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THE BARN OWL. 
Strix Americana, Aud. 
PLATE XXXIV. — Male and Female. 
The Barn Owl of the United States is far more abundant in the Southern 
Districts than in the other parts. I never found it to the east of Pennsyl- 
vania, and only twice in that State, nor did I ever see, or even hear of one 
in the Western Country; but as soon as I have reached the maritime districts 
of the Carolinas, Georgia, the Floridas, and all along to Louisiana, the case 
has always been different. In Cuba they are quite abundant, according to 
the reports which I have received from that island. During my visit to 
Labrador I neither saw any of these birds, nor found a single person who had 
ever seen them, although the people to whom I spoke were well acquainted 
with the Snowy Owl, the Grey Owl, and the Hawk Owl. 
Thomas Butler King, Esq., of St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, sent me 
two very beautiful specimens of this Owl, which had been caught alive. 
One died shortly after their arrival at Charleston ; the other was in fine order 
when I received it. The person to whose care they were consigned, kept 
them for many weeks at Charleston before I reached that city, and told me 
that in the night their cries never failed to attract others of the same species, 
which he observed hovering about the place of their confinement. 
This species is altogether nocturnal or crepuscular, and when disturbed 
during the day, flies in an irregular bewildered manner, as if at a loss how 
to look for a place of refuge. After long observation, I am satisfied that our 
bird feeds entirely on the smaller species of quadrupeds, for I have never 
found any portions of birds about their nests, nor even the remains of a 
single feather in the pellets which they regurgitate, and which are always 
formed of the bones and hair of quadrupeds. 
Owls which approach to the diurnal species in their habits, or which hunt 
for food in the morning and evening twilight, are apt to seize on objects 
which are themselves more diurnal than those which I have found to form 
the constant food of our Barn Owl. Thus the Short-eared, the Hawk, the 
Fork-tailed, the Burrowing, and other Owls, which hunt either during broad 
day, towards evening, or at the return of day, will be found to feed more on 
diurnal animals than the present species. I have no doubt that the anatomist 
will detect corresponding differences in the eye, as they have already been 
found in the ear. The stomach is elongated, almost smooth, and of a deep 
