BARRED OWL. 243 



have invited him to walk in and join me in my repast, that I might have i 

 enjoyed the pleasure of forming a better acquaintance with him. The ' 

 liveliness of his motions, joined to their oddness, have often made me 

 think that his society would be at least as agreeable as that of many of 

 y the buffoons we meet with in the world. But as such opportunities of 

 forming acquaintance have not existed, be content, kind reader, with the 

 imperfect information which I can give you of the habits of this Sancho 

 Pan^a of our woods. 



Such persons as conclude, when looking upon owls in the glare of 

 day, that they are, as they then appear, extremely duU, are greatly mis- 

 taken. Were they to state, like Buffon, that Woodpeckers are miser- 

 able beings, they would be talking as incorrectly ; and, to one who might 

 have lived long in the woods, they would seem to have lived only in their 

 libraries. 



The Barred Owl is found in all those parts of the United States 

 which I have visited, and is a constant resident. In Louisiana it seems 

 to be more abundant than in any other state. It is almost impossible to 

 travel eight or ten miles in any of the retired woods there, without seeing 

 several of them even in broad day ; and, at the approach of night, their 

 cries are heard proceeding from every part of the forest around the 

 plantations. Should the weather be lowering, and indicative of the ap- 

 proach of rain, their cries are so multiplied during the day, and especially 

 in the evening, and they respond to each other in tones so strange, that 

 one might imagine some extraordinary fete about to take place among 

 them. On approaching one of them, its gesticulations are seen to be of 

 a very extraordinary nature. The position of the bird, which is gene- 

 rally erect, is immediately changed. It lowers its head and inclines its 

 body, to watch the motions of the person beneath, throws forward the 

 lateral feathers of its head, which thus has the appearance of being 

 surrounded by a broad ruff, looks towards him as if half blind, and 

 moves its head to and fro in so extraordinary a manner, as almost to 

 induce a person to fancy that part dislocated from the body. It foUows 

 aU the motions of the intruder with its eyes ; and should it suspect any 

 treacherous intentions, flies off to a short distance, alighting with its back 

 to the person, and immediately turning about with a single jump, to re- 

 commence its scrutiny. In this manner, the Barred Owl may be follow- 

 ed to a considerable distance, if not shot at, for to haUoo after it does 

 not seem to frighten it much. But if shot at and missed, it removes to a 



Q.9, 



