STRIGin.E — TIIK OWLS. 67 



Foit licsolution. Its food cfuisisted of slivews and Arvirohc, wliidi are 

 very abiuidaut there. It is very tamo and easily apjjruaclied, and tlie 

 Cliipewyan Indians are said to eat with great relisii tiie llesh, wliicii is 

 generally I'at. 



Air. Gunn writes tliat this Owl is I'ound over all the woody regions of the 

 Hudson IJay Territory. In the sununer it visits the shores of the Imy, 

 but retires to s(jnie distance inland on the a]tproacli of winter. It hunts 

 in the dark, preying on ralil)!'-', mice, nniskrats, jKirtridges, and any other 

 fowls that it can find. With its Ijill it l)reaks the bones of hares into small 

 ])ieces, which its stomach is able to digest. Tiiey pair in March, the only 

 time at which they seem to enjoy each other's society. The nest is usually 

 made of twigs in tiie I'ork of some largo jxtplar, where the fiiiuale lays i'rom 

 three to six pale-wliite eggs. It is easily a]iproache(l in clear sunny weather, 

 Itut sees very well when the sky is clouded. It is not mentioned by Mr. 

 MacFailane as found near Anderson River. Mr. Dall caught alive several 

 young birds not fully Hedged, .\m\v. 18, on the Yukon Paver, below the fort. 

 He also met with it at Xulato, where it was not common, but was more 

 plentiful farther up the river. 



Mr. Salvin found tliis species in August at Duenas and at San Geronimo, 

 in Guatemala. At Duenas it was said to be resident, and is so probably 

 throughout the wli' ' country. It was not uncommon, and its favorite 

 locality was one of llie hillsiiles near that village, well covered M'ith low 

 trees and shrulis, and with here and there a rocky precipice. They were 

 fre(piently to be met with on afternoons, and at all hours of the night they 

 made their proximity known l)y their deep ciy. 



Dr. Kennerly found it in Texas in the canon of Devil IJiver, and he adds 

 that it seemed to live indifferently among the trees and the high and i)re- 

 cipitous clills. It was i'ound throughout Texas and Xew Mexico, wherever 

 there are either large trees or deep canons that allbrded a hiding-place during 

 the day. Attracted by the camp-fires of Dr. Kennerly's party, this Owl 

 would occasionally sweep around their heads for a while, and then disap- 

 pear in the darkness, to resume its dismal notes. Sometimes, frightencil 

 by the reverberating report of a gun, they would creep among the rocks, 

 attempting to conceal themselves, and be thus taken alive. 



Thougli frecpiently kept in captivity, the Grciat Horned Owl, even wlien 

 taken young, is tierce and untamable, resenting all attemi)ts at famili- 

 arity. It has no affection for its mate, this being especially true of tiie 

 female. Mr. Downes mentions an instance within his knowledge, in 

 which a female of this species, in confinement, killed and ate the male. 

 Excepting during the brief period of mating, they are never seen in 

 pairs. 



Its flight is rapid and graceful, and more like that of an eagle than one of 

 this family. It sails easily and in largo circles. It is nocturnal in its habits, 

 and is very rarely seen abroad in the day, and then only in cloudy weather 



