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THE WESTERN HORNED OWL. 



(Bubo virginianus subarcticus.} 



" Bird of the silent wing and expansive eye, grimalkin in feathers, feline, mousing, 

 haunting ruins and towers, and mocking the midnight stillness with thy uncanny cry.'* 

 John Burroughs, Birds and Poets. 



Among the birds of prey (Raptores) looked upon the Owl with fear and de- 



none are better known, more written testation, dreading its appearance as the 



about or more cosmopolitan than that embodiment of all evil and the omen of 



nocturnal division (Family Strigidae), unfortunate events to come. By them the 



which includes the two hundred or more Owl was consecrated to Proserpine, the 



species of Owls. From the Arctic regions wife of Hades and queen of the under- 



of the north to the Antarctic regions world. Pliny tells us that the city of Rome 



of the south they are known. Most of the underwent a solemn cleansing because of 



genera are represented in both hemi- the visit of one of these birds. When the 



spheres, though eight are peculiar to the unearthly character of their cries and 



Old World and three to the New. The their quiet, spirit-like motion, as they fly 



majority of the species finds a home in the through the night hours, are taken into 



forests, though a few live in marshes and consideration, it is not surprising that 



on the plains. Some invade the buildings they have been and are held in awe and 



of civilization and may be found in the dread by many people. The characteris- 



unfrequented towers of churches and in tics of the two sexes are practically the 



outbuildings. same, except that the female is somewhat 



Disliked by all birds its appearance the larger. The young resemble the 

 during the day is the signal for a storm of adults, but are usually darker in color, 

 protests and, knowing that there is little Excepting those species that are whitish 

 need of fear of his power at this time, they in color, the Owls are usually a mixture 

 flock about him, pecking and teasing him of black, brown, rufous gray, yellow and 

 till he is obliged to retreat to his obscure white, and barring is common on the 

 roosting place. wings and tail. Their bills are blackish, 

 The Owls in most countries of both the dusky or yellowish. Their eyes are so 

 New World as well as the Old are regard- fixed that they have little power of turn 

 ed as birds of ill omen and messengers of ing the eye-balls and thus are obliged to 

 woe, and are protected from harm by turn the head when they wish to change 

 some uncivilized and superstitious peo- their range of vision. This they do with 

 pies, some believing that spirits of the great rapidity, in fact, the motion is so 

 wicked reside in their bodies. By others rapid that without close observation the 

 they have been called "Devil's Birds." bird seems to turn its head in one direc- 

 The belief of some unlearned people in tion for several revolutions if the object 

 the close relationship of the Owl with looked at passes around the perch upon 

 death and the grave dates back at least to which the Owl rests. A remarkable char- 

 the time of Shakspeare, who speaks of the acteristic is the reversible fourth toe or 

 Owl's hoot as "A song of death." Among digit, enabling the Owl to perch with 

 the ancient races only the Athenians seem either one or two toes behind, 

 not to have possessed this popular fear Mr. Evans tells us that "the note varies 

 and superstition. They venerated the Owl from a loud hoot to a low, muffled sound 

 and regarded it as the favorite bird of Mi- or a clear, musical cry ; the utterance of 

 nerva. On the other hand the Romans both young and adults being in some 



