58 THE JJAJiN OWL. 



Attractive Qualities. The Barn Owl is a handsome bird, but 

 utters a mournful cry, on which account country people have 

 designated it the bird of death. 



ADDITIONAL. To this bird MACGILLIVRAT has given the name 

 of the European Screech Owl, to distinguish it from an Ame- 

 rican species with which it has often been confounded. With 

 us it is the most common bird of its family, and is known by the 

 several names of the Barn Owl, Church Owl, Screech Owl, White 

 or Yellow Owl, Howlet, Hoolet, and Gillihowter. The author 

 above named gives the following account of its habits : " The 

 Barn Owl chooses for his place of repose some obscure nook in 

 an old building, the steeple of a church, a tower, a dove-cot, or 

 a hollow tree. There he remains from sunrise to sunset, in a 

 nearly erect posture, with retracted neck, and closed eyelids, 

 dosing away the hours in which, from the structure of his eyes, 

 he is unable to approach his prey, and waiting for the return of 

 twilight. If approached in this state, instead of flying off, he 

 raises his feathers, hisses like an angry cat, clicks his bill, and 

 thus threatens the intruder. Should he by an accident be driven 

 abroad, he seems dazzled and bewildered. Incapable of distinctly 

 perceiving the objects around him, he flits about with an un- 

 steady flight, and is glad to betake himself to some dark retreat, 

 where he may be sheltered from the light, as well as from his 

 numerous enemies. 



" But although the Barn Owl is so imbecile by day as to suffer 

 itself to be insulted with impunity by the pettiest aggressor, it 

 assumes a very different character when darkness restores to it 

 the faculty of clearly distinguishing objects. By watching near 

 . its haunts, or taking his station in the neighbourhood of some 

 farm-steading frequented by it, one may dimly see it advance 

 with silent and gliding flight, skimming over the fields, shooting 

 along the hedge-bank, deviating this way and that, and now 

 perhaps sweeping over head, without causing the slightest sound 

 by the flappings of its downy wings. On perceiving an object, 

 it drops to the ground, secures its prey in a moment, and utter- 

 ing a shrill cry, flies off with it in its claws. In a little time it 

 returns, and thus continues prowling about the farm-yard for 

 hours." 



ME. WATEETON, whose opportunities of observing its habits 

 are unrivalled, he having in a manner domesticated this species, 

 informs us that it carries off rats, and occasionally fish. " Some 

 years ago," he says, " on a fine evening in the month of July, 

 long before it was dark, as I was standing on the middle of the 

 bridge, and minuting the Owl by my watch, as she brought mice 

 into her nest, all on a sudden she dropped perpendicularly into the 



