THE EED OWL. 
29 
it a stronger grasp of the prey. This generally consists of 
small birds^ which the owls surprise when roosting, or of the 
smaller mammalia, such as mice and bats ; in general they 
swallow their prey entire, and, when the digestive process is 
complete, disgorge the feathers, hairs, and bones in the form 
of a ball. Their stomach is very muscular, but, unlike the 
diurnal birds of prey, which have a craw or expansion of the 
gullet, the gullet of the owls is of uniform diameter through- 
out. Most of the species are active at twilight and during 
the night, but a few, especially those with the head nearly 
smooth, are known to fly about woods by day, and even to 
pursue their prey at that time. Wilson, speaking of the 
Red Owl {S, Asio), and his description suits many of the fa- 
mily, says"^ : Throughout the day it was all stillness and 
gravity; its eyelids half shut, its neck contracted, and its 
head shrunk seemingly into its body ; but scarcely was the 
sun set, and twilight began to approach, when its eyes be- 
came full and sparkling, like two living globes of fire; it 
crouched on its perch, reconnoitred every object around with 
looks of eager fierceness; alighted and fed; stood on the 
meat with clenched talons, while it tore it in morsels with 
its bill ; flew round the room with the silence of thought, 
and perching, moaned out its melancholy notes with many 
* Amer. Ornithology, vol. i. p. 100. 
