OWLS. 339 



its note, a deep and loud hoot, consisting of the syllables Aw, Aw, modulated in various 

 ways, can be heard at considerable distances. Uttered at night, from some dark, 

 gloomy-looking gorge, the gruff call-note of the eagle-owl sounds peculiarly weird and 

 wild. It occasionally varies its usual note, so that it may be sometimes likened to a 

 hoarse laugh, and at others it is not much unlike the neighing of a horse. The super- 

 stitious peasants in the north believe, when they hear the hoot of this owl, that evil 

 spirits are about ; and the various legends of the wild huntsman, the so-called ' wilde 

 Jagd,' so firmly believed in by many of the German peasants, doubtless have their 

 origin from this bird. Few birds of prey are so destructive to game as the present 

 species ; for there is no game-bird, not even the capercaillie, which is too large for 

 him, and he does not disdain to hunt after the smaller species also ; mice and rats, 

 hares, rabbits, young fawns, black-game, pheasants, partridges, and hazel-grouse, all 

 are equally good in his sight, and form a portion of his daily diet when obtainable ; 

 but jays, and especially crows, appear to be favorite articles of food with him, and 

 remains of the latter are very frequently met with in his larder." 



It seems ordinarily to prefer for nesting purposes a ledge of rock, or some cranny 

 in the face of a cliff, yet in forest regions it is known to nest in trees or even on the 

 ground; and, in the treeless downs of Turkey, according to Messrs. Elwes and 

 Buckley, " it chooses a bank of earth on the side of a ravine for its eyry, and scratches 

 out a hole for the eggs in the bare ground, sometimes within sight of every passer-by. 

 We found a nest of four hard-set eggs on April 8th, and others containing young 

 birds a fortnight later." It also breeds freely in confinement, and in some places in 

 England has been almost domesticated. According to Mr. Gurney, forty-nine young 

 have been reared from a single pair between 1849 and 1873, this pair having laid, in 

 all, seventy-one good eggs and several bad ones. 



The American great horned-owl, JBubo virginianus, is quite similar in general 

 appearance to the bird just described, but is decidedly smaller, the total length being 

 from four to six inches less, the wings shorter by three inches or more, and other 

 parts in proportion. While the colors themselves are much as in ignavus, the pattern 

 is quite different, the lower parts, instead of being streaked and spotted, are barred 

 with black, there is a black ring nearly encircling the facial disk, and a large, pure 

 white patch on the upper breast and throat. 



This fine owl is far more abundant in the eastern United States than is generally 

 supposed, and it is probable that there are very few townships in which there are any 

 considerable stretches of woodland where it is not resident. In its habits it is much like 

 the eagle-owl, preying not only on large game, such as hares, grouse, and, according to 

 Audubon, turkeys ; but also on rats, field-mice, reptiles, and fish. Although its dispo- 

 sition can hardly be called gentle or affectionate, and it is less easily managed than 

 the snowy-owl, it is far from being always the " fierce and untamable " bird which it 

 has so often been described. Dr. Coues took a pair of young at Pembina, Dakota, 

 which were still in the white down. He kept them through the entire summer, and 

 they became quite tame. We extract the following from his account : 



"They became so thoroughly tame, that, as their wings grew, enabling them to 

 take short flights, I used to release them in the evening from the tether by which they 

 were usually confined. They enjoyed the liberty, and eventually used to stay away 

 all night, doubtless foraging for themselves for their natural prey, and returning to 

 their shelter behind my tent in the morning. 



" These owls were most active during the night ; yet it would be a great mistake 



