THE OSPREYS AND OWLS.
THE OSPREY--Distribution--Food--How it Seizes its Prey--Nesting
Communities--STRIGES, or OWLS--Distinctions between Hawks and
Owls--Owls in Bird-lore and Superstition--Families of the
Sub-order--THE FISH OWL--PEL’S FISH OWL--THE EAGLE OWL--Dr. Brehm’s
Description of its Appearance and Habits--THE SNOWY OWL--HAWK
OWLS--PIGMY OWLETS--THE SHORT-EARED OWL--THE LONG-EARED OWL--THE BARN
OWL--The Farmer’s Friend--Peculiar Characters--Distribution.
THE OSPREY, OR FISHING EAGLE (_Pandion haliaëtus_).
The Osprey is one of the most cosmopolitan of the birds of prey, being
found all over the world, with the exception of the continent of South
America and some of the Pacific Islands. Specimens from Australia
and the Moluccas are generally smaller than those from Europe or
America; but as the size of the species appears to vary in different
localities, the Australian form cannot be considered other than a
permanently smaller race. Everywhere the habits of the Osprey seem to
be very similar, the bird never being found away from the vicinity
of water, unless it be sometimes during the breeding season, when
it makes its nest at some distance from its feeding haunts. Its food
consists entirely of fish, and it is capable of carrying off one of
considerable size; in the capture of its prey it is greatly aided by
its reversible toes, and by the roughness of the sole of the foot,
which is covered with minute spikes, and these are, of course, of great
assistance to the bird in holding such a strong and slippery prey as a
large fish often proves to be. Professor Newton writes of one living
in the Zoological Gardens, that “when a fish was given to it, it was
observed to seize it across the body, placing the inner and outer
toes at right angles with the middle and hind toes, and, digging in
the claws, it held the fish most firmly by four opposite points, not
relaxing its hold or altering the position of the toes, but picking
out the portions of flesh from between them with great dexterity.”
Occasionally, the Osprey attacks a fish beyond its strength, and it is
then drawn under the water, and drowned. Mr. Dresser saw this happen in
the Bay of Fundy, when a Fish Hawk was unable to release itself from a
heavy fish, and, after being dragged under the water time after time,
was ultimately carried out to sea, and disappeared. Mr. Collett, of
Christiania, tells us that in one of the Norwegian lakes a huge Pike
was caught, with the remains of an Osprey’s skeleton still attached
to its back. Sometimes, on landing its prey, the bird is unable to
extricate its talons, and is captured alive. The nest of the Osprey is
a large structure, and is variously situated, according to the nature
of the locality. It is generally placed on a tree; but in situations
where there are no trees the position chosen is on a large rock or
stone, very often on the islands in the middle of the lakes which it
frequents. The eggs are generally three in number, sometimes four, and
are very beautiful, varying from a rich red to a buffy-white colour,
with large reddish and brown markings. In Europe it is found nesting
invariably in pairs, but in North America large communities are found;
and Dr. Brewer relates that sometimes as many as “three hundred pairs
have been observed nesting on one small island; and when a new nest is
to be constructed, the whole community has been known to take part in
its completion. They are remarkably tolerant towards smaller birds, and
permit the Purple Grakle (_Quiscalus purpureus_) to construct its nests
in the interstices of their own.”
THE THIRD SUB-ORDER.--STRIGES, THE OWLS.
The principal distinctions between Hawks and Owls (_Striges_) have
been already pointed out (p. 255); but there are still some other
smaller characters to which a passing allusion must be made. It would
be difficult, for instance, for the merest novice in the study of
ornithology to mistake an Owl, when seen alive in a cage, or even in a
case of stuffed birds, its enormous head and short neck being unlike
those of any of the other birds of prey. The neck of some Owls is,
indeed, so short and contracted, that it is with difficulty that any
intervening curve between the nape and the back, which would mark a
perceptible neck as in most Hawks, can be detected. Again, the Owls
have their eyes directed forwards, so that they confront the spectator;
while most of the other birds of prey turn their head more or less
on one side when their attention is diverted, and do not look one
straight in the face as an Owl does. The cere is almost always hidden
by bristles in the _Striges_, and the latter have a very distinct
facial disc, surrounded by a curious ruff, somewhat similar to that of
the Harriers (_Circus_, p. 268), and Harrier-Hawks (_Micrastur_, p.
270). The external ear-opening is a complicated organ in the Owls, and
differs considerably, the orifices often being of different form on
either side of the head; and in one species, Tengmalm’s Owl (_Nyctala
tengmalmi_), the ear-openings are of different shape in the skull
itself.
[Illustration: SKULL OF TENGMALM’S OWL.]
To those interested in bird-lore, a most entertaining study might
be afforded by tracing the superstitions with which Owls have been
regarded in all countries, and in the earliest times. Such a study was
begun by the late Mr. Broderip, in his “Zoological Recreations,”[209]
where he quotes from the ancient writers many passages, which show that
Owls were as much regarded as birds of ill-omen by the inhabitants of
Greece and Italy in olden times as they have been in England up to
the present day. Nor is the infatuation confined to Europe, as later
on are quoted instances of superstitious dread of the Owls in Morocco
and West Africa; while they are equally held in fear in many Eastern
countries.
The Athenians alone seem to have had a regard for these birds, and an
Owl is found on the reverse side of many of their coins, the bird being
sacred to their guardian deity, Athené. The species figured is probably
the Little Owl (_Carine noctua_), a bird which is common in Greece. It
is difficult to guess why the Owl came to be regarded as the embodiment
of wisdom, unless it was from its having been sacred to Minerva, the
Goddess of Wisdom, who is sometimes represented as the Owl-headed
goddess.
[Illustration: LITTLE OWL.]
“The Owlet’s wing,” writes Mr. Harting,[210] “was an ingredient in the
cauldron wherein the witches prepared their ‘charm of powerful trouble’
(_Macbeth_, Act iv., sc. 1); and with the character assigned to it by
the ancients, Shakspere, no doubt, felt that the introduction of an Owl
in a dreadful scene of a tragedy would help to make the subject come
home more forcibly to the people, who had, from early times, associated
its presence with melancholy, misfortune, and death. Accordingly, we
find the unfortunate Owl stigmatised as the ‘obscure,’ ‘ominous,’
‘fearful,’ and ‘fatal’ ‘bird of night.’ Its doleful cry pierces the ear
of Lady Macbeth while the murder is being done:--
‘Hark! Peace!
It was the Owl that shriek’d, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern’st good-night.’
_Macbeth_, Act ii., Sc. 2.
And when the murderer rushes in immediately afterwards, exclaiming--‘I
have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?’ She replies--‘I
heard the Owl scream.’ And later on--‘The _obscure bird_ clamour’d the
live-long night.’” (_Macbeth_, Act. ii., Sc. 3.)
The awe, no doubt, with which this bird is regarded by the
superstitious, may be attributed in some measure to the fact of its
flying by night.
“Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
* * * * *
The time when Screech-Owls cry and Ban-Dogs howl.”
_Henry VI._, Part ii., Act i., Sc. 4.
And yet, strange to say, the appearance of an Owl by day is by some
considered equally ominous:--
“The Owl by day,
If he arise, is mocked and wondered at.”
_Henry VI._, Part iii., Act v., Sc. 4.
“For Night-Owls shriek, where mounting Larks should sing.”
_Richard II._, Act iii., Sc. 3.
Should an Owl appear at a birth, it is said to forebode ill-luck to the
infant. King Henry VI., addressing Gloster, says:--
“The Owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign.”
_Henry VI._, Part iii., Act v., Sc. 6.
While upon any other occasion, its presence was supposed to predict a
death, or at least some dire mishap:--
“The Screech Owl, screeching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
In remembrance of a shroud.”
_Midsummer Night’s Dream_, Act v., Sc. 2.
When Richard III. is irritated by the ill-news showered thick upon him,
he interrupts the third messenger with
“Out on ye, Owls! Nothing but songs of death?”
_Richard III._, Act iv., Sc. 4.
The same author, from whom the above Shaksperian illustrations are
quoted, alludes further to the superstitious dread of the Owl, which
exists likewise amongst the Dyaks of Borneo, and in Ceylon a Wood-Owl,
belonging to the same genus _Syrnium_, to which the English Wood-Owl
belongs, is known as the “Devil-bird,” and is held in great fear.
Colonel Irby, writing of the Barn-Owl,[211] tells the following story
from the MS. of the late Mr. Favier, of Tangier:--“The inhabitants
of Tangier consider this bird the clairvoyant friend of the Devil.
The Jews believe that their cry causes the death of young children;
so in order to prevent this, they pour a vessel of water out into
the courtyard every time that they hear the cry of one of these Owls
passing over their house. The Arabs believe even more than the Jews,
for they think that they can cause all kinds of evil to old as well
as young; but their mode of action is even more simple than that
of their antagonists the Jews, as they rest contented with cursing
them whenever they hear their cry. Endeavouring to find out from the
Mahometans what foundation there is for the evil reputation of this
species, I was told this: ‘When these birds cry they are only cursing
in their own language; but their malediction is harmless unless they
know the name of the individual to whom they wish evil, or unless they
have the malignity to point out that person when passing him; as the
Devil sleeps but little, when there is evil work to be done he would
infallibly execute the command of his favourite if one did not, by
cursing the Owl by name, thus guard against the power of that enemy,
who is sworn to do evil to all living beings.’ Having learned the
belief of the Mahometans relative to this Owl, it was more difficult
to find out exactly that of the Jews, who, when questioned by me, knew
not how to answer, except that the act of pouring water in the middle
of the courtyard is a custom of long standing, in order to avert the
evil which the Owl is capable of doing; that is to say, the water is
poured out with the view of attracting the evil spirit’s attention to
an object which distracts him, and so hides from him the infant which
the Owl in its wickedness wishes to show him.”
The late Mr. Waterton, in an entertaining essay on the habits of the
Barn-Owl, says:--“Among the numberless verses which might be quoted
against the family of the Owl, I think I only know of one little ode
which expresses any pity for it:--
‘Once I was a Monarch’s daughter,
And sat on a lady’s knee;
But am now a nightly rover,
Banish’d to the ivy tree.
Crying, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo.
Hoo, hoo, hoo, my feet are cold;
Pity me, for here you see me,
Persecuted, poor, and old.’”[212]
The Owls are divided into two families, the first of which is called
_Bubonidæ_, and the second _Strigidæ_. In the latter family are
represented only two genera, _Strix_ and _Heliodilus_, which contain
six species, all the remaining Owls, about one hundred and ninety in
number, belonging to the _Bubonidæ_. The breast-bone in the latter
family always shows two or more clefts or indentations, and there
are no “serrations” on the middle claw, whereas the Barn-Owls always
have the inner edge of the middle claw serrated, that is, with a
small, toothed margin, like the teeth of a saw (_serra_, Lat., a saw;
_serratus_, notched like a saw), and the breast-bone has no clefts
in its hinder edge. The _Bubonidæ_ embrace two sub-families, the
_Buboninæ_, which have no _operculum_, or fold of skin, closing in the
ear, and the _Syrniinæ_, which have a very large _operculum_. It seems
natural to commence the classification of the Nocturnal Accipitres
with the Bare-legged or Fishing Owls, as the structure of this part
very much resembles that of the Osprey, which was the concluding
representative of the Diurnal Accipitres. The thigh feathers are thick,
and fit close to the leg; the tarsus and toes are bare; the outer
toe is reversible; and the soles of the feet are covered with tiny
spicules, which serve to hold fast their finny prey in the same manner
as do those of the Osprey.
THE FISH OWL.
The following account of the Indian Fish Owl (_Ketupa[213]
ceylonensis_) is taken from the work by Captain Vincent Legge, R.A.,
on the birds of Ceylon:--“This large Owl loves the vicinity of water,
haunting the banks of rivers, tanks, inland salt lagoons, the borders
of sea-bogs, and woods surrounding rice-fields. All who have visited
the tanks in the north and east of Ceylon must be familiar with the
fine bird, which so often is surprised napping in the lofty trees
growing on the embankments, or so-called ‘bunds.’ Its powers of vision
in the day are not quick, but they are tolerably clear. On hearing the
footsteps of man, it raises its large ear-tufts, and bending down its
head, stares steadily down from its lofty perch among the green boughs,
and as soon as it becomes aware of the nature of the intruder on its
retreat, launches itself out of the tree, and is not easily approached
a second time. It is much more common in wild forest country, combined
with water, than in cultivated districts. It sallies out in the evening
with great regularity. As soon as the sun begins to sink behind the
surrounding forest, it may be noticed flapping noiselessly round some
secluded cheena, or leisurely crossing the lonely tank, resounding
at the hour of sunset with the buzzing of innumerable frogs, to the
nearest conspicuous tree, and there gives out its sepulchral groan.
This gloomy salutation is usually responded to by its mate, who perches
close at hand, and answers by a double note, the two lonesome sounds
resembling the words _gloom--oh, gloom_. At night I have often heard
these notes repeated by a pair without intermission for many minutes.
Layard remarks that, when alarmed during the day, they utter a loud
hiss, subsiding into a growl. They appear to have an accustomed place
of roosting, for Mr. Houldsworth notices that they ‘perched day after
day on the same branch!’ This is very often in an exposed situation,
and it frequently falls to their lot to be mobbed by a flock of
garrulous Bulbuls, King-Crows, and other Owl-hating small birds. Fish
is the favourite food, and, in fact, the usual diet of this species;
but when this is not procurable, small mammals, reptiles, and even
insects are devoured by them. In the stomach of one, for example, I
found a Snake (_Haplocercus ceylonensis_), and some large Beetles. As
a proof of their miscellaneous diet, and also of their voracity, I may
mention that a pair of Fish Owls, which were kept by Sir Charles Layard
in the same aviary with a Brahmin Kite, fell one night upon their
luckless companion, and, after slaughtering him, forthwith proceeded to
devour him completely. Further, Mr. Hume records, in ‘Nests and Eggs,’
finding the remains of Quails, Doves, and Mynahs in the nest of a pair
on the Jumna. It has also been stated that they feed on the carcases of
the Gavial and Crocodile.”
[Illustration: EAGLE OWL.]
PEL’S FISH-OWL (_Scotopelia peli_).[214]
The African Fish-Owls are exactly like the Indian as regards their bare
legs, but they have no tufts on their heads. Three different kinds
are known, and they are all rare birds, frequenting the rivers and
inland lakes of the African continent. Pel’s Fish-Owl was discovered
on the Gold Coast by Mr. Pel, the Dutch commandant at Elmina, nearly
forty years ago. The specimen procured by that gentleman flew across
the river Boutry, and settled among some shady boughs on the other
bank, when it was knocked down with the blow of a gun. The following
account of one of these rare birds, from the Barra country, Senegambia,
is given by Mr. John Henry Gurney, who had the specimen alive in
his possession for a long time: it was presented to him by Colonel
O’Connor, C.B., who is the author of the accompanying “Sketch of Nero,
the Owl, a Fetish Bird.” The colonel writes[215]:--“During seven
years’ exploration of Western Africa, I only met one of the species
of the Owl ‘Nero.’ He was brought ‘a chicken,’ full of pen-feathers,
or rather down, of a delicate straw-colour, and very thick, from a
lagoon in the Barra country. No native would admit ‘Nero’ as a visitor;
and when the bird was installed in Government House, the servants and
head people came in a body to remonstrate, asserting ‘he was a Gumbi
Owl, a Fetish!! and would destroy and kill whatever object he looked
on.’ The chief groom (an old soldier, who had charge of the poultry)
insisted that ‘every cock and hen would go dead.’ Strangely enough,
an epidemic broke out, and carried off from fifty to sixty head of
fowls; and each day the groom placed the defunct birds on the steps of
Government House, to meet the eye of Mrs. O’Connor, seeming to exult
in the mortality amongst the feathered tribe. ‘You see wid your own
eye, Missus, dat debil Jumbi bird, he go kill all de fowls. Governor
tink he hab long head, but he no sabey Owl. Suppose you put him in
de stable, he see Nelly (Mrs. O’Connor’s favourite mare), de horse
he go tumble down dead.’ Death at last ceased to reign amongst the
poultry population, and Nero became my principal pet; he ranged over
the piazza, perching on the branch of a tree; he was fed regularly by
the orderly on roasted fish, but he often came to the dinner-table,
and flew down for scraps of meat, bread and butter, which he took
gently from myself or from Mrs. O’Connor, permitting us to rub his
head, crest, neck, and back, seemingly enjoying the caressing. But he
would snatch meat or bones from the Cat or Dog; and when the Eagle was
introduced into his company, he beat him in a most unmerciful manner
away from his peculiar and original position of the piazza, the Eagle
being one of the fiercest and most pugnacious of African birds, brought
from the upper part of the Gambia river near ‘Wallie,’ and, when in
vigour, able to carry away a kid or small lamb. Nero luxuriated in a
tub of water, frequently washing himself, and perching on the rim until
dry. He was wont to go out to the garden or fields, where instantly
an immense commotion arose among all the birds. The larger ones flew
round the Owl, keeping a very civil distance, the smaller birds flew
away; but Nero treated both alike with sovereign contempt. He would
return of his own accord to the roosting-place in the piazza, and when
put out and confined for some days, rejected all food, and pined until
restored to his perch. With me he was as tame as any Canary, and, after
an absence of two months, recognised my voice when I went to his cage
at Oatlands (Devon), appearing much pleased by my taking him out for
a walk on the grass. Many natives from the interior told me ‘they had
never seen such a bird before; but they considered him _unlucky_.’ I
really think Nero is nearly _sans_ any relations, and certainly devoid
of all friends in Western Africa.”
Pel’s Owl measures nearly two feet in length, and has the wing sixteen
inches and a half. Its colour is a deep rufous bay, with black
transverse bars; below it is light bay, with heart-shaped bars of
black; the iris is dark-brown, whereas in the Indian Fishing Owls it is
always yellow.
THE EAGLE OWL (_Bubo ignavus_).[216]
This and its relative, the Virginian Eared Owl of America, are the
largest of all the family. It is found all over Europe and Siberia,
extending even to China and the Himalayas, but the few instances of
its capture in Great Britain have been probably those of birds escaped
from confinement, as it is by no means an uncommon species in aviaries
in England. As it is not, strictly speaking, a British bird, recourse
must be had to the writings of Continental naturalists for an account
of its habits, and the following extract is made from Dr. Brehm’s “Bird
Life” (p. 567):--“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 as 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 detection. 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 would be sufficient to try the
temper of the mildest individual. Thus nothing remains for the Owl but
to evade its disturbers, and hide itself as long as possible; but woe
betide it if discovered, for then the friends of daylight treat it to a
‘charivari’ without equal.
“The first to arrive on the scene is the ubiquitous Crow, conducted
thither by some inquisitive warbler who has discovered the enemy’s
retreat. The Crow thoroughly understands what the little fellow means,
and hastens to convince itself of the truth of the information. Having
satisfied itself, it retires noiselessly, but only to carry the news
to its relatives. Now they flock in from all sides to take part in
the fight, with an eagerness worthy of the boldest man; greeting one
another with hoarse and scornful croaks, the sooty tribe hasten as
fast as they can to the scene of action. The mockers surround the poor
old ‘Grand Duke,’ at first at a respectful distance, though they are
fully determined effectively to disturb its siesta. There sits the
Owl, rolling its eyes, spitting, snapping its beak, and ruffling its
feathers, now hopping from one leg to another, now raising and lowering
its feathered horns by turns; mad with rage, bemoaning its fate, and at
loggerheads with the whole world, it awaits the turn that matters may
take; at the same time, be it remembered, every Crow takes good care
not to lay hold of the irritated gentleman; nothing less than a Raven
dares to rely on its own strength. One of these, however, will run a
tilt at the dark knight, using its sharp beak as a lance; but before
the latter has time to raise the terrible claw, the Raven makes good
its retreat, prepares for another rush, and darts like an arrow, so
as to use its weapon effectively. The Owl now loses the last remnant
of patience, and seeks safety in flight. Oh, unlucky wight! this is
all the black swarm have been waiting for, the Crows being far its
superiors on the wing. Giving vent to exulting cries, they dart down
from above with such unerring aim and force as to scatter the poor
brute’s feathers in clouds to the wind: they rise again with a mighty
noise that heeds no secrecy, as though they sought to proclaim to the
world at large all the fell deeds committed by this Prince of Darkness,
while other knights advance to battle. All Hawks and Falcons, ay, the
proud Eagle even, answer to the call, and hasten to take part in the
fray. Now the Owl must, perforce, either beat a hasty retreat or remain
on the field. In any case, however, the Owl is thoroughly worried, and
sometimes really damaged, before it finds refuge in some thick tree or
rocky cleft, where it hides itself as closely and as silently as its
rage will permit, until quit of the Crows.
“The detestation in which the Eagle Owl is held by all diurnal birds
is not ill-founded, for this bird preys on every living creature
it can overcome, assassinating them in the most abominable manner
while they are asleep. Its quarry is as follows:--Fawns of the Roe
Deer, Hares, Rabbits, Hamsters, Rats, Moles, Mice, Capercailzie,
Black-game, Hazel-hens, Pheasants, Partridges, Rooks, Jays, Magpies,
Snakes, Lizards, and Frogs; Rooks seem to be its favourite morsel.
No wonder, then, that they pay their enemy out if they can only see
an opportunity. It assassinates them; they attack it in open day.
The Eagle Owl generally breaks the spine of the smaller animals close
to the head, and, cracking the remaining bones, devours its prey,
skin and all; the heads of the larger birds it pulls in large pieces
which it swallows. It, however, always devours a portion of the hair,
feathers, or scales as well, and wastes away if fed on flesh alone. The
indigestible portions of the meal are thrown up in large round pellets
or ‘casts.’ With larger animals, it lays open the skin of the belly,
and eats out the flesh from inside. If it finds that there is too much
for one meal, it carefully replaces the skin, and hides the remainder
in some dark cranny or corner until required again. This Owl drinks
rarely, slaking its thirst generally with the blood of its victims. If
food is plentiful, it gorges itself; but in times of dearth it can go
without food for weeks together.
[Illustration: SNOWY OWL.]
“By the last fortnight in March the Eagle Owls commence preparations
for breeding. At this season may be heard their hollow, muffled cry of
‘poohoo, poohoo,’ which is distinguishable at a great distance through
the woods, and it is not to be wondered that the timid are frightened
at it. In the silent, dark recesses of the mountain forest a variety of
noises, well calculated to make one’s flesh creep, fall upon the ear:
the shrill, mocking laugh, a sound as of snarling hounds; the whoop of
the hunter, the snorting of Horses; these are all calculated to impress
the uneducated and superstitious with the truth of the legend of the
wild huntsman. Even to the ear of the better-informed, these hideous
cries, the loud screech of the female, or the ‘poohoo’ of the male,
intermingled with the snapping of the beak and curious miaulings, sound
somewhat weird; and the boldest of mortals can scarcely repress a cold
shudder when a company of these forest spirits favour him with one of
their demoniacal nocturnal concerts. Doubtless these sounds represent
the battle-cries of the males when fighting for the females, and take
the place of the song of the Nightingale when telling its tale of love.
“After the Owls have paired these cries are heard less frequently,
both birds being now fully occupied with their nursery operations. The
large nest is composed outwardly of branches and sticks, and is lined
with dry leaves and small twigs. It is built, and generally placed in
either the cleft of a rock or in a hole in some ruined tower; the nest
is never built in a tree but from necessity. The two or three eggs are
also often found lying on the bare surface of the rock, without any
nest whatever. They are round, cross-grained, and white, and somewhat
larger than a hen’s egg. The young are hatched in about three weeks.
They are usually two in number, rarely three; they look, on their first
appearance, like balls of cotton-wool, and keep up a constant hissing
or shrill whistle. They remain a long time in the nest, and are so
abundantly provided with food by the parent birds, that one is sure to
find a large heap of provisions at the nest. The Owlets often betray
their presence to their innumerable enemies by their cries, and suffer
much persecution in consequence. When about eight weeks old they are
able to fly, though they still remain for some time longer under the
care of the old birds. These latter rarely wander far from a particular
neighbourhood, and usually build in the very same place the following
year.”
[Illustration: SHORT-EARED OWL.]
Besides the Eagle Owls, the sub-family _Buboninæ_ contains the Snowy
Owl (_Nyctea[217] scandiaca_[218]), all the Hawk Owls (_Surnia[219]
Ninox_[220]), and the Pigmy Owlets (_Glaucidium_[221]). Many of the
birds belonging to this latter genus are not much bigger than a
Sparrow. They are found nearly all over the world, with the exception
of Australia and Oceania, and one species, the European Pigmy Owlet
(_G. passerinum_[222]), is by no means uncommon in many parts of the
Continent, though it has not yet been met with for certain in the
British Islands.
The sub-family _Syrniinæ_ contains only three genera, the Horned Owls
(_Asio_[223]), the Wood Owls (_Syrnium_[224]), and the Tengmalm’s Owl
(_Nyctala_[225] _tengmalmi_), the latter having been already noticed
(p. 297) as possessing the curious difference in the ear-opening on
each side of the skull. Of the Horned Owls two species are found in the
British Islands, viz., the Short-eared Owl (_Asio accipitrinus_[226]),
and the Long-eared Owl (_A. otus_[227]). The former of these birds is
often seen in the daytime, and is said to hunt for its prey on dull
days, when it will fly at small birds as well as mice; and Mr. Low,
writing on the birds of the Orkneys, where the Short-eared Owl breeds,
says that he has found in the nest the remains of a Moor-fowl (Red
Grouse), two Plovers, besides the feet of several others; and the
same writer states that during the breeding season it becomes very
impudent, and will even seize and catch up chickens from the doors, and
also chase pigeons in open daylight. Although resident in the British
Islands, a large migration of the species takes place in autumn, and
it is not unfrequently shot by sportsmen in the turnip-fields; while
Bewick mentions the recurrence of twenty-eight individuals being
flushed in a turnip-field in November, being probably attracted to
the locality by an abundance of food. It may also be occasionally
found in marshes near the sea-shore, as occurred once to the writer,
who started a Short-eared Owl from the sedgy bank on the west side
of Pagham Harbour, in the early part of September. When winged, it
boldly faced its pursuer, erecting the little tufts on its head and
fiercely snapping its bill, as is the manner with all Owls in defending
themselves.
[Illustration: FACE OF THE BARN OWL.]
Its relation, the Long-eared Owl, is a bird of different habits, and,
instead of breeding on the ground as the foregoing species does,
it selects a dark wood or clump of firs, appropriating a deserted
Squirrel’s “dray,” or adapting the nest of another bird to its own
requirements. Macgillivray gives the following account of a young
specimen which he had in confinement:--“An individual of this species,
which was sent to me in winter by the Rev. Mr. Adam, having been left
at night perched on the back of a chair in my drawing-room, tore to
tatters six valuable skins of birds from the Rocky Mountains, and an
equal number of nearly equally rare specimens from India. A young bird
which I kept for some time, on perching, stood at first with the body
inclined, afterwards nearly erect, and slept in the latter posture,
with its neck rather extended, its feathers drawn close, and its tufts
recumbent. When irritated, it raised its plumage, threw its body
forward, and uttered a sharp cry. It seized its food with its bill; if
large, transferred it to one of its feet, but if otherwise, retained
it in its bill. In flying, it carried a small object in its bill, but
a larger in its foot. It could close one eye while the other remained
open, and when placed in a strong light, frequently drew the membrane
over the lighted eye, while the other remained unsheathed, though for
the most part it winked with both simultaneously. The irides contracted
unequally, according to the degree of light. When perched at night, it
sometimes emitted a clicking noise, like that of a spring, with its
bill; but when provoked, it neither hissed nor snapped, but uttered
a shrill, tremulous, plaintive cry, or succession of short notes,
erecting its tufts at the same time.”
THE BARN OWL (_Strix[228] flammea_[229]).
This is essentially the friend of man, frequenting villages and
homesteads where he is protected, and extending his range where
civilisation precedes him, being attracted doubtless by the Mice and
Rats, which are also the accompaniments of civilisation. The number
of small mammals which one of these birds will devour ought to be his
passport to the protecting care of the farmer and agriculturist, but
it is seldom that an Owl of any kind meets with approval on taking up
his residence on an estate. Facts, however, are stubborn things, and in
the hope that a more generous reception may be afforded to these useful
birds, the following quotation is made from Professor Newton:--“Owls,
like other birds of prey, as already mentioned, 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 reveals the nature of the food,
and shows in nearly every case the great services they render to man
by the destruction of Rats and Mice.”[230] The infallibility of the
evidence thus afforded as to the food of the Owls is as complete as
the way of obtaining it, by those who have the opportunity, is simple.
Several German naturalists have made some very precise researches on
this subject. The following results, with regard to the three commonest
species of Owls, are those afforded by the investigations of Dr. Altam,
as communicated by him to the German Ornithologists’ Society during its
meeting in 1862:--
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| | REMAINS FOUND. |
| +---------+----+----+-----+-----+------+----+----+----+
| | | | | | | | | | B |
| | | | | | | S | | | e |
| |No. of | | | | V | h | M | B | e |
| |Pellets | B | R | M | o | r | o | i | t |
| |examined.| a | a | i | l | e | l | r | l |
| | | t | t | c | e | w | e | d | e |
| | | s. | s. | e. | s. | s. | s. | s. | s. |
+--------------+---------+----+----+-----+-----+------+----+----+----+
|Tawny Owl | 210 | -- | 6 | 42 | 296 | 33 | 48 | 18 | 48 |
|Long-eared Owl| 25 | -- | -- | 6 | 35 | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
|Barn Owl | 706 | 16 | 3 | 237 | 693 |1,590 | -- | 22 | -- |
+--------------+---------+----+----+-----+-----+------+----+----+----+
Colonel Irby, in the work which has already been alluded to, says of
the Barn Owl:--“Almost exclusively feeding on Rats and Mice, they
deserve every encouragement and support that can be afforded them;
but from being in all countries regarded with superstitious awe and
dislike, they are more or less persecuted on that account; and in
England, through the ignorance and stupidity of gamekeepers, who
fancy that they kill game (_i.e._, feathered game), they suffer most
severely. This excuse is ridiculous, for old birds they have not the
power to kill, and young Pheasants and Partridges, at the time the Owls
are on the feed, are safely being brooded by the parent bird.” Those
who wish to encourage and increase Owls, and have not hollow trees or
buildings where they nest, may always gratify their wishes by fixing
an empty barrel (about an 18-gallon size) horizontally in the fork of
any large tree, cutting a hole in one end large enough for the birds
to enter; but the hoops of the cask should be screwed on, or it will
soon fall to pieces. Not only the Barn Owl, but the Tawny Owl (_Syrnium
aluco_) also will use barrels, or “Owl-tubs.” The difficulty, however,
is to keep out the Jackdaws, but when once the Owls have established
themselves, there is no fear of that intrusion. The late Mr. Waterton
was a well-known admirer of the present species, and he devotes one
of his “Essays on Natural History” to the Barn Owl, from which a few
passages are extracted:--“Up to the year 1813 the Barn Owl had a sad
time of it at Walton Hall. Its supposed mournful notes alarmed the
aged housekeeper. She knew full well what sorrow it had brought into
other houses when she was a young woman, and there was enough of
mischief in the midnight wintry blast, without having it increased
by the dismal screams of something which people knew very little
about, and which everybody said was far too busy in the churchyard at
night-time. Nay, it was a well-known fact, that if any person were sick
in the neighbourhood it would be for ever looking in at the window,
and holding a conversation outside with somebody, they did not know
whom. The gamekeeper agreed with her in everything she said on this
important subject, and he always stood better in her books when he had
managed to shoot a bird of this bad and mischievous family. However, in
1813, on my return from the wilds of Guiana, having suffered myself,
and learned mercy, I broke in pieces the code of penal laws which the
knavery of the gamekeeper and the lamentable ignorance of the other
servants had hitherto put in force, far too successfully, to thin the
numbers of this poor, harmless, unsuspecting tribe. On the ruin of the
old gateway, against which tradition says the waves of the lake have
dashed for the greater part of a thousand years, I made a place with
stone and mortar, about four feet square, and fixed a thick oaken stick
firmly into it. Huge masses of ivy now quite cover it. In about a month
or so after it was finished a pair of Barn Owls came and took up their
abode in it. I threatened to strangle the keeper if ever, after this,
he molested either the old birds or their young ones; and I assured the
housekeeper that I would take upon myself the whole responsibility of
all the sickness, woe, and sorrow that the new tenants might bring to
the Hall. She made a low courtesy, as much as to say, ‘Sir, I fall into
your will and pleasure,’ but I saw in her eye that she had made up her
mind to have to do with things of fearful and portentous shape, and to
hear many a midnight wailing in the neighbouring woods. I do not think
that up to the day of this old lady’s death, which took place in her
eighty-fourth year, she ever looked with pleasure or contentment on the
Barn Owl, as it flew round the large sycamore trees which grow near the
ruined gateway.
“When I found that this first settlement on the gateway had succeeded
so well, I set about forming other establishments. This year I have had
four broods, and I trust that next season I can calculate on having
nine. This will be a pretty increase, and it will help to supply the
place of those which in this neighbourhood are still unfortunately
doomed to death by the hand of cruelty or superstition. We can now
always have a peep at the Owls in their habitation on the old ruined
gateway whenever we choose. Confident of protection, these pretty birds
betray no fear when the stranger mounts up to their place of abode.
I would here venture a surmise that the Barn Owl sleeps standing.
Whenever we go to look at it we invariably see it upon the perch, bolt
upright, and often with its eyes closed, apparently fast asleep. Buffon
and Bewick err, no doubt unintentionally, when they say that the Barn
Owl snores during its repose. What they took for snoring was the cry of
the young birds for food. I had fully satisfied myself on this score
some years ago. However, in December, 1823, I was much astonished to
hear this same snoring kind of noise, which had been so common in the
month of July. On ascending the ruin, I found a brood of young Owls in
the apartment.
[Illustration: BREAST-BONE OF THE BARN OWL.]
“Upon this ruin is placed a perch, about a foot from the hole at which
the Owls enter. Sometimes, at mid-day, when the weather is gloomy, you
may see an Owl upon it, apparently enjoying the refreshing diurnal
breeze. This year (1831) a pair of Barn Owls hatched their young, on
the 7th of September, in a sycamore tree, near the old ruined gateway.
“If this useful bird caught its food by day, instead of hunting for it
by night, mankind would have ocular demonstration of its utility in
thinning the country of Mice; and it would be protected and encouraged
everywhere. It would be with us what the Ibis was to the Egyptians.
When it has young, it will bring a Mouse to the nest about every twelve
or fifteen minutes. But in order to have a proper idea of the enormous
quantity of Mice which this bird destroys, we must examine the pellets
which it ejects from its stomach in the place of its retreat. Every
pellet contains from four to seven skeletons of Mice. In sixteen months
from the time that the apartment of the Owl on the old gateway was
cleaned out, there has been a deposit of above a bushel of pellets. The
Barn Owl sometimes carries off Rats. One evening I was sitting under a
shed, and killed a very large Rat as it was coming out of a hole about
ten yards from where I was watching it. I did not go to take it up,
hoping to get another shot. As it lay there, a Barn Owl pounced upon
it, and flew away with it. This bird has been known to catch fish.
Some years ago, on a fine evening in the month of July, long before it
was dark, as I was standing on the middle of the bridge, and minuting
the Owl by my watch as she brought Mice into her nest, all on a sudden
she dropped perpendicularly into the water. Thinking she had fallen
down in epilepsy, my first thoughts were to go and fetch the boat; but
before I had well got to the end of the bridge, I saw the Owl rise out
of the water with a fish in her claws, and take it to the nest. When
farmers complain that the Barn Owl destroys the eggs of their Pigeons,
they lay the saddle on the wrong horse; they ought to put it on the
Rat. Formerly, I could get very few young Pigeons, till the Rats were
excluded effectually from the dovecot. Since that took place it has
produced a great abundance every year, though the Barn Owls frequent
it, and are encouraged all around it. The Barn Owl merely resorts to
it for the purpose of concealment. If it were really an enemy to the
dovecot, we should see the Pigeons in commotion as soon as it begins
its evening flight; but the Pigeons heed it not. Whereas, if the
Sparrow-Hawk or Hobby should make its appearance, the whole community
would be up at once; proof sufficient that the Barn Owl is not looked
upon as a bad, or even a suspicious character, by the inhabitants of
the dovecot.”
The colour of the Barn Owl, which is a bright orange buff, mottled
with ashy-grey on the upper surface, and white below, distinguishes
it from any other Owl. The oval form of the disc is also to a great
extent peculiar, as is also the serrated edge to the middle claw, which
has been referred to before (p. 300). The breast bone is likewise
remarkable, as it has no clefts in the hinder margin.
The range of the present species is very considerable, as it is found
all over the New World, from the northern and middle United States
down to Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. In the Old World it occurs
in equal plenty, but does not extend very high north, being a rare
visitant to Denmark and Sweden. Although common in Poland, it is
only sparingly distributed throughout Russia, and even appears to be
entirely absent in many Central and Southern parts. The same may be
said of Turkey. It is not known at present from Siberia or China, but
is found throughout Africa, India, Australia, and the majority of the
Oceanic Islands. Nearly all Owls have two distinct phases of plumage--a
grey one, and a red one. This is especially the case in the little
Scops Owls, which have tufts of feathers on the head like the Eagle
Owls, of which they may be said to be representations in miniature.
The Barn Owls are no exception to this general rule of the family; but
owing to the light colouring of the bird, it is not so perceptible
as in some of the other species of Owls. Even in England, however, a
short study of the species will show the student that some individuals
are much redder underneath, instead of being white, and are profusely
freckled with grey above; and this dark coloration does not depend upon
the age of the bird, nor is it a difference of sex. In some islands,
such as the Cape Verde group, San Domingo in the West Indies, the
Falkland Islands, and the Galapagos, the Barn Owls are almost always
dark-coloured, and light ones are very seldom found. On the other
hand, in Australia and Oceania the species becomes peculiarly light in
plumage, and dark individuals are the exception.
THE SECOND ORDER.--PICARIAN BIRDS (_Picariæ_).[231]