MOTTLED AND RED OWL. 
123 
appears necessary. When approached towards evening, 
he appeared strongly engaged in reconnoitring the ob- 
ject, blowing with a hissing noise (shay, sliay , shay), 
common to other species, and stretching out his neck 
with a waving, lateral motion, in a threatening attitude, 
and, on a nearer approach, made a snapping with the bill, 
produced by striking together both mandibles, as they are 
equally movable. He was a very expert mouse-catcher, 
swallowed his prey whole, and then, after some time, 
ejected from the bill, the bones, skin, and hair, in pel- 
lets. He also devoured large flies, which at this time 
came into the room in great numbers, and even the dry 
parts of these were also ejected from the stomach with- 
out digestion. He never showed any inclination whatever 
to drink. 
The female Mottled Owl, or old bird, is 10 to 11 inches long, and 
22 or more in extent. The upper parts are dark brown, shaded with 
paler, and thickly lined and spotted with zigzag points of black and 
ash. The wings lighter, and spotted with white. Tail mottled with 
black, brown, and whitish on a dark ground ; beneath, grey. Horns 
or auricular tufts, prominent, each composed of 10 graduated feath- 
ers. Face whitish, with small dusky spots, and bounded on either 
side by a black circle. Breast and belly whitish, variegated with 
broad lines and zigzag bars of black, with blended touches of brown. 
The legs feathered nearly to the claws, with hairy down of a pale 
brown. Vent and under tail coverts nearly white, the latter faintly 
marked with brown. Iris brilliant yellow. The bill and claws grey- 
ish horn color. The male is smaller and darker, and the white on 
the wing-coverts less pure. 
