these birds, nor found a single person who had ever seen them, although
the people to whom I spoke were well acquainted with the Snowy Owl,
the Grey Owl, and the Hawk Owl.
THOMAS BUTLER KING, Esq., of St Simon's Island, Georgia, sent me
two very beautiful specimens of this Owl, which had been caught alive.
One died shortly after their arrival at Charleston ; the other was in fine
order when I received it. The person to whose care they were consigned,
kept them for many weeks at Charleston before I reached that
city, and told me that in the night their cries never failed to attract others
of the same species, which he observed hovering about the place of their
confinement.
This species is altogether nocturnal or crepuscular, and when disturbed
during the day, flies in an irregular bewildered manner, as if at
a loss how to look for a place of refuge. After long observation, I am
satisfied that our bird feeds entirely on the smaller species of quadrupeds,
for I have never found any portions of birds about their nests, nor even
the remains of a single feather in the pellets which they regurgitate, and
which are always formed of the bones and hair of quadrupeds.
Owls which approach to the diurnal species in their habits, or which
hunt for food in the morning and evening twilight, are more apt to seize
on objects which are themselves more diurnal than otherwise, or than the
animals which I have found to form the constant food of our Barn Owl.
Thus the Short-eared, the Hawk, the Fork-tailed, the Burrowing, and
other Owls, which hunt either during broad day, or mostly towards evening,
or at the return of day, will be found to feed more on mixed food
than the present species. I have no doubt that the anatomist will detect
corresponding differences in the eye, as they have already been found in
the ear. The stomach is elongated, almost smooth, and of a deep gamboge
yellow ; the intestines small, rather tough, and measuring one foot
nine inches in length.
Its flight is light, regular, and much protracted. It passes through
the air at an elevation of thirty or forty feet, in perfect silence, and
pounces on its prey like a Hawk, often waiting for a fair opportunity
from the branch of a tree, on which it alights for the purpose. During
day, they are never seen, unless accidentally disturbed, when they immediately
try to hide themselves. I am not aware of their having any propensity
to fish, as the Snowy Owl has, nor have I ever seen one pursuing
a bird. Ever careful of themselves, they retreat to the hollows of
trees and such holes as they find about old buildings. When kept in confinement,
they feed freely on any kind of flesh, and will stand for hours
in the same position, frequently resting on one leg, while the other is
drawn close to the body. In this position I watched one on my drawing
table for six hours.
This species is never found in the depth of the forests, but confines
itself to the borders of the woods around large savannas or old abandoned
fields overgrown with briars and rank grass, where its food, which consists
principally of field-mice, moles, rats, and other small quadrupeds, is found
in abundance, and where large beetles and bats fly in the morning and
evening twilight. It seldom occurs at a great distance from the sea. I
am not aware that it ever emits any cry or note, as other owls are wont
to do ; but it produces a hollow hissing sound continued for minutes at a
time, which has always reminded me of that given out by an oppossum
when about to die by strangulation.
When on the ground, this Owl moves by sidelong leaps, with the
body much inclined downwards. If wounded in the wing, it yet frequently
escapes through the celerity of its motions. Its hearing is extremely
acute, and as it marks your approach, instead of throwing itself
into an attitude of defence, as Hawks are wont to do, it instantly swells
out its plumage, extends its wings and tail, hisses, and clacks its mandibles
with force and rapidity. If seized in the hand, it bites and scratches,
inflicting deep wounds with its bill and claws.
It is by no means correct to say that this Owl, or indeed any other,
always swallows its prey entire: some which I have kept in confinement,
have been seen tearing a young hare in pieces with their bills in the manner
of hawks; and mice, small rats, or bats, are the largest objects that
I have seen them gobble up entire, and not always without difficulty.
From having often observed their feet and legs covered with fresh earth,
I am inclined to think that they may use them to scratch mice or moles
out of their shallow burrows, a circumstance which connects them with
the Burrowing Owls of our western plains, which like them have very
long legs. In a room their flight is so noiseless that one is surprised to
find them removed from one place to another without having heard the
least sound. They disgorge their pellets with difficulty, although generally
at a single effort, but I did not observe that thjs action was performed
at any regular period. I have mentioned these circumstances, to
induce you to examine more particularly the habits of the Barn Owls of