III. FAMILY STRIGID2E, (THE OWLS).
Genus Stria;, Owls. Barn owl. Winter resident, rare ; carnivorous. "I am satisfied that our bird feeds entirely on the smaller species of quadrupeds " (And.) This, of course, refers to mice end other nocturnal animals.
Genus Bubo. Great horned owl Resident, frequent: carnivorous. "Its food consists of half grown turkeys, pheasants, and domestic poultry or every kind; also hares, young opossums, and squirrels." (And.) This is our most noteworthy robber of the ben-roost.
Genus Scups. Red owl. Resident, common ; Carni vorous; preys on mice, small sparrows, etc., and very often catches nocturnal beetles and other ins, eta. It thus destroys a large number of field mice, and the large cock, chafer, so injurious to our fruit trees. In winter it famil iarly enters our barns and outhouses, where it becomes an expert and industrious mouser. Mottled owl. Resi dent, common; carnivorous; habits similar to the last. Most ornithologists consider the red and gray screech-owls identical. This may be so. Bonaparte, Audubon, and others say the 'red is the young and the mottled the mature bird; others just reverse it. Audubon says the feathers change their colors as the pairing season advan ces, end in the first spring the bird is in its perfect dress; consequently the young or red bird could not be expected to breed, yet I have found red parents with a red brood, and also mottled parents with a mottled brood. Although pre
senting an anomaly perhaps unknown in any other spe cies of bird, I have therefore reseparated them for the present.
Genus Otus. Lone-eared owl. Resident, rare, or sel dom seeu; carnivorous. It preys chiefly on quadru peds of the genes Arvicola, (meadow mice,) and in sum mer destroys many beetles.
Genus Brachyotus. short-eared owl. Resident, fre quent in winter, rare in summer; carnivorous ; habits and food similar to those of the preceding species, which It somewhat resembles, except that it is more diurnal. and consequently feeds more on day food. When hungry, it will approach the farm-house in quest of garbage ejected from the kitchen.
Genus Syrnium. Barred owl. Resident, frequent; most so in winter ; carnivorous A great destroyer of poultry, particularly of chickens when half grown ; at also secures mice, rabbits, and small birds, and like other gourmands, is especially fond of a kind of frog common in the woods of Louisiana.
Genus Nyctale. Little ow]. Resident, not common, or rarely seen ; carnivorous; feeds on mice, beetles, moths, and grasshoppers, (Nutt.,) small quadrupeds and birds.—Snowy owl, Nytea. Winter resident very rare; carnivorous; rather diurnal or crepuscular than noctur nal. Its usual food while it remains with us consists of hares, squirrels, rats and fishes. It also catches the pheas ant and other kindred birds.