WHITE, OR BARN OWL. 
265 
to the want of those favourite recesses in this part of the world, 
which it so much affects in the eastern continent. The multitudes 
of old ruined castles, towers, monasteries, and cathedrals, that 
everywhere rise to view in those countries, are the chosen 
haunts of this well known species. Its savage cries at night 
give, with vulgar minds, a cast of supernatural horror to those 
venerable mouldering piles of antiquity. This species, being 
common to both continents, doubtless extends to the Arctic 
Regions. It also inhabits Tartary, where, according to Pennant, 
66 the Monguls and natives almost pay it divine honours, 
because they attribute to this species the preservation of the 
founder of their empire, Ginghis Khan. That prince, with 
his small army, happened to be surprised and put to flight by 
his enemies, and forced to conceal himself in a little coppice ; 
an Owl settled on the bush under which he was hid, and 
induced his pursuers not to search there, as they thought it 
impossible that any man could be concealed in a place where 
that bird would perch. From thenceforth they held it to be 
sacred, and every one wore a plume of the feathers of this 
not offer the same resistance to the air as one of a stiff and rigid texture. 
The wings, the great organs of locomotion, and which, in flight, produce 
the most noise, are rounded, having the webs of the feathers very broad, 
calculated for a powerful and sustaining flight ; and the mechanism of the 
feathers at once bespeaks an intention to destroy the sound produced by 
motion. In all those birds which perform very swift and rapid flights — the 
Falcons, for instance, Swifts, or Swallows, many of the sea fowl, the Fregate 
bird — the wings are very pointed, (a contrariety of form to the Strigidce,) with 
the plumules very closely united, and locked together, so as to form almost a 
thin or solid slip. These produce more resistance, and act as a strong pro- 
pelling medium, when vigorously used. In the Owls the wings present a larger 
surface, but are not so capable of swift motion ; and, to prevent the noise 
which would necessarily be produced by the violent percussion of so great an 
expanse, the webs are entirely detached at the tips, and the plumules of the 
inner ones being drawn to a fine point, thus offer a free passage to the air, and 
a gradual diminution of resistance. As a farther proof that this structure is 
so intended, we find it to a much less extent in those species that feed occa- 
sionally during the day, and we have also the narrowing and accumination of 
the wings, denoting superior flight ; while, in some, there is a still greater 
digression in the elongated tail Ed. 
