THE EAGLE OWL. 
567 
or trips, in the autumn, especially when the snow lies 
deep in the high lands. 
The Eagle Owl is somewhat fantastic in appearance, 
usually sitting with its feathers so much ruffled as to 
make it seem much larger than it really is. “ In that 
large, shapeless mass of feathers,” says Naumann, “ one 
can scarcely distinguish the limbs: the half-closed eyes 
hide their glorious rays; suddenly it opens them wide, 
bends the head and upper part of the body forwards, 
swaying from side to side, and, raising first one foot 
and then the other, begins to tremble, winks slowly with 
the eyelids, spits like a cat, and snaps its bill; when 
angry, its eyes flash fire, it bends forward with hanging 
wings, ruffles its plumage as much as possible, and, 
snapping and hissing, dashes furiously at the enemy.” 
This bird seems less courageous, than surly and 
quarrelsome, and yet it is asserted that it will fight 
to the death with the Golden Eagle, when attacked by 
the latter. The Eagle Owl is a powerful bird, and there 
are no bounds to its fury; it is but rarely that anything 
escapes from its grasp. Though strictly nocturnal in 
its habits it always keeps a good look out for its own 
safety in the daytime, and is ever shy and cautious. 
Keen of sight and hearing, it takes wing while the 
danger is still far off. Like other Owls, this bird is fond 
of pressing itself against the stem of a tree, with unruffled 
feathers, so as to closely imitate the stump of a tree, and 
thus escape observation. Inasmuch as deep clefts in the 
rocks, or the thickest of trees, are its usual retreats, the 
Owl is often passed over, which fact is undoubtedly an 
advantage, for the day birds mob it whenever they see it. 
They may possibly have made it the savage, spiteful bird 
it is, inasmuch as their system of constant irritation 
