The record-union., 1897-08-27
ADIROhDACK'S OWLS.
CAMPERS ARE FRIGHTENED
BY THEIR CRIES.
This Peculiar Species Very Hard
to Capture-Battle in
Mid-Air.

the wierd boots and screeches Of the
owls which always swell the nightly
chorus of noises in the most dismal part
of those woods. It required the com
bined argumets of two guides and one
scientist to convince the party next day
that the noises they had listened TO with
such fear and trembling did not proceed
from the threats of Indians engaged in
a War-dance around their camp fire, or
from the lips of dying child or eBn-
gal tiger 1t seemed ridiculous that all
the screeching and moaning and wailing
that startled them should have been
made By owls, and that the ghostly
Tapping of wings and white flashes of
light before their eyes had nothing to
do with spirits.
But the fact is that the owls of the
Adirondacks are so numerous. so large,
and so noisy that they make the nights
horrible dreams for many amateur cam
pers, and il requires something more
than the assurances of the guides to
quiet the nerves sufficiently TO induce
sleep. The loudest chorus of the owls
is heard in the ioneliest parts of the for
est, and none but the hunter experiences
the worst of the screeching. There are
several large owl-roosts in the interior
Of the woods. where the great horned
owl BubO Virginianus) finds ample pio-
lection from most gunneTs and stray
eXcursionists.
Bubo is one of the most interesting
owls Of this country, and the Adirondack
Woodsmen make a business Of trapping
and shooting the magnificent bird for
museums and private collectors. There
is a steady demand for this handsome
creature but the owl is so quiet and
wary in his habits that it is hard work
to catch him. The rOosts are indicated
by the little round pellets or castings
which the bird vomits after each meal
and these whitish stores OF bones and
feathers are scattered in great numbers
in the dense forest. But it is like deer
stalking when the leaves are dry to
get within gun-range of the roosts when
the owl is at home. BubO's senses of
hearing and smelling are much more
acute than those Of the hunter, and
before the woodsman reaches the roost,
the owl has quietly slipped away The
owl-collectors and hunters occasionally
startle up the great horned owl by ac-
cident, but unless a large charge of pow
der and No or shot are in the gun,
the bird Will not be killed even then. In
the Adirondacks the observant woods
men set steel traps for Bubo, but the
bird is almost too wary even for these.
When a roost is located, the steel trap
is secured u9on some favorite limb or
stump of a tree. and a bird, mouse or
other tempting live bait is fastened so
that the owl viii be pretty sure TO sttp
into the open steel jaws.
The great horned owl of the Adiron-
dacks has an extreme length of from
two to five feet. one that measured eX-
actly five feet was shot and sent to the
philadelphia Geological Gardens TO be
suited. last summer. When the bird at
tains this size he is a formidable war
rior Of the air and very few enemies
can overcome him in single-handed com
hat Even the powerful chickenhaWk
avoids Bubo when he is in angry mood
and In the breeding season he frequent
w takes possession of the hawks nest
with immunity. and quietly proceeds to
rear his own young in it. The nests are
usually found in some hollow tree. a
cleft of rock. or on the top of some tai
tree. The owl laws from two to four
nerfectly colorless eggs, over two inches
long.
sisfs chiefly of rabbits. large game
birds sBunzs and even poultry Mice,
rats and such small fry are scorned
bv Bubo. and he even tries his hand
at turkeys around Thanksgiving time
Turkeys that roost in trees are killed
and carried away bodily by him. The
Young owls are consequently fed on
the choicest morsels that the woods
ar5f aag T01-gl-
duce. They will rarely eat dead meat
unless it is still warm. They viii pass
by n dead. partridge in the woods ana
hunt up a live one.
Bubo is one of the most savage and
untamable birds of the woods. His
flight is rapid and eagle like, and the
most remarkable of any species of ou1
Adirondack birds. High UP in the all
he scars about like a hawk, carrying
fear in the breasts Of all smaller game
below. But in the forest his rounded
wings enable him to fly with rapidity
through the mazes of bushes and trees
and with absolute nOiselessneSs. It is
no wonder that he has often been taken
for a ghost in the dim twilight, for ne
Shoes through the glades like a fash
of brown and white without the slight
est noise 10 indicate his coming or go
ing. He darts down upon his prey like
a great shadow, and only when his tai
ons have closed upon the victim is his
presence disclosed. Very few owls car
see we'll in the day, but Bubo is an
exception. and he flies about in the daz-
zling light of midday.
Bubo is a genuine terror of the woods
and his wild yells and hoarse cries are
indescribable No human voice could
emit such blood curdling sounds, anC
even old woodsmen sometimes shuddel
at the fearful cries that he makes. Al
of the birds of the woods hide them
selves when these fierce cries breal
out with startling clearness upon thu
night air. The owl undoubtedly take.
delight in frightening his victims II
this way. and probably he makes hi
game uncover themselves to his gaz
by their alarmed and embarrassed ef
forts to get away
But some of the birds get even Will
their common enemy by betrayin:
Bubo to the hunters. The crows il
particular exhibit great antipathy t
the great horned owl. and whenever
flock of them discover one In the woods
they will set up such a clatter an'
noise that the hunters attention is nat
urally attracted to the spot. The crows
sometimes mob the horned owl, an'
while they inflict no injury upon him
they tease the creature until he lose
all patience and flies at them and kill
one or two. Even the smaller birds