GREAT HORNED OWL. 95 
exceedingly entertaining to a lonely, benighted traveller, in the midst 
of an Indian Avilderness. 
This species inhabits the country round Hudson's Bay ; and, accord- 
ing to Pennant, who considers it a mere variety of the Eagle Owl {Shix 
bubo) of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka ; extends even to the Arctic 
regions, where it is often found Avhite ; and occurs as low as Astrakan. 
It has also been seen white in the United States ; but this has doubtless 
been owing to disease or natural defect, and not to climate. It preys 
on young rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, partridges, and small birds of 
various kinds. It has been often known to prowl about the farm-house, 
and carry off chickens from the roost. A very large one, wing-broken 
while on a foraging excursion of this kind, was kept about a house for 
several days, and at length disappeared, no one knew hoAV. Almost 
every day after this, hens and chickens also disappeared, one by one, in 
an unaccountable manner, till in eight or ten days very feAV were left 
remaining. The fox, the minx and weasel, were alternately the reputed 
authors of this mischief, until one morning, an old lady, rising before 
day to bake, in passing towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner the 
Owl, regaling himself on the body of a newly killed hen. The thief in- 
stantly made for his hole under the house, whence the enraged matron 
soon dislodged him with the brush-handle, and without mercy despatched 
him. In this snug retreat were found the greater j^art of the feathers, 
and many large fragments, of her Avhole family of chickens. 
There is something in the character of the Owl so recluse, solitary 
and mysterious, something so discordant in the tones of its voice, heard 
only amid the silence and gloom of night, and in the most lonely and 
sequestered situations, as to have strongly impressed the minds of man- 
kind in general with sensations of awe, and abhorrence of the Avhole 
tribe. The poets have indulged freely in this general prejudice ; and in 
their descriptions and delineations of midnight storms, and gloomy scenes 
of nature, the Owl is generally introduced to heighten the horror of the 
picture. Ignorance and superstition, in all ages, and in all countries, 
listen to the voice of the Owl, and even contemplate its physiognomy 
with feelings of disgust, and a kind of fearful awe. The priests, or con- 
jurers, among some of our Indian nations, have taken advantage of the 
reverential horror for this bird, and have adopted the Great Horned 
fiivl, the subject of the present account, as the symbol or emblem of 
their office. "Among the Creeks," says Mr. Bartram, "the junior 
priests, or students, constantly Avear a Avhite mantle, and have a Great 
OayI skin cased and stuffed very ingeniously, so Avell executed as almost 
to appear like the living bird, having large sparkling glass beads, 
or buttons, fixed in the head for eyes. This insignia of Avisdom and 
divination they Avear sometimes as a crest on the top of the head ; at 
other times the image sits on the arm, or is borne on the hand. These 
