiting the 

 warmer regions of the Old World. While the majority of owls are arboreal, some 

 of the species roost in holes or clefts of rocks or in buildings. It is common to see 

 owls in museums mounted with three toes in front of and one behind the perch on 

 which they are seated. An anonymous observer states, however, that this is 

 totally incorrect, and that no living owl ever places three toes in front of his perch, 

 although he could do this for a moment if he felt so minded. The same writer also 

 observes that ' ' no owl seizes his prey or holds it with both feet, though both feet 

 may be used to carry it when the prey is a large one; such quarry, for instance, as 

 a full-grown rat. With one foot the owl grasps his prey, .the other foot grasps a 

 tuft or some other inequality of the ground. Then the bird goes to work. ' ' 



Owls feed chiefly on small mammals, such as rats, mice, voles, and shrews, 

 more especially the two latter, as well as on birds, reptiles, fishes, and insects. 

 The large eagle-owls will readily attack and kill hares, rabbits, and the largest 

 game birds, and it is undoubtedly the case that such species inflict much harm on 

 game preserves. The smaller kinds do, however, far more good than harm to the 

 agriculturalist, and although they were formerly shot down ruthlessly, both by the 

 gamekeeper and the farmer, there is some reason to believe that the latter, at least, 

 is beginning to see the error of his ways. If proof were needful of the usefulness of 



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