104 THE BEOWN OWL. 



opossum or other carnivorous quadruped. In this manner falls many a Horned Owl on 

 our frontier, where the species abounds." 



The flight of this bird is remarkably powerful, easy, and graceful, as may be gathered 

 from the enormous expanse of wing, in comparison with the weight and dimensions of the 

 body. Its voice is of a hollow and weird-like character, and when heard by night from 

 some spot on which the Owl has silently settled, is apt to cause many a manly but 

 superstitious cheek to pale. As Wilson well observes, the loud and sudden cry of 

 Waugh ! Waugli ! is sufficient to alarm a whole garrison of soldiers. Probably on 

 account of the peculiar sounds which are uttered by this bird, the Cree Indians know it 

 by the name of Otowuck-oho ! 



The Virginian Horned Owl takes up its residence in the deep swampy forests, where 

 it remains hidden during the day, and comes out at night and morning, heralding its 

 approach with its loud, unearthly cries, as of an unquiet, wandering spirit. Sometimes, 

 according to Wilson, "he has other nocturnal solos, one of which very strikingly resembles 

 the half-suppressed screams of a person suffocating or throttled." 



Sir W. Jardine, in his notes to his well-known edition of Wilson's American 

 Ornithology, gives the following account of a captive Owl, which affords an excellent 

 idea of tlie peculiar sounds that can proceed from an Owl's throat. 



" An Eagle Owl in my possession remains quiet during the day, unless he is shown 

 some prey, when he becomes eager to possess it, and when it is put within his reach, at 

 once clutches it, and retires to a corner to devour it at leisure. During night he is extremely 

 active, and sometimes keeps up an incessant bark. It is so similar to that of a cur or 

 terrier, as to annoy a large Labrador house-dog, who expresses his dissatisfaction by 

 replying to him, and disturbing the inmates nightly. I at first mistook the cry also for 

 that of a dog, and, without any recollection of the Owl, sallied forth to destroy the 

 disturber of our repose ; and it was not until tracing the sound to the cage, that I 

 became satisfied of the author of the annoyance. I have remarked that he barks more 

 incessantly during a clear winter night than at any other time, and the thin air at 

 that season makes the cry very distinctly heard to a considerable distance. This bird 

 also shows a great antipathy to dogs, and will perceive one at a considerable distance, nor 

 is it possible to distract his attention so long as the animal remains in sight. When first 

 perceived, the feathers are raised, and the wings lowered as when feeding, and the head 

 moved round, following 'the object while in sight. If food is thrown, it will be struck 

 with the' foot and held, but no further attention paid to it." 



The nest of this bird is extremely large, and consists of a large bundle of sticks, 

 grass, leaves, and feathers, placed in the fork of some large bough, and containing three 

 or four white eggs. The colour of the Virginian Eared Owl is reddish brown upon the 

 upper surface, mottled with various splashes of black, and covered with regular bands of 

 the same hue. The facial disc is brown, edged with black. The under surface is of a 

 light reddish-brown colour, covered with numerous transverse bars of dl^sky brown, 

 with a few white lines and dashes among them. The throat is pure white, the beak 

 and claws are black, and the eyes are of a bright orange, gleaming out strangely even by 

 day and burning with double radiance in the twilight. 



The common Beown Owl, or Tawny Owl as it is often named, is, wdth the exception 

 of the Barn Owl, one of the best known of the British Owls. 



Although rather a small bird, being only about fifteen inches in total length, it is 

 possessed of a powerful pounce and audacious spirit, and when roused to anger or urged 

 by despair, is a remarkably unchancy antagonist. 



In the Field newspaper there is a curious account of the conduct of a pair of 

 Brown Owls, who biiilt a nest in the attic of an untenanted house. The writer proceeds 

 to say, " I should have been a little afraid of molesting them, so ferocious did the old 

 gentleman look when his wife and children were approached. One morning the cat was 

 missing, and I found, on inquiry, that some strange sounds had been heard the evening 

 before in the room where the Owls were. On going up that evening I found poor puss 

 quite dead, one of her eyes actually picked out, and her antagonist, also killed, lying on 



