116 STRIGID^E. 



flight is easy and buoyant, but not rapid ; and from the 

 soft texture of the feathers, even those of the wings, their 

 flight is performed without noise. 



The species vary greatly in size ; and, according to their 

 several powers, their food consists of mammalia, birds, rep- 

 tiles, and occasionally fishes ; while, among the smaller 

 species of Owls, twilight-flying beetles and large moths are 

 the objects of search. Owls, like the Falcons, return by 

 the mouth the indigestible parts of the food swallowed in 

 the form of elongated pellets ; these are found in consider- 

 able numbers about the usual haunts of the birds, and ex- 

 amination of them, when softened in warm water, detects 

 the nature of the food. 



The Owls are usually arranged in two principal groups : 

 one in which all the species exhibit two tufts of feathers on 

 the head, which have been called horns, ears, and egrets ; 

 in the second group, the heads are smooth and round with- 

 out tufts. 



The Eagle Owl is one of the largest species of the family, 

 and inhabits the North of Europe generally ; but must be 

 considered a rare bird in England, an example occurring 

 only occasionally, and at uncertain intervals. Its food con- 

 sists of the larger sorts of game among mammalia as well 

 as birds, such as fawns, hares, grouse, &c. which it pounces 

 on upon the ground, seizing its prey with its feet, and sel- 

 dom advancing its head towards the victim till its struggles 

 are over. 



The nest of this bird is large, the materials collected 

 being spread over a surface of several square feet among 

 rocks, or the walls of old ruins. The female is larger than 

 the male, and produces two or three eggs of a short oval 

 shape, two inches five lines long by one inch ten lines wide, 

 and perfectly white. 



