BREAST-BONE OF THE BARN OWL.
“Upon this ruin is placed a perch, about a foot from the hole at which the Owls enter. Sometimes, at mid-day, when the weather is gloomy, you may see an Owl upon it, apparently enjoying the refreshing diurnal breeze. This year (1831) a pair of Barn Owls hatched their young, on the 7th of September, in a sycamore tree, near the old ruined gateway.
“If this useful bird caught its food by day, instead of hunting for it by night, mankind would have ocular demonstration of its utility in thinning the country of Mice; and it would be protected and encouraged everywhere. It would be with us what the Ibis was to the Egyptians. When it has young, it will bring a Mouse to the nest about every twelve or fifteen minutes. But in order to have a proper idea of the enormous quantity of Mice which this bird destroys, we must examine the pellets which it ejects from its stomach in the place of its retreat. Every pellet contains from four to seven skeletons of Mice. In sixteen months from the time that the apartment of the Owl on the old gateway was cleaned out, there has been a deposit of above a bushel of pellets. The Barn Owl sometimes carries off Rats. One evening I was sitting under a shed, and killed a very large Rat as it was coming out of a hole about ten yards from where I was watching it. I did not go to take it up, hoping to get another shot. As it lay there, a Barn Owl pounced upon it, and flew away with it. This bird has been known to catch fish. Some years ago, on a fine evening in the month of July, long before it was dark, as I was standing on the middle of the bridge, and minuting the Owl by my watch as she brought Mice into her nest, all on a sudden she dropped perpendicularly into the water. Thinking she had fallen down in epilepsy, my first thoughts were to go and fetch the boat; but before I had well got to the end of the bridge, I saw the Owl rise out of the water with a fish in her claws, and take it to the nest. When farmers complain that the Barn Owl destroys the eggs of their Pigeons, they lay the saddle on the wrong horse; they ought to put it on the Rat. Formerly, I could get very few young Pigeons, till the Rats were excluded effectually from the dovecot. Since that took place it has produced a great abundance every year, though the Barn Owls frequent it, and are encouraged all around it. The Barn Owl merely resorts to it for the purpose of concealment. If it were really an enemy to the dovecot, we should see the Pigeons in commotion as soon as it begins its evening flight; but the Pigeons heed it not. Whereas, if the Sparrow-Hawk or Hobby should make its appearance, the whole community would be up at once; proof sufficient that the Barn Owl is not looked upon as a bad, or even a suspicious character, by the inhabitants of the dovecot.”
The colour of the Barn Owl, which is a bright orange buff, mottled with ashy-grey on the upper surface, and white below, distinguishes it from any other Owl. The oval form of the disc is also to a great extent peculiar, as is also the serrated edge to the middle claw, which has been referred to before (p. 300). The breast bone is likewise remarkable, as it has no clefts in the hinder margin.
The range of the present species is very considerable, as it is found all over the New World, from the northern and middle United States down to Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. In the Old World it occurs in equal plenty, but does not extend very high north, being a rare visitant to Denmark and Sweden. Although common in Poland, it is only sparingly distributed throughout Russia, and even appears to be entirely absent in many Central and Southern parts. The same may be said of Turkey. It is not known at present from Siberia or China, but is found throughout Africa, India, Australia, and the majority of the Oceanic Islands. Nearly all Owls have two distinct phases of plumage—a grey one, and a red one. This is especially the case in the little Scops Owls, which have tufts of feathers on the head like the Eagle Owls, of which they may be said to be representations in miniature. The Barn Owls are no exception to this general rule of the family; but owing to the light colouring of the bird, it is not so perceptible as in some of the other species of Owls. Even in England, however, a short study of the species will show the student that some individuals are much redder underneath, instead of being white, and are profusely freckled with grey above; and this dark coloration does not depend upon the age of the bird, nor is it a difference of sex. In some islands, such as the Cape Verde group, San Domingo in the West Indies, the Falkland Islands, and the Galapagos, the Barn Owls are almost always dark-coloured, and light ones are very seldom found. On the other hand, in Australia and Oceania the species becomes peculiarly light in plumage, and dark individuals are the exception.
THE SECOND ORDER.—PICARIAN BIRDS (Picariæ).[231]
CHAPTER VII.
THE PARROTS.
Characteristics of the Order—The Sub-orders—ZYGODACTYLÆ—THE PARROTS—Their Talking Powers—Sections of the Family—THE GREAT PALM COCKATOO—THE PYGMY PARROTS—[THE AMAZON PARROTS]—[THE AMAZONS]—[THE GREY PARROT]—Court Favourites—Historical Specimens—In a state of Nature—Mr. Keulemans’ Observations—[THE CONURES]—[THE ROSE-RINGED PARRAKEET]—Known to the Ancients—Habitat—Habits—[THE CAROLINA CONURE]—Destructive Propensities—[THE PARRAKEETS]—[THE OWL PARROT]—Chiefly Nocturnal—Incapable of Flight—How this Fact may be accounted for—Dr. Haast’s Account of its Habits—[THE STRAIGHT-BILLED PARROTS]—[THE BRUSH-TONGUED PARROTS]—[THE NESTORS]—[THE KAKA PARROT]—Skull of a Parrot—The Bill.
THE birds which are contained in this order are of very different forms, but they possess one character which, although an osteological one, is found throughout nearly the whole group, and that is, the double notch in the hinder margin of the sternum or breast bone. In all the true Passeres, or perching birds, only a single notch is observed. The hind toe, which in the true perching birds is an essential character, and is separately movable, possessing its own distinct flexor muscle, is in the Picarians not of so much account, its flexor muscle being joined to the common flexor of all the toes; it is sometimes absent altogether. If the Parrots have certain characters in common with the Accipitres, the Cuckoos and the Plantain-eaters undoubtedly show affinity to the Game-birds, while most of the other families have peculiar structures which render them quite distinct from the ordinary mass of true perching birds or Passeres. It may be remarked that the eggs of most of the Picariæ, so far as we are acquainted with them, are glossy white, and that the majority of them breed in the holes of trees or of rocks, and that they are as a rule bad nest-builders. The greatest exception to the above description of the nesting of these birds is met with in the family of Goatsuckers (Caprimulgidæ), some of whom lay their eggs on the ground, the eggs being beautifully marbled with streaks and spots.
