252 VERTEBRATA 



Only two species of eagles dwell in our land. The bald 

 eagle, after attaining the age of three years, is distinguished 

 from the golden eagle by its white-feathered head to which 

 the name is due. The golden eagle has been known to 

 destroy lambs and young deer, but the bald eagle is less 

 fierce, and neither has ever been known to attack children. 



Owls (Bubonidse). This family includes all the owls of 



FIG. 289. Foot of great horned owl. Photograph half natural size. 



North America except the barn owl. With few exceptions 

 they are nocturnal birds, living largely on mice, gophers, 

 frogs, snakes, and rabbits. They have a strange habit of 

 regurgitating out of the mouth in the form of small pellets 

 such indigestible portions of the food as hair and bones. 

 An examination of these pellets shows the kinds of animals 

 upon which the bird has fed. It has thus been found that 

 all of the owls with the exception of the great horned owl 



