GREAT HORNED OWL. 
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seem scarcely to belong to this world, startling the solitary 
pilgrim as he slumbers by his forest fire, 
Making night hideous. 
Along the mountainous shores of the Ohio, and amidst the 
deep forests of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the woods, this 
ghostly watchman has frequently warned me of the approach 
of morning, and amused me with his singular exclamations, 
sometimes sweeping down and around my fire, uttering a loud 
and sudden Waugh O ! Waugh O ! sufficient to have alarmed 
a whole garrison. He has other nocturnal solos, no less 
melodious, one of which very strikingly resembles the half- 
suppressed screams of a person suffocating, or throttled, and 
cannot fail of being exceedingly entertaining to a lonely 
benighted traveller, in the midst of an Indian wilderness ! 
This species inhabits the country round Hudson’s Bay; and, 
according to Pennant, who considers it a mere variety of the 
Eagle Owl ( Strix bubo) of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka ; 
extends even to the Arctic Regions, where it is often found 
white ; 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 roost. A very large 
one, wing-broken while on a foraging excursion of this kind, 
was kept about the house for several days, and at length 
disappeared, no one knew how. Almost every day after this, 
hens and chickens also disappeared, one by one, in an unac- 
countable manner, till, in eight or ten days, very few were 
left remaining. The fox, the minx, and weasel, were alter- 
nately the reputed authors of this mischief, until one morning, 
of the noblest of the Eagle tribe, disdaining to scramble away like the 
Barred Owl, but facing its enemy with undaunted courage, protruding its 
powerful talons, and snapping its bill, as long as he continues in its presence. 
On these occasions, its large goggle eyes are seen to open and close in quick 
succession, and the feathers of its body, being raised, swell out its apparent 
bulk to nearly double the natural size.”- r - Ed. 
