82 



THE GREAT OWL. 



of the body are grayish-white, with several streaks ami dashes of dark brown, and the legs 

 are covered as far as the toes with short speckled feathers. The claws are nearly white at 

 their base, declining to blackish-brown at the tip ; the toes are brown and the beak black. 



Although seemingly exceeding the golden eagle in dimensions, the Great Owl is in 

 reality a very much smaller bird, owing its apparent magnitude to its feathers and not to its 

 body. In weight it hardly exceeds one quarter of that of the eagle, but in power of muscle it 

 is little inferior even to that royal bird itself. 



The Great Owl, or Eagle Owl, as it is often called, inhabits the northern parts of Europe, 

 being especially common in Sweden. Norway, Switzerland, and Russia, and being found even 



GKEAT OWL.-Bittjo ignavue. 



in some- parts of Italy and Turkey. When captured, however, the Eagle Owl is easily recon- 

 ciled to its habitation, and lias frequently been known to hatch and bring up its young while 

 in captivity. In its wild state it makes a very rude nest upon some convenient ledge of rock 

 or other similar locality, and lays two or three pure white, rather globular eggs. The young, 

 when in their first few days of independent life, would hardly lie recognized as Owls at all, 

 being mere shapeless lumps of gray woolly down. The parent birds take great care of their 

 young, and are so fond of their offspring, that when an Eagle Owl's nest has been harried, and 

 the young birds removed, the parents have been known to supply them with food for a period 

 of fourteen days, laying dead partridges and other prey before the bars of the cage in which 

 the young birds were confined. 



The food of this Owl consists generally of grouse, partridges, hares, and other similar 

 game, and the bird is so powerful that if will successfully chase even larger prey. Mr. Lloyd, 



