The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-04
THE GREAT HORNED OWL.

I doubt if even the famous duck naWk himself is more savage than a freshly captured great horned owl. made the acquaintance of one not long ago, and when I shook hands, he gave me grip which shall never forget if live for a hundred years. It was not owing to want of respect on my part, that he treated me as he did, for paid him the compliment of putting on two pairs of thick leather gloves before stretching out my hand to him. But the next in- stant I found that had quite under estimated his strength, for he seized me with one mighty foot, and felt the four black talons crush the way through the leather and deep into my flesh, with a grasp which only became tighter with every effort Imade to loosen it. His toes, which, by reason of their feathery covering, looked as soft as plush, were in reality as hard as steel, and I only succeeded in freeing myself by strategy. I pretended to throw him into the air, and he, anxious to regain his freedom, loosened his grip and tried to fly away. The scars he made are there yet, and will be for some time l to come.
 The great horned owl is the largest resident owl in the United States, and the only very large owl having ear-tufts on it's head. It is nearly two feet in \ length, and by reason of the fierce atti- 1 tudes it assumes, it often appears to be much larger even than 1t is. Its plum age, particularly that of the under parts, is decidedly handsome. The con- ! spicuous car-tufts are made up of | several feathers, some of which are | black and some buff. The upper parts are mottled with several shades of buff and black; on the throat is white patch. which sometimes extends in an | irregular line down the breast, more or less: the rest of the under parts are buff, barred with black, the bars on some specimens being much wider than those on others. The eyes are large and yellow, with black pupils, which lilate and contract in proportion to the amount of light they are confronted with. The wings are rounded, and be- meath them is layer of soft, loose feathers, which doubtless tend to dead en the sound of the wing strokes. The bill is much hooked and very powerful, and, being broad at the base, gives the bird gape large enough to accommo- date very generous mouthful of food.
 This owl is one of the most des- tructive of all our birds of prey, and will quickly account for a large number or hens of other poultry, when once he begins to make practice of visiting the farm-yard. Naturally, he does the most damage in the breeding season, when there are two or three hungry ones to feed. He is the earliest hester of all our birds, full set of eggs having been found in the vicinity of New York city in February. The old home of hawk, crow or squirrel, is the l nesting site usually selected, though | sometimes a hollow tree is used. The young remain in the nest until they are fully feathered, and are said to stay with the parents for some time after leaving the nest. I know wood where this bird is in the habit of nesting; 1t is composed of tall white pines, and In the dark tops of these trees the great horned owl has his home.
 Naturally it is very difficult to study minutely the habits of the horned owl, as he is abroad chiefly at night, and in order to see him eating his dinner it would be necessary to approach much nearer than he would be likely to permit. In order, then to observe this bird al somewhat closer range than is possible in the woods, I determined to get one or more specimens to study at home
 The finest pair I knew of were at Nor umbega Park. Auburndale, Mass, anG the superintendent, MT. John T. Ben son, kindly consented to loan them tc me. They arrived in large cage, anG as soon as I stopped down to look al them, they greeted me with loud his-
 mouths, and with a sharp snapping ot
 the bills, meanwhile ruff1ing their feath' CTS and glaring at me with wide-oper eyes. Presently I gave them ret squirrel, which had been shot that after
 noon, and then sat down at distance
 from the cage to watch what they
 would do. For long time they dit
 nothing but regard me with their grea
 round eyes, which took on, in rapid suc-
 cession, a great variety of expressions
 indicating anger, fear, hatred, wonder
 and curiousity. By and by, however
 one of them jumped down from hi'
 perch to have look at the squirrel
 seized it by the neck, but immediately
 changed his hold taking his prey in hi.