The Food of the Owls. 21 
shouting bloody murder at the top of his voice, plainly told me that 
something terrible had happened in the dark woods on the hillside 
above. Turning my horse loose, I went noiselessly up the hillside 
on a tour of investigation. 
Presently a large Bubo flew up from the ground a few rods in 
front of me, and upon going to the spot I discovered the cause of 
the sudden great consternation of the crows. The owl had wreaked 
summary vengeance upon one of his tormentors, and the smoking 
body lay upon the ground in two halves, having been divided trans- 
versely instead of lengthwise as in the case of the Screecher. A 
part of the viscera had been devoured. 
Last spring, while wandering about in the woods on " Geetur 
Creek," a tributary of the Spoon, I was attracted by the barking of 
my dog, and on going to him, found a young Bubo that had fallen 
out of the parent nest. It was in a little creek bed, and the parent 
owls had nicely concealed it by covering it up with leaves. 
I decided at once to make a pet of it. A few days later I took 
from a family of four in a hollow sycamore a half-grown Barred 
Owl {Syrnium nebulosum) , and placed it with the first, with the 
intention of studying and comparing the habits and dispositions of 
the two birds. 
They are now full grown and have indeed proved to be very in- 
teresting pets. They have the run of an outhouse that gives them 
plenty of room to fly about in. They have become very much at- 
tached to each other, and if one is removed from their apartment 
the other is inconsolable until its return. And then such a bowing 
and nodding to each other is ludicrous indeed. The disposition of 
the two birds is very dissimilar. The Bubo is by far the nobler bird 
— as tame as a cat, good natured and intelligent, pleased at the ap- 
pearance of familiar faces, but suspicious of strangers. Always greets 
ray appearance at the door of the owl- house with a low hoo ! hoo ! 
hoo ! followed immediately by a shrill screech or at times almost a 
quack. Greatly enjoys having his head scratched; shuts his eyes, 
and his voice will sink almost to a whisper. 
The Syrnium is just the opposite; untamable, sneaking, revenge- 
ful ; suspicious alike of everything and everybody. Anything from 
mussels to cats is relished as food. Fat or tallow they will not 
touch. Mice, rats, ground-squirrels, kittens, chicken-heads and 
small birds are first thoroughly crushed by their beaks and are then 
usually swallowed whole. Before swallowing birds they first pluck 
out their feathers. 
