296 
EAGLE OWL. 
he will utter a loud hoot or “ hoo," snapping at 
the same time loudly with the bill. “ This bird 
shews a great antipathy to dogs, and will perceive 
one at a considerable distance ; nor is it possible to 
distract his attention so long as the animal remains 
in sight. When first perceived, the feathers are 
raised, and the wings lowered as when feeding, 
and the head moved round, following the object 
while in sight ; if food he thrown, it will be struck 
with the foot and held, but no farther attention is 
at this time paid to it.” * 
From the characters we have given at the 
commencement of this description, it will have 
been seen that this bird is fully entitled to different 
generic rank from the “ eared birds” we have been 
last describing; but the colours of the plumage, 
consisting of black and ochraceous, or buff orange, 
and their irregular distribution, correspond nearly 
with the birds composing the genus Otus. This 
is a bird of great power and strength, and during 
the night, or when roused during the day, exhibits 
a fierce and active appearance. The disk and 
ruff are small and incomplete, grayish black, tinted 
with ochraceous, and margined round the occipital 
edges with black. The egrets, which are fully 
two inches long, are deep black, slightly edged 
with ochraceous yellow on the inner sides. The 
* Wilson’s N. A. Omitli. Edit, by Sir W. Jardine, ii. p. 257. 
