THE BARRED OWL. 
283 
Slit two hours before sunset, in the month of Novem- 
S. I saw a barred owl tcazed by several crows, and 
Sscd from the tree in which it was. On leaving the 
, it gradually rose in the air, in the manner of a 
Wit, a [1( i at length attained so great a height, that 
party lost sight ot it. It acted, I thought, as if it 
ltt( l lost itself, now and then describing small circles, 
H flapping its wings quickly, then flying in zigzag 
’ties. This bein<>' so uncommon an occurrence, I noted 
down at the "time. I felt anxious to see the bird 
Wr n towards the earth, but it, did not make its 
fj*pearance again. So very lightly do they fly, that I 
frequently discovered on© passing" over me, and 
jjly a few yards distant, by first seeing its shadow on 
'je ground, during clear moonlight nights, when not 
f ‘ faintest rustling of its wings could be heard. 
“ Their power of sight during' the day seems to he 
Her of an equivocal character, as 1 once saw one 
*%ht. on the hack of a cow, which it left so suddenly 
JVwards, when the cow moved, as to prove to me 
it had mistaken the object on which it had perched 
^something else. At other times, 1 have observed, that 
approach of the gray squirrel intimidated them, if one 
.. these animals accidentally jumped on a branch dose to 
Si, although the owl destroys a number of them during 
'* twiljn ht.^It is for this reason, kind reader, that I have 
J^esented the barred owl gazing in amazement at one 
the squirrels placed only a few inches from him. 
. “ The barred owl is a great destroyer ot poultry, 
Wicnlarly of chickens when half grown. It also 
tt'Ures mice, young hares, rabbits, and many species of 
I Hi birds, but is especially fond of a kind of trog of a 
]*t>Wn colour, very common in the woods of Louisiana, 
‘have heard it asserted that this bird catches flsli, but 
."’ter havin')- seen it do so, and never having found any 
Wion «,f fish in its stomach, I cannot vouch tor the 
f,| th of the report. , , . , 
, “ About the middle of March, these owls begin to lay 
^ir e»<rs. This they usually do m the hollows of 
Ws, ^the dust of the decomposed wood. At other 
