136 GREAT HORNED OWL. 



Great Horned Owl: Bubo virginianus. 



Length about 2 feet. 



Large, conspicuous ear-tufts. Eyes large and yellow. 

 Upper parts mottled, black, brown, and gray; wings and 

 tail barred; white band on the throat. 

 Under parts buff, barred with black. 

 Resident (rare) all the year. 



The Great Horned Owl is fortunately rare in this 

 vicinity. Dr. Fisher calls him " a tiger among birds," 

 and says that, besides eating all kinds of poultry, birds 

 and rabbits, he takes Hawks, Crows and even other 

 Owls. His loud, deep notes are all on one tone, who, 

 who, who, and at a distance are said to resemble the 

 barking of a dog. 



These Owls do not often build, but fix up an old 

 nest of Crow, Hawk or Squirrel, more often in ever- 

 greens than in deciduous trees, and usually near the 

 top. The eggs, two in number, are laid early in Feb- 

 ruary. 



