GREAT HORNED OWL.- 95 



exceedingly entertaining to a lonely, benighted traveller, in the midst 

 of an Indian ■wilderness. 



This species inhabits the country round Hudson's Bay ; and, accord- 

 ing to Pennant, who considers it a mere variety of the Eagle Owl [Strix 

 bubo) of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka ; extends even to the Arctic 

 regions, where it is often found white ; and occurs as low as Astrakan 

 It has also been seen white in the United States ; but this has doubtless 

 been owing to disease or natural defect, and not to climate. It preys 

 on young rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, partridges, and small birds of 

 various kinds. It has been often known to prowl about the farm-house, 

 and carry oif chickens from the roost. A very large one, wing-broken 

 while on a foraging excursion of this kind, was kept about a house for 

 several days, and at length disappeared, no one knew how. Almost 

 every day after this, hens and chickens also disappeared, one by one, in 

 an unaccountable manner, till in eight or ten days very few were left 

 remaining. The fox, the minx and weasel, were alternately the reputed 

 authors of this mischief, until one morning, an old lady, rising before 

 day to bake, in passing towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner the 

 Owl, regaling himself on^the body of a newly killed hen. The thief in- 

 stantly made for his hole under the house, whence the enraged matron 

 soon dislodged him with the brush-handle, and without mercy despatched 

 him. In this snug retreat were found the greater part of the feathers, 

 and many large fragments, of her whole family of chickens. 



There is something in the character of the Owl so recluse, solitary 

 and mysterious, something so discordant in the tones of its voice, heard 

 ■ only amid the silence and gloom of night, and in the most lonely and 

 sequestered situations, as to have strongly impressed the minds of man- 

 kind in general with sensations of awe, and abhorrence of the whole 

 tribe. The poets have indulged freely in this general prejudice ; and in 

 their descriptions and delineations of midnight storms, and gloomy scenes 

 of nature, the Owl is generally introduced to heighten the horror of the 

 picture. Ignorance and superstition, in all ages, and in all countries, 

 listen to the voice of the Owl, and even contemplate its physiognomy 

 with feelings of disgust, and a kind of fearful awe. The priests, or con- 

 jurers, among some of.our Indian nations, have taken advantage of the 

 •reverential horror for this bird, and have adopted the Great Horned 

 Owl, the subject of the present account, as the symbol or emblem of 

 their ofiBce. "Among the Creeks," says Mr. Bartram, "the junior 

 priests, or students, constantly wear a white mantle, and have a Great 

 Owl skin cased and stuffed very ingeniously, so well executed as almost 

 to appear like the living bird, having large sparkling glass beads, 

 or buttons, fixed in the head for eyes. This insignia of wisdom and 

 divination they wear sometimes as a crest on the top of the head ; at 

 other times the image sits on the arm, or is borne on the hand. These 



