1874.] MR. W. H. HUDSON ON THE BURROWING OWL. 309 



Occasionally the Owls are seen preying by day, especially when 

 any thing passes near, offering the 'chance of an easy capture : 

 often 1 have amused myself throwing bits of earth near one as it 

 sat by its kennel; for the bird will immediately give chase, only dis- 

 covering its mistake when the stone is firmly clutched in its talons. 

 When rearing their young they are perhaps quite as active by day as 

 by night. On the hot days of November multitudes of two large 

 species of ' Scarabceus appear ; and the bulky bodies and noisy bungling 

 flight of these beetles invite the Owls to pursuit ; and on every side 

 they are seen chasing and striking down the beetles, and tumbling 

 upon them in the grass. Owls have a peculiar manner of takin" 

 their prey : they grapple it so tightly in their talons that they totter 

 and strive to steady themselves by throwing out their wings this 

 way and that, and, often losing their balance, fall prostrate, and 

 flutter on the ground. If the animal captured be small, they pro- 

 ceed after a while to dispatch it with the beak ; if large, they usually 

 rise laboriously from the earth, and fly to some distance with it, 

 thus giving time for the wounds inflicted with their claws to do 

 their work. 



How remarkable it is that the Tcenioptera (so different in structure 

 from Owls) should resemble them in the peculiar manner of seizing 

 their prey ! 



The Tcenioptera frequently darts upon a large insect on the 

 ground, and, grasping it with its feet, flutters and totters precisely 

 like an Owl. This habit I have observed in four species o'f 

 Tcenioptera. 



At sunset the Burrowing Owls begin to hoot ; a short followed 

 by a long note is repeated many times, with an interval of a second 

 of silence. There is nothing dreary or solemn in this performance ; 

 but it is rather soft and sorrowful, somewhat resembling the lowest 

 notes of the flute in sound. In spring they hoot a great deal, many 

 birds responding to each other. 



In the evening they are often seen hovering at a height of 40 

 yards above the surface, and continuing a minute or longer without 

 altering their position. They do not drop the whole distance at 

 once on their prey, but descend vertically, tumbling and fluttering, 

 as if wounded, to within 10 yards of the earth, and then, after 

 hovering a few seconds more, glide obliquely upon it. They prey 

 on every living creature not too large to be overcome by them. 

 Sometimes they sever off and leave untasted the head, tail, and feet of 

 a mouse. The hind quarters of frogs and toads are almost invariably 

 rejected ; and inasmuch as these are the most fleshy and succulent 

 parts, this is a strange and unaccountable habit, They make an 

 easy conquest of a snake 18 inches loug, and kill it by dealin°- 

 it blows with the beak, hopping briskly about it all the time, and 

 appearing to guard themselves with the wings. Many individuals 

 become destructive to poultry-yards, carrying off the chickens by 

 day. In seasons of plenty they destroy more prey than they can 

 devour; but in severe winters they come, apparently starving, about 

 the houses, and will then stoop to carry off any dead animal food, 



