Horned and Hoot Owls 



able by men, unlike several of his kin that may be taken in the 

 hand when sleeping, the great horned owl gives one little oppor- 

 tunity for close acquaintance in his wild state, and because he 

 is an irreclaimable savage in captivity few keep him caged. 

 With eyes closed so as to leave only a crack to peek through, 

 one might think he did not see the intruder; but go to right or 

 left, and the head turns around so far to note every step that it 

 must seemingly drop off. All owls have eyes immovably fixed 

 in the sockets, which is the reason they must almost wring 

 their necks when they attempt to look around. The large, yellow 

 iris of this owl is capable of extraordinary contraction ; but before 

 you can fairly see its interesting operations, the great bird spreads 

 his wings and moves through the trees with the silence of a 

 shadow of a passing cloud. 



In February, when the nesting season begins — for it is sup- 

 posed this owl breaks the family rule and does not remain mated 

 for life — he singles out some sweetheart, always larger and more 

 formidable than himself, and undertakes the difficult task of 

 wooing her. At first remaining an indifferent spectator of his 

 ludicrous leaps and bounds on the earth and from tree to tree, 

 his eccentric evolutions in the air, and the rapid snappings of his 

 bill, she finally relents and goes house hunting with her attentive 

 escort. Hollow trees with entrance large enough for their bodies 

 are scarce; and when not to be found, an old crow's, hawk's, or 

 squirrel's nest is utilized. Two or three dull white eggs are laid 

 so early in the year that ice not infrequently makes them sterile, 

 in v^^hich case they simply contribute to the accumulation of 

 rubbish at the bottom of the nest, on which a new set is laid. 

 Oftentimes the nesting is over with in time to allow the rightful 

 owner of the cradle, or one of the larger hawks, to use it. A 

 careful observer tells of finding in a nest containing tWo young 

 owls "a mouse, a young muskrat, two eels, four bullheads, a 

 woodcock, four ruffed grouse, one rabbit, and eleven rats. The 

 food taken out of the nest weighed eighteen pounds. A curious 

 fact connected with these captives was that the heads were eaten 

 off, the bodies being untouched." 



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