7C 



VERTEBRATA. 



ATHENE COXNETIE>'S, AUSTRALIA. 



ATHENE MACULATA, AUSTRALIA. 



"The usual food of this species consists of hares, grouse, rabbits, ducks, mice, and even carrion. 

 Unlike most of his tribe, he hunts by day as well as by twilight, and is particularly fond of fre- 

 quenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers, over the surface of which he slowly sails, or sits 

 on a rock a little raised above the water, Avatching for fish. These he seizes with a sudden and 

 instantaneous stroke of the foot, seldom missing his aim. In the more southern and thickly-set- 

 tled parts he is seldom seen, and when he appears, his size, color, and singular aspect attract gen- 

 eral notice." 



Genus ATHENE : Athene — Chevkhe of Le Maout. — The term Athene, being one of the names 

 of Minerva, the Greek goddess of wisdom, is adopted because the owl, from his meditative air 

 and mysterious habits, was popularly supposed to penetrate the future and be possessed of super- 

 human knowledge, whence he was sacred to Minerva, and was called the Bird of Wisdom. The 

 birds of this genus are without ear-tufts; the facial disk is incomplete; the bill is short; the tail 

 short and square. The name of Bird-Owls is sometimes applied to the species : these are very 

 numerous, probably forty in number, distributed in all parts of the world. 



The Little Owl of Europe — the Petite Chouette of the French, A. noctua of C. Bonaparte — 

 is a small species of the size of a thrush ; its plumage is diversified with black and white ; it 

 avoids woods, and inhabits old walls and ruinous edifices. It is not wholly nocturnal, but hunts 

 even before and after the twilight. It feeds on small birds, mice, moles, and insects. Its cry is 

 poupou, poupou^ and sometimes aime, heme, edme. It makes its nest in old walls, in the roofs of 

 houses, and the crevices of rocks. "When taken young it can be easily domesticated, and becomes 

 a very amusing pet. M. Gerard gives a highly interesting account of one that slept with a young 

 cat and went about the fields hunting Avith it. It was also very loving and familiar with a tame 

 crow. It hunted insects by itself in the garden, and destroyed a prodigious number. 



The Acadian Owl or Sparrow-Owl — called Saw-whet in Massachusetts — A. passerina, is one 

 of the least of its genus, but, like many other little folks, makes up in neatness of general form 

 and appearance for deficiency of size, and is, perhaps, the most shapely of all our owls. Nor are 

 the colors and markings of its plumage inferior in simplicity and eS"ect to most others. It also 

 possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and brilliancy to the best of them. It is a general and con- 

 stant inhabitant of the Middle and Northern States, but is most numerous in the neighbor- 

 hood of the sea-shore, and among woods and swamps of pine-trees. It rarelv rambles much 

 during the day ; but if disturbed, flies a short way, and again takes shelter from the light ; at the 



