THE CAT-OWL. 89 



lowed to testify. Other men have had a like 

 experience with them. I do not know whether 

 these owls actually kill and eat skunks. I de- 

 sired to get at the inside of the one that fell to 

 my gun, to make sure about it, but a close ac- 

 quaintance like that required was out of the 

 question. It may be that they are pounced 

 upon through a mistake, and it may be that the 

 owl is insensible to the odor. It may be that 

 he likes it. People are fond of musk, secreted 

 by a species of deer, and the skunk-odor is a 

 glandular product a trifle more pungent, and 

 might be exactly of the desired strength to 

 tickle the smell-sense of the cat-owl. If one 

 could see the animals of vaiious kinds that a 

 single owl of this species eats in a lifetime it 

 would be truly surprising. They subsist on 

 birds and rabbits and mice and frogs an average 

 of one a day is a moderate estimate. Here and 

 there an individual would live ten years; but 

 for accidents and hard times they might well 

 live twice as long. The fact that they lay but 

 two eggs at a hatching and rear only one brood 

 in a season is proof that they are well secured 

 against enemies, or they would soon run out 

 altogether. The robin lays four eggs, and brings 

 out two broods of young, and still just holds her 

 own ; the young that reach maturity are only 



