128 THE BARN OWL. 



gamboge-yellow; the intestines small, rather tough, and measuring one foot 

 nine inches in length. 



The flight of the Barn Owl is light, regular, and much protracted. It 

 passes through the air at an elevation of thirty or forty feet, in perfect silence, 

 and pounces on its prey like a Hawk, often waiting for a fair opportunity 

 from the branch of a tree, on which it alights for the purpose. During day 

 they are never seen, unless accidentally disturbed, when they immediately 

 try to hide themselves. I am not aware of their having any propensity to 

 fish, as the Snowy Owl has, nor have I ever seen one pursuing a bird. 

 Ever careful of themselves, they retreat to the hollows of trees and such 

 holes as they find about old buildings. When kept in confinement they 

 feed freely on any kind of flesh, and will stand for hours in the same position, 

 frequently resting on one leg, while the other is drawn close to the body. 

 In this position I watched one on my drawing table for six hours. 



This species is never found in the depth of the forests, but confines itself 

 to the borders of the woods around large savannas or old abandoned fields 

 overgrown with briars and rank grass, where its food, which consists princi- 

 pally of field-mice, moles, rats, and other small quadrupeds, is found in 

 abundance, and where large beetles and bats fly in the morning and evening 

 twilight. It seldom occurs at a great distance from the sea. I am not aware 

 that it ever emits any cry or note, as other Owls are wont to do; but it 

 produces a hollow hissing sound, continued for minutes at a time, which has 

 always reminded me of that given out by an opossum when about to die by 

 strangulation. 



When on the ground, this Owl moves by sidelong leaps, with the body 

 much inclined downwards. If wounded in the wing, it yet frequently escapes 

 through the "celerity of its motions. Its hearing is extremely acute, and as 

 it marks your approach, instead of throwing itself into an attitude of defence, 

 as Hawks are wont to do, it instantly swells out its plumage, extends its 

 wings and tail, hisses, and clacks its mandibles with force and rapidity. If 

 seized in the hand, it bites and scratches, inflicting deep wounds with its bill 

 and claws. 



It is by no means correct to say that this Owl, or indeed any other, always 

 swallows its prey entire: some which I have kept in confinement, have been 

 seen tearing a young hare in pieces with their bills in the manner of Hawks; 

 and mice, small rats, or bats, are the largest objects that I have seen them 

 gobble up entire, and not always without difficulty. From having often 

 observed their feet and legs covered with fresh earth, I am inclined to think 

 that they may use them to scratch mice or moles out of their shallow bur- 

 rows, a circumstance which connects them with the Burrowing Owls of our 

 western plains, which like them have very long legs. In a room their flight 



