10 



The eyes are set in sockets facing for- 

 ward, which prevents the bird from mov- 

 ing them without turning the head. This, 

 combined with the facial disks, give it a 

 solemn and dignified expression and a 

 human resemblance, which is at times 

 weird and awe-inspiring, while their almost 

 human voices add much to the superstitious 

 regard in which they are frequently held. 

 The fact of their hunting chiei^y by night 

 has given many the idea that they cannot 

 see by day. 



They seize their prey in their talons, and, 

 where size will permit, swallow it whole. 

 The plumage is soft and iiuffy, enabling 

 them to withstand extreme temperatures 

 at times, and the very soft plumage under 

 the wings and on the body surface makes 

 its progress perfectly noiseless, thus per- 

 mitting its close approach upon its prey 

 before the danger is realized. 



I do not propose to go to either extreme 

 in classifying the owls, but place them all 

 in the mostly beneficial class, as all have 

 records of occasionally capturing a small 

 bird, while the one species which is con- 

 sidered injurious more than compensates 

 for the injury by the number of injurious 

 mammals destroyed, and I am confident 

 that were the poultry properly penned up 

 at night, it would effectually prevent any 

 erratic invasions from the owls. 



Of the twenty known North American 

 species, eleven may be recorded as regu- 

 larly Manitoban; some few are migratory, 

 but the majority, especially those inhabit- 

 ating the deeper woods, remain with us all 

 the year. One of the chief causes of mi- 

 gration among the owls is the amount of 

 snow, which at times cover the food up so 

 completely in their retreats that the birds 

 are forced to seek it in other quarters. 

 This is the reason why owls of different 

 species are much more numerous some sea- 

 sons than others. 



The eggs of all owls are uniformly white 

 and considerably rounded. In the genus 

 Bubo we have two forms, which are 

 considered distinct species, although a 

 microscope is almost necessarj' in order to 

 locate the line of separation. 



Of the great horned owl Bubo Vir- 

 giniamis Suharticus is the common form, 

 while Bubo Virginianus articus is a light- 

 er, and possibly smaller, variety, with a 

 somewhat more northern range. As some 

 five varieties of Bubo Virginianus are 

 known to exist, and as all these varieties 

 interbreed where opportunity arises, it 

 takes an exoert to search out the pedigree 

 of a horned owl and locate the species or 

 variety. If the locality of collection is not 

 known, it may be any of the five. 



They are called the feathered tigers by 

 many ornithologists, and certainly their 



untamable ferocity is deserving of the 

 name. They are bold and unexcitable, 

 comparatively easy of approach, and when 

 wounded present a defence worthy of any 

 animal twice their size. 



They are the largest and most powerful 

 of the owls, and are credited with doing 

 the greatest dam/age to poultry and game ; 

 they will pay repeated visits to the hen 

 roost where access can be gained, and carry 

 oft' the largest size fowls. Owls will also 

 capture the grouse and partridge and are 

 of great service in exterminating the rab- 

 bits where these animals are numerous. 

 The attacks on the grouse and poultry are 

 m.ade chiefly during the winter, when other 

 food is covered up and when any half- 

 human poulterer would have all crevices 

 small enough for an owl to look through, 



Burrowing Owl. 



(Speotyto cuniculatia hypogaea.) 



much less fly through, closed up to keep 

 out frost and snow. Were there no owls 

 to carry them off in cases of this kind 

 more poultry would be thrown out, crippled 

 and killed by frosts than the owls eat. I 

 have kept many of these birds alive, and 

 they always prefer rabbits, rats or mice 

 to birds, and an owl ban be kept in a more 

 healthy condition with an occasional rabbit 

 than with birds. The record for this bird 

 shows than in no full stomachs examined, 

 80, or over ^2 per cent., contained mice, 

 injurious mammals and insects. Of the 

 remainder, eight contained small birds, 

 leaving only 20 per cent, injurious, and 

 these to be divided among game and poul- 

 try. Shut up the poultry at night and cut 

 off ID pe'r cent., which the owl will make 

 on rabbits. 



Second only to the horned owl in size is 

 the snowy owl (Nyctca nyctea), which is 

 a regular winter resident in greater or less 



