. Key to North American birds; containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary. Illustrated by 6 steel plates and upwards of 250 woodcuts. Birds. 8Ti;, OWLS. GKN. 139. 201 their flight is perfectly noiseless, like the mincing steps of a cat; and no entirely fanciful analogy has been drawn between these birds and the feline carnivora that chiefly pi-cy stealthily in the dark. Owls feed entirely npon animal substances, and capture their prey alive â small quadrupeds and birds, reptil
. Key to North American birds; containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary. Illustrated by 6 steel plates and upwards of 250 woodcuts. Birds. 8Ti;, OWLS. GKN. 139. 201 their flight is perfectly noiseless, like the mincing steps of a cat; and no entirely fanciful analogy has been drawn between these birds and the feline carnivora that chiefly pi-cy stealthily in the dark. Owls feed entirely npon animal substances, and capture their prey alive â small quadrupeds and birds, reptiles and insects, and even fish. Like most other Raptores, they eject from the mouth, after a meal, the bones, hair, feathers and other indigestible substances, made np into a round pellet. They are noted for their loud outcries, so strauge and often so higulirious, that it is no â wonder that traditional superstition places these dismal night birds iu the category of things ill-ouiened. The nest is commonly a rude aifair of sticks gathered in the various places of diurnal resort; the eggs are several (commonly 3-6), white, sub- spherical. The female, as a rule, is larger tliau tlie male, but the sexes are alike in color; the coloration is conunonljr blended and diffuse, difficult of concise description. Owls are among the most completely cosmopolitan of birds ; with minor modifi- cations according to circumstances, their general habits are much the same the world over. A ditflcult)' of correctljr estimating the number of species arises from the fact that many, especially of the more generalized tjqjes, have a wide geograph- ical distribution, and, as in nearly all such cases, they split into more or less easily recognized races, the interpretation of wliich is at present a matter of opinion rather than a settled issue. About 200 species pass current; this number must be reduced by one-third ; out of about 50 generic names now in vogue, probably less than one-half represent som
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1872
