128 
THE BAEN OWL. 
gamboge-yellow ; the intestines small, rather tough, and measuring one foot 
nine inches in length. 
The flight of the Barn Owl is light, regular, and much protracted. It 
passes through the airat an elevation of thirty or fortyfeet,in perfect silence, 
and pounces on its prey like a Hawk, often waiting for a fair opportunity 
from the branch of a tree, on which it alights for the purpose. During day 
they are never seen, unless accidentally disturbed, when they immediately 
try to hide themselves. I am not aware of their having any propensity to 
fish, as the Snowy Owl has, nor have I ever seen one pursuing a bird. 
Ever careful of themselves, they retreat to the hollows of trees and such 
holes as they find about old buildings. When kept in confinement they 
feed freely on any kind of flesh, and will stand for hours in the same position, 
frequently resting on one leg, while the other is drawn close to the body. 
In this position I watched one on my drawing table for six hours. 
This species is never found in the depth of the forest, but confines itself 
to the borders of the woods around large savannas or old abandoned fields 
overgrown with briars and rank grass, where its food, which consists 
principally of field-mice, moles, rats, and other small quadrupeds, is found 
in abundance, and where large beetles and bats fly in the morning and 
evening twilight. It seldom occurs at a great distance from the sea. I am 
not aware that it ever emits any cry or note, as other Owls are wont to do ; 
but it produces a hollow hissing sound, continued for minutes at a time, 
which has always reminded me of that given out by an opossum- when about 
to die by strangulation. 
When on the ground, this Owl moves by sidelong leaps, with the body 
much inclined downwards. If wounded in the wing, it yet frequently escapes 
through the celerity of its motions. Its hearing is extremely acute, and as 
it marks your approach, instead of throwing itself into an attitude of defence, 
as Hawks are wont to do, it instantly swells out its plumage, extends its 
wings and tail, hisses, and clacks its mandibles with force and rapidity. If 
seized in the hand, it bites and scratches, inflicting deep wounds with its bill 
and claws. 
It is by no means correct to say that this Owl, or indeed any other, always 
swallows its prey entire: some which I have kept in confinement, have been 
seen tearing a young hare in pieces with their bills in the manner of Hawks ; 
and mice, small rats, or bats, are the largest objects that I have seen them 
gobble up entire, and not always without difficulty. From having often 
observed their feet and legs covered with fresh earth, I am inclined to think 
that they may use them to scratch mice or moles out of their shallow bur- 
rows, a circumstance which connects them with the Burrowing Owls of our 
western plains, which like them have very long legs. In a room their flight 
