112 NEST OF THE WHITE OR BARN OWL 



Nothing daunted by this mishap, the Owl returned to the attack, and, grasping the pony's 

 nose with the sound foot, struck his curved beak into its face and recommenced his 

 buffeting. He was at last torn away by main force, and paid the penalty of his mischiei 

 with his life. 



This species is generally considered to be the typical example of the Owl tribe, as it 

 exhibits in great perfection the different characteristics of the Owls, namely, the thick coat 

 of downy plumage, the peculiar disc round the eye, the large eye-balls, and the heavily 

 feathered legs and toes. The feathers are so thickly set upon this bird, that it appears 

 to be of much greater dimensions than is really the case. When standing on its feet, or 

 while flying over the fields like a huge bunch of thistle-down b'lown violently by the night 

 breeze, the Barn Owl appears to be rather a large bird ; but when the creature is lying 

 on the bird-stuffer's table, after its skin and feathers have been removed, the transformation 

 is really astonishing. The great round head shrinks into the shape and size of that of a 

 small hawk, the body is hardly larger than that of a pigeon, and but for the evident 

 power of the firm muscles and their glistening tendinous sheaths, the bird would appear 

 absolutely insignificant. 



Although so small, it is a terrible bitd to fight, and when it flings itself defiantly on 

 its back, ire glancing from its eyes, and its sharp claws drawn up to its breast ready to 

 strike as soon as its antagonist shall come within their range, it is really a formidable 

 foe, and will test the nerves of a man to some extent before he can secure the fierce little 

 bird, as I can assert from experience, having had my hands somewhat torn in such an 

 encounter. So fiercely does this bird strike, that I knew an instance where a dog was 

 blinded by the stroke of a Barn Owl's claws. The Owl was a tame one, and the dog a 

 stranger went up to inspect the bird. As the dog approached the Owl, the bird rolled 

 quietly over on its back, and when the dog put his head to the prostrate bird, it struck so 

 sharply with its claws that it destroyed both the eyes of the poor animal, which had to be 

 killed on account of the injury. While its young are helpless, the White Owl watches 

 over their safety with great vigilance, and if any living thing, such as a man or a dog, 

 should approach too closely to the domicile, the Owl will dash fiercely at them, regardless 

 of the consequence to itself. 



The nest of this species is placed either in a hollow tree, or in a crevice of some old 

 building, where it deposits its white, rough-surfaced eggs upon a soft layer of dried 

 " castings." These nests have a most ill-conditioned and penetrating odour, which taints 

 the hand which is introduced, and cannot be removed without considerable care and 

 several lavations. The young are curious little puffs of white down, and the Barn Owl is 

 so prolific that it has been known to be sitting on one brood of eggs while it is feeding the 

 young of a previous hatching. 



As may be supposed from its popular title of White Owl, this species is veiy light in 

 its colouring. The general colour of this bird is buff of different tints, with grey, white, 

 and black variegations. The head and neck are light buff, speckled slightly with black 

 and white spots, and the back and wings are of a deeper buff spotted with grey, black, 

 and white. The tail is also buff, with several broad bars of grey. The facial disc is nearly 

 white, becoming rusty-brown towards the eye, and a deeper brown round the edge. The 

 under surface of the male bird is beautifully white, the claws are brown, the beak nearly 

 white, and the eyes blue-black. The sexes are very* similar in their colouring, but the 

 females and young males may be distinguished by the under surface of the body, which if 

 fawn instead of white. 



