THE EAGLE OWL. 



303 



attack it in open day. The Eagle Owl generally breaks the spine of the smaller animals close to the 

 head, and, cracking the remaining bones, devours its prey, skin and all ; the heads of the larger birds 

 it pulls in large pieces which it swallows. It, however, always devours a portion of the hair, feathers, 

 or scales as well, and wastes away if fed on flesh alone. The indigestible portions of the meal are 

 thrown up in large round pellets or 'casts.' With larger animals, it lays open the skin of the belly, 

 and eats out the flesh from inside. If it finds that there is too much for one meal, it carefully replaces 

 the skin, and hides the remainder in some dark cranny or corner until required again. This Owl 



SNOWY OWL. 



drinks rarely, slaking its thirst generally with the blood of its victims. If food is plentiful, it gorges 

 itself; but in times of dearth it can go without food for weeks together. 



" By the last fortnight in March the Eagle Owls commence preparations for breeding. At this 

 season may be heard their hollow, muffled cry of ' poohoo, poohoo,' which is distinguishable at a great 

 distance through the woods, and it is not to be wondered that the timid are frightened at it. In the 

 silent, dark recesr.es of the mountain forest a variety of noises, well calculated to make one's flesh 

 creep, fall upon the ear : the shrill, mocking laugh, a sound as of snarling hounds ; the whoop of the 

 hunter, the snorting of Horses ; these are all calculated to impress the uneducated and superstitious 

 with the truth of the legend of the wild huntsman. Even to the ear of the better-informed, these 

 hideous cries, the loud screech of the female, or the ' poohoo ' of the male, intermingled with the 

 snapping of the beak and curious miaulings, sound somewhat weird j and the boldest of mortals can 



