Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-10-31
Written for the IIERA
ORNITFOLOGY.
THE NIGHT BIRDS AND THEIR USE To
CHE FARMER.
BY GEO. A. BALCH.

BY GEO. A. BALCH.
As we look over the Natural King
dom we cannot but observe the beauti-
full harmony existing between the
whole range of the animal creation !;
blending order with order; family with
family; genus with genus so that in
all the great chain there is no link
wanting, and from beginning to end
no void to be supplied, nor any super
fluffy or redundance to be obliterated.
We have an example of this in the
day owl, fierce, active bird, hardly
inferiGr in size, courage, strength and
rapacity to the royal tribe OF eagles,
which stand next in order above this
bird. And here in this bird we find the
connecting link of graduation, as they
are partly diurnal and partly nooturn-
al in their habits; and are therefore
fitted to wage war on different class
of the animal creation, and repress its
inordinate increase in the same man
-ner as the vultures, falcons, hawks and
buzzards perform their ministry in
checking the excessive growth OF those
tribes, to the pursuit and destruction
Of which they are ordained. In this
consideration we see that in like man
ner as these day owls are in their hab-
its, and in the prey upon which they
subsist, intermediate between the true
diurnal birds Of prey and the night
hunters. So in many particulars OF
| their structure, plumage and general
appearance they stand midway be
tween the two groups, possessing such
attributes OF either as are suitable tc
their own exigencies, and lacking such
as would in no way serve their own
needs. In all such birds as capture
their prey on the wing or by main
force, rapidity Of flight, facility of soar.
ing, swooping, or darting off at acute
angles, popularity of formation Of
the motive structure is at once discern
ible, such 2s to produce the great
est momentum and the most pow
erful action in the air without re-
gard to the sounds that are produced
in creating the course of their propul
sion. For it is Of little or no conse
quence as to the noise that is made
when the victim is overpowered or cap
tured by unrivalled velocity of speed
Wilson in some Of his notes on the
birds OF North America, says
''In all those birds which perform
very swift and rapid flight, the falcon.
for instance, swifts or swallows, and
many OF the sea fowls, the wings are
very pointed; ceRtrariety of soTna tic
the strigadG with the plulnuleS very
closely united and locked together sc
as to form almost a thin or solid slip
These produce more resistance, and act
as stronger propelling medium wher
vigorously used. la the owls the
wings present Il larger surface, but are
not SO capable of swift motion and tc
prevent the noise which would necess
arily be produced by the violent per
cusslon OF so great an eXpanse the ribs
are entirely detached at the tips anG
the plumules of the inner ones beine
drawn to fine point, thus Offering q
free passage to the air, and a gradua
dimlnution of resistance. AS a further
proof that this structure was so intend
ed, we find, is, to much less extent in
those species which occasionally feeC
during the day, and we have also the
narrowing accumulation of the wing,
denoting superior fight, while in some
there is a greater depression in the
elongated tail"
Now these peculiarities are not the
only marked distinctions between the
day owl, snowy owl, hawk owl anC
other moro prominent types of thi'
graduation and their oongeners which
I fly by night. For in all these the facia
disk is more or less imperfect, giving
more to the head OF the falconine type
and less Of that feline character which
is so prominent in all night owls. The
ear couches are not so large and open
nor have their eyes the construction
which enables them to take in the
faint glimmer Of the gray lipht of the
morning or rayiess gloom of midnight
From the falconines therefore or car
nivorous destroyers by day and severa
other diurnal species, we descend tt
| the day owls which using in many re.
spects common diet with their live
lier and fleeter kinsmen and having
many similar and identical powers anC
resources, have yet wider range O
animals whereupon to prey, q different
field OF pursuit and different hour o.
the day wherein to exercise their in
stincts. From this we come naturally
to the subject of our consideration, the
night owls, the genuine birds Of dark
ness, the birds of witchcraft and super
stjtion, of romance and fable; regarded
throughout all countries and genera
tons with mingled feeling of dislike
disgust, superstition, venoTation and
senseless awe.
2 m ha aonf;nuaI