CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 1. RAPTORES. 
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THE AMERICAN BARN-OWL. 
But although the "barn-owl is so imbecile by day as to suffer itself to be insulted with impunity 
by the pettiest aggressor, it assumes a very different character when darkness restores to it the 
faculty of clearly distinguishing objects. By watching near its haunts, or taking one's station in 
the neighborhood of some farm-steading frequented by it, one may dimly see it advance with 
silent and gliding flight, skimming oyer the fields, shooting along the hedge-bank, deviating this 
way and that, and now perhaps sweeping overhead, without causing the slightest sound by the 
flappings of its downy wings. On perceiving an object, it drops to the ground, secures its prey 
in a moment, and uttering a shrill cry, flies off with it in its claws. In a little time it returns, 
and thus continues prowling about the farm-yard for hours. 
The "nests of this species are very rude ; the eggs three or four in number ; these are laid at 
different times, so that the hatching of the young is often several weeks apart. It is capable of 
