cere, large, oval or rounded. Facial disk incomplete above the eyes. Auditory
opening, small, oval, without an operculum. Wings rather short, concave j
the third and fourth quill-feathers generally the longest. Legs and toes covered
with feathers; claws long, curved and sharp.
T he characters and appearance of Owls are so singular
and so peculiar, that once having seen them they are not
readily forgotten. They have but little external beauty of
form. The head is large, the expression grotesque, the body
bulky in appearance, the plumage soft and downy. Unlike
the Falcons, which hunt for their food by day, the Owls
seek their prey during the twilight of morning and evening,
and probably during the greater part of the night, if the state
of the moon or the atmosphere affords sufficient light for the
purpose. From this habit of flying at night, the singular
appearance of the bird produced by the arrangement of the
feathers of the face, forming a broad circular disk, a peculiar
hollow tone of voice, unlike that of any other bird, and the
additional circumstance of most of the species selecting ivy-
covered ruins of sacred edifices as places of resort from the
solitude and protection the character of such remains afford,
Owls have been considered by the superstitious as birds of
darkness and ill-omen, and by some even as messengers of
death. Thus Shakspeare says—
“ Out on ye, Owls ! nothing but songs of Death.’’
Richard the Third.
The eyes of Owls are large, and appear to be particularly
susceptible of impression from light. I f exposed to the
glare of day, most of the species seem to be powerfully
affected by it, and the eyes are either closed entirely or
defended by an internal eyelid, which is brought down with
ease and rapidity. The power of hearing in Owls is probably
more acute than in many other birds ; the auditory
opening in some species is very large, and covered by an
operculum, which is elevated or closed at pleasure. Their
flight is easy and buoyant, but not rapid; and from the soft
texture of the feathers, even those of the wings, their flight
is performed without noise.
The species vary greatly in size ; and, according to their
several powers, their food consists of mammalia, birds, reptiles,
and occasionally fishes ; while, among the smaller species
of Owls, twilight-flying beetles and large moths are the objects
of search. Owls, like the Falcons, return by the mouth
the indigestible parts of the food swallowed in the form of
elongated pellets ; these are found in considerable numbers
about the usual haunts of the birds, and examination of
them, when softened in warm water, detects the nature of
the food.
The Owls are usually arranged in two principal groups:
one in which all the species exhibit two tufts of feathers on
the head, which have been called horns, ears, and egrets ;
in the second group, the heads are smooth and round without
tufts.
The Eagle Owl is one of the largest species of the family,
and inhabits the North of Europe generally ; but must be
considered a rare bird in England, an example occurring
only occasionally, and at uncertain intervals. Its food consists
of the larger sorts of game among mammalia as well as
birds, such as fawns, hares, grouse, &c. which it pounces on
upon the ground, seizing its prey with its feet, and seldom
advancing its head towards the victim till its struggles are
over.
The nest of this bird is large, the materials collected being
spread over a surface of several square feet among rocks,
or the walls of old ruins. The female is larger than the
male, and produces two or three eggs of a short oval shape,
two inches five lines long by one inch ten lines wide, and
perfectly white.
Linneus, when making a tour in Lapland, found this bird