158 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



The nocturnal Owls feed principally at dusk, when 

 the small mammals upon which they prey are also 

 abroad. Some species, such as the Great Horned Owl 

 of North America and the Eagle-Owl of Europe, 

 feed on quite large game, such as wild Turkeys and 

 small deer, but the food of most Owls consists of such 

 small creatures as mice, rats, frogs, lizards, and small 

 reptiles. Most species have the remarkable habit of 

 swallowing their food whole, when not too large, and 

 afterwards ejecting the hair, bones, and feathers, in 

 the form of small pellets. 



The nests are usually made in the hollows of trees, 

 and the eggs are always white. The number varies in 

 different species. The young are hatched covered 

 with down, and are carefully tended by the parents 

 until they are able to leave the nest. 



Owls are sombrely coloured, most of them being 

 mottled in various shades of brown and buff inter- 

 mingled with white and sometimes black, but in no 

 case is there any really brilliant colour in the plumage. 

 They have remarkable control over the form of their 

 bodies, at times making themselves appear long and 

 slender; at others, short and rounded. 



These birds are divided into two general classes, 

 those that have ear-tufts, or horns, and those that lack 

 them, the former embracing a large number of species. 



The largest and perhaps best laiown Owl in the 

 United States is the Great Horned Owl, celebrated 

 both for its ferocity and for its remarkable voice. It 

 feeds on large game, when pressed by hunger attack- 

 ing even the wild Turkey. This sagacious bird, how- 

 ever, often eludes its enemy by waiting until the Owl 



