APPENDIX. 339 



quills, once entering the skin, slowly worm their way through the 

 system, and produce lingering suffering, if not death. Even the 

 moose is lamed, if not for life, for a tedious time, by accidentally 

 running over a " maduis,'' as the Indian calls him. The porcupine 

 is essentially nocturnal in its habits, retiring at sunrise to its den to 

 sleep off its midnight revels, till the " knell of parting day " is again 

 tolled through the arches of the forest by the solemn war-cry of the 

 horned owl. 



All the strigidm are now busily engaged in hunting mice, shrews, 

 and even hares, through the darkest swamps, and uttering at intervals 

 their melancholy hootings. The call of the cat-owl, horned, or eagle- 

 owl of America (B. Virginianus), is one ^ of the most impressive 

 sounds of the forest at night. Coming on the ear of the sojourner 

 in the woods, most frequently just before daylight appears, and 

 emanating from the dark recesses of a grove of hemlock spruce, 

 from whose massive stems the sound re-echoes through the forest, 

 the voice of this bird is eminently suggestive of most melancholy 

 solitude and ghostliness, and one instinctively awakens the dying 

 embers of the camp fire. Another sound uttered by this bird on its 

 nocturnal hunt is positively startling — a maniacal yell, terminating 

 in mocking laughter, which it is hard to believe can proceed from 

 the throat of a bird. 



I believe there is nothing of its own size that this fierce, powerful 

 bird will not venture to attack under cover of the night. The poor 

 hare constantly falls a prey; the farmer has a long score to settle 

 with it, frequently losing his poultry — even geese — through its 

 nocturnal visits. An Indian recently told me that the owl had 

 carried off a favourite little dog that was of great value in hunting 

 for partridges. Whilst in confinement, these birds will prey on one 

 another. 



The great homed owl is not so exclusively nocturnal as some 

 of the other members of the family. I have frequently started 

 them sitting on a branch exposed to open daylight, and noticed that 

 they were perfectly sure of flight, and readily found their way to 

 another hiding place. Passing the dark wooded banks of the 

 Shubenacadie in a canoe, I have seen great numbers of them sitting 

 in the overhanging spruces and hemlocks. 



Sometimes a curious whining sound, uttered at intervals, is 

 noticeable at night in the woods. It is the note of the " wdxwaekhy' 

 as the Indian calls it — Tengmalm's owl. 



The answer of the bull moose to the Indian's plaintive ringing 



z 2 



