90 THE GREA T HORNED WL. 



no one knew how. Almost every day after this hens and 

 chickens also disappeared, one by one, in an unaccountable 

 manner, till, in eight or ten days, very few were left remain- 

 ing. The fox, the minx, and weasel were alternately the 

 reputed authors of this mischief, until one morning, the 

 old lady herself, rising before day to bake, in passing 

 towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner, the Owl, 

 regaling himself on the body of a newly-killed hen! The 

 thief instantly made for his hole under the house, from 

 whence the enraged matron soon dislodged him with the 

 brush-handle, and without mercy dispatched him. In this 

 snug retreat were found the greater part of the feathers, 

 and many large fragments of her whole family of chickens." 



In confinement the Great Horned Owl is simply horrible. 

 He will squint and scowl at one in the most ominous man- 

 ner; and again turning his eyes into very balls of fire, will 

 snap at one like a cross dog, hiss like an angry cat, and 

 strike his claws at one with the most murderous force. Did 

 I not once see a large dog rush around the house in perfect 

 desperation, in the attempt to disengage the claws of this 

 bird from both sides of his head? 



If reared from the nest, however, he may become quite 

 docile and friendly. Mr. Bruce, of Brockport, has one such, 

 which, on being greeted with a bow by his master, will bow 

 and blink most obsequiously in return, and will even reach 

 out his foot to shake hands. One now in the large museum 

 at Drummondville, Ontario, opposite Niagara Falls, will 

 boo-hoo and bawl, after the most hideous manner of his wonted 

 midnight carnivals in the forest, in answer to the conver- 

 sation and questions of his keeper. 



Concerning the courtship of this bird, Audubon says: 

 " The curious evolutions of the male in the air, or his 

 motions when he has alighted near his beloved, it is impos- 



