Horned and Hoot Owls 



performances to woo their mates, but few have been so fortunate 

 as Mr. Lynds Jones, who watched a pair of screech owls mating. 

 "The female was perched in a daric, leafy tree," he says, "appar- 

 ently oblivious of the presence of her mate, who made frantic 

 efforts, through a series of bowings, wing-raisings, and snappings, 

 to attract her attention. Those antics were continued for some 

 time, varied by hops from branch to branch near her, accompanied 

 by that forlorn, almost despairing wink peculiar to this bird. 

 Once or twice 1 thought I detected sounds of inward groanings, 

 as he, beside himself with his unsuccessful approaches, sat in 

 utter dejection. At last his mistress lowered her haughty head." 

 When hunting, the owl moves like a shadow, so silently 

 does it pass in the darkness. Insects, cut worms, and mice are 

 what it is ever seeking; but sharp hunger in winter has sometimes 

 led it into butchery of little birds. Of two hundred and fifty-five 

 stomachs of screech owls examined by Dr. Fisher for the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, one hundred contained insects ; ninety-one, 

 mice; thirty-eight, birds ; eleven, other mammals than mice; nine, 

 crawfish; seven, miscellaneous food; five, spiders; four, batra- 

 chians; two, lizards; two, scorpions; two, earth worms; one, 

 poultry; one, fish; and forty-three were empty. Why in the 

 name of all that is economic and humane, should this valuable 

 ally of the farmer be so persistently shot ? 



Great Horned Owl 



(Bubo virginianus) 



Called also: HOOT OWL; CAT OWL 

 (Illustration facing p. 337) 



Length — Male 19 to 23 inches; female 21 to 26 inches. 



Maie and Female — Long ear tufts ; upper parts variegated brown, 



tawny, pale buff, and white; facial disk buff; eyes yellow; 



throat white; under parts buff or whitish, finely barred vith 



black ; legs and feet feathered. 

 Hange — Eastern North America, west to the Mississippi, and f om 



Labrador to Costa Rica. 

 Season — Permanent resident. 



The lord high executioner of the owl tribe, remaining a per- 

 manent resident, except at the extreme northern limit of his range, 



345 



