. The popular natural history . Zoology. 262 THE BURROWING OWL. f ilands, where it builds and rears its young. Like the Hawk Owl, it isaday- llying bird, and is a terrible foe to the smaller mammalia and to various birds. In proportion to its size the Snowy Owl is a mighty hunter, having been detected in chasing the American hare, and carrying of wounded grouse before the sportsman can secure his prey. According to Yarrell, the Swedish name of Harfang, which has been given to this bird, is derived from its habit of feeding on hares. It is also a good fisherman, posting itself on some convenien
. The popular natural history . Zoology. 262 THE BURROWING OWL. f ilands, where it builds and rears its young. Like the Hawk Owl, it isaday- llying bird, and is a terrible foe to the smaller mammalia and to various birds. In proportion to its size the Snowy Owl is a mighty hunter, having been detected in chasing the American hare, and carrying of wounded grouse before the sportsman can secure his prey. According to Yarrell, the Swedish name of Harfang, which has been given to this bird, is derived from its habit of feeding on hares. It is also a good fisherman, posting itself on some convenient spot overhanging the water, and securing its finny prey with a lightning-like grasp of the claw. Sometimes it will sail over the surface of the stream, and snatch the fish as they rise for food, but its general mode of angling is tliat which has just been mentioned. It is also a great eater of lemmings ; and in the destruction of these quadrupedal pests does infinite service to the agriculturist and the population in COQUIMBO, OR HURROWING OWL. — (Athene cunicularia.) The colour of an old snowy Owl is pure white without any markings what- ever ; but in the earlier years of its life its plumage is covered with numerous dark brown spots and bars caused by a dark tip to each feather. Upon the breast and abdomen these markings form short abrupt curves, but on the back and upper surface they are nearly straight. The beak and claws are black. The length of the male Snowy Owl is about twenty-two inches, and that of the female twenty-six or twenty-seven. The quaint, long-legged little Owl which is represented in the accompany- ing illustration is a native of many parts of America, where it inhabits the same locality with the prairie dog. The description of that curious marmot and its peculiar burrow may be found on pages 157, 158. The prairie dogs and Burrowing Owls live together very harmoniously;. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
