BARN OWL. 40q 



trees and such holes as they find about old buildings. When kept in con- 

 finement, they feed freely on any kind of flesh, and will stand for hours 

 in the same position, frequently resting on one leg, while the other is 

 drawn close to the body. In this position I watched one on my drawing 

 table for six hours. 



This species is never found in the depth of the forests, but confines 

 itself to the borders of the woods around large savannas or old abandoned 

 fields overgrown with briars and rank grass, where its food, which consists 

 principally of field-mice, moles, rats, and other small quadrupeds, is found 

 in abundance, and where large beetles and bats fly in the morning and 

 evening twilight. It seldom occurs at a great distance from the sea. I 

 am not aware that it ever emits any cry or note, as other owls are wont 

 to do ; but it produces a hollow hissing sound continued for minutes at a 

 time, which has always reminded me of that given out by an oppossum 

 when about to die by strangulation. 



When on the ground, this Owl moves by sidelong leaps, with the 

 body much inclined downwards. If wounded in the wing, it yet fre- 

 quently escapes through the celerity of its motions. Its hearing is ex- 

 tremely acute, and as it marks your approach, instead of throwing itself 

 into an attitude of defence, as Hawks are wont to do, it instantly swells 

 out its plumage, extends its wings and tail, hisses, and clacks its mandi- 

 bles with force and rapidity. If seized in the hand, it bites and scratches, 

 inflicting deep wounds with its bill and claws. 



It is by no means correctto say that this Owl, or indeed any other, 

 always swallows its prey entire : some which I have kept in confinement, 

 have been seen tearing a young hare in pieces with their bills in the man- 

 ner of hawks ; and mice, small rats, or bats, are the largest objects that 

 I have seen them gobble up entire, and not always without difficulty. 

 From having often observed their feet and legs covered with fresh earth, 

 I am inclined to think that they may use them to scratch mice or moles 

 out of their shallow burrows, a circumstance which connects them with 

 the Burrowing Owls of our western plains, which like them have very 

 long legs. In a room their flight is so noiseless that one is surprised to 

 find them removed from one place to another without having heard the 

 least sound. They disgorge their pellets with difficulty, although gene- 

 rally at a single effbrt, but I did not observe that this action was per- 

 formed at any regular period. I have mentioned these circumstances, to 

 induce you to examine more pai'ticularly the habits of the Barn Owls of 



