GREAT HORNED OWL. 439 
by night, ]:ke many other animals, and of reposing by day. The 
harshness of its voice, occasioned by the width and capacity of its 
throat, mav be intended by Heaven as an alarm and warning to the 
birds and animals on which it preys, to secure themselves from danger. 
The voices of all carnivorous birds and animals are also observed to 
be harsh and hideous, probably for this very purpose. ; 
The Great Horned Ow] is not migratory, but remains with us the 
whole year. During the day he slumbers in the thick evergreens of 
deep swamps, or seeks shelter in large hollow trees. He is very 
rarely seen abroad by day, and never but when disturbed. In the 
month of May they usually begin to build. The nest is generally 
placed in the fork of a tall tree, and is constructed of sticks piled in 
considerable quantities, lined with dry leaves and a few feathers. 
Sometimes they choose a hollow tree; and, in that case, carry in but 
few materials.. The female lays four eggs, nearly as large as those 
of a Hen, almost globular, and of a pure white. In one of these nests, 
after the young had flown, were found the heads and bones of two 
Chickens, the legs and head of the Golden-winged-Woodpecker, and 
part of the wings and feathers of several other birds. It is generally 
conjectured that they hatch but once in the season. 
The length of the male of this species is twenty inches; the bill is 
large, black, and strong, covered at the base with a cere; the eyes, 
golden yellow; the horns are three inches in length, and very broad, 
consisting of twelve or fourteen feathers, their webs black, broadly 
edged with bright tawny; face, rusty, bounded on each side by a 
band of black; space between the eyes and bill, whitish; whole lower 
parts elegantly marked with numerous transverse bars of dusky on a 
bright tawny ground, thinly interspersed with white; vent, pale yellow 
ochre, barred with narrow lines of brown; legs and feet large, and 
covered with feathers or hairy down of a pale brown color; claws, 
very large blue black; tail, rounded, extenc*ng about an inch beyond 
the tips of the wings, crossed with six or seven narrow bars of brown, 
and variegated or marbled with brown and tawny; whole upper parts 
finely pencilled with dusky, on a tawny and whitish ground; chin, 
pure white, under that a band of brown, succeeded by another narrow 
one of white; eyes, very large. 
The female is full two feet in oa and has not the white on the 
throat so pure. She has also less of the bright ferruginous or tawny 
tint below; but is principally distinguished by her superior mag- 
nitude. 
