156 OWLS. 



and contrived to escape, leaving the Hawk in full possession 

 of their joint prison. 



One other species of Owl only shall we notice, which has a 

 very different way of living and lodging from those already 

 alluded to. It is called the Burrowing Owl. It is widely 

 spread over the American continent, both North and South, 

 though only to be met with in particular parts of each, where 

 circumstances combine to make its residence convenient. It 

 gets its name of Burrowing Owl from the singular retreat it 

 invariably prefers. Other birds of this family resort to solitary 

 recesses in woods and forests, or ruined buildings ; but this 

 delights to dwell in open plains, in company with animals 

 remarkable for their social disposition. 



Lucien Buonaparte, the brother of Napoleon, who for many 

 years lived in North America, and became a celebrated natu- 

 ralist, thus speaks of it : — "Instead of sailing heavily forth in 

 the obscurity of the evening or morning twilight, and then 

 retreating to its abode, this bird enjoys the broadest glare of 

 the noonday sun, and flying rapidly along searches for food 

 or pleasure, during the cheerful light of the day ; and then 

 returns to its underground dwelling, which consists of the 

 burrows of the marmot, or prairie-dog, an animal abounding 

 on the vast plains of the western part of the United States. 

 These burrows are called by the natives marmot-villages, and 

 are so numerous and extensive, that they will sometimes 

 spread over the face of the country for miles together. If 

 disturbed, the Owls, which are usually seated near the bur- 

 rows, either fly off a little way, and settle again, or descend 

 into the holes, from whence it is no easy matter to dislodge 

 them. 



Another traveller, Captain Sir Francis Head, when travel- 

 ling over some immense plains in South America, called the 

 Pampas, fell in with them in company with the biscachos, an 

 animal much resembling the above-mentioned prairie-dogs, of 

 very singular appearance, nearly as large as badgers, but their 

 heads not unlike a rabbit's, except that they have large bushy 

 whiskers. In the evening, they sit outside these holes, look- 



