day; and, at the approach of night, their cries are heard proceeding from every part of the forest around the plantations. Should the weather be lowering, and indicative of the approach of rain, their cries are so multiplied during the day, and especially in the evening, and they respond to each other in tones so strange, that one might imagine some extraordinary fête about to take place among them. On approaching one of them, its gesticulations are seen to be of a very extraordinary nature. The position of the bird, which is generally erect, is immediately changed. It lowers its head, and inclines its body, to watch the motions of the person beneath, throws forward the lateral feathers of its head, which thus has the appearance of being surrounded by a broad ruff, looks towards him as if half blind, and moves its head to and fro in so extra. ordinary a manner, as almost to induce a person to fancy that part dislocated from the body. It follows all the motions of the intruder with its eyes; and, should it suspect any treacherous intentions, flies off to a short distance, alighting with its back to the person, and immediately turning about with a single jump, to recommence its scrutiny. In this manner, the barred owl may be followed to a considerable distance, if not shot at, for to halloo after it does not seem to frighten it much. But if shot at, and missed, it removes to a considerable distance, after which its whah-whah-whak is uttered with considerable pomposity. This owl will answer the imitation of its own sounds, and is frequently decoyed by this means.

"The flight of the barred owl is smooth, light, noise less, and capable of being greatly protracted. I have seen them take their departure from a detached grove in a prairie, and pursue a direct course towards the skirts of the main forest, distant more than two miles, in broad daylight. I have thus followed them with the eye until they were lost in the distance, and have reason to suppose that they continued their flight until they reached the woods. Once, whilst descending the Ohio, not far from the well known Cave-in-rock,

about two hours before sunset, in the month of November, I saw a barred owl teazed by several crows, and chased from the tree in which it was. On leaving the tree, it gradually rose in the air, in the manner of a hawk, and at length attained so great a height, that our party lost sight of it. It acted, I thought, as if it had lost itself, now and then describing small circles, and flapping its wings quickly, then flying in zigzag lines. This being so uncommon an occurrence, I noted it down at the time. I felt anxious to see the bird return towards the earth, but it did not make its appearance again. So very lightly do they fly, that I F have frequently discovered one passing over me, and only a few yards distant, by first seeing its shadow on the ground, during clear moonlight nights, when not the faintest rustling of its wings could be heard.

"Their power of sight during the day seems to be rather of an equivocal character, as I once saw one alight on the back of a cow, which it left so suddenly afterwards, when the cow moved, as to prove to me that it had mistaken the object on which it had perched for something else. At other times, I have observed, that the approach of the gray squirrel intimidated them, if one of these animals accidentally jumped on a branch close to them, although the owl destroys a number of them during the twilight. It is for this reason, kind reader, that I have represented the barred owl gazing in amazement at one of the squirrels placed only a few inches from him.

"The barred owl is a great destroyer of poultry, particularly of chickens when half grown. It also secures mice, young hares, rabbits, and many species of small birds, but is especially fond of a kind of frog of a brown colour, very common in the woods of Louisiana. I have heard it asserted that this bird catches fish, but never having seen it do so, and never having found any portion of fish in its stomach, I cannot vouch for the truth of the report.

"About the middle of March, these owls begin to lay their eggs. This they usually do in the hollows of trees, on the dust of the decomposed wood. At other

times they take possession of the old nest of a crow, or a red-tailed hawk, In all these situations I have found their eggs and young. The eggs are of a globular form, pure white, with a smooth shell, and are from four to six in number. So far as I have been able to ascertain, they rear only one brood in a season. The young, like those of all other owls, are at first covered with a downy substance, some of which is seen intermixed with and protruding from the feathers, some weeks after the bird is nearly fledged. They are fed by the parents for a long time, standing perched, and emitting a hissing noise in lieu of a call. This noise may be heard in a calm night, for fifty, or probably a hundred yards, and is by no means musical. To a person lost in a swamp, it is, indeed, extremely dismal.

"The plumage of the barred owl differs very considerably, in respect to colour, in different individuals, more so among the males. The males are also smaller than the females, but less so than in some other species. During the severe winters of our Middle Districts, those that remain there suffer very much; but the greater number, as in other species, remove to the Southern States. When kept in captivity, they prove excellent

mousers.

"The antipathy shewn to owls by every species of day bird is extreme. They are followed and pursued on all occasions; and although few of the day birds ever prove dangerous enemies, their conduct towards the owls is evidently productive of great annoyance to them. When the barred owl is shot at and wounded, it snaps its bill sharply and frequently, raises all its feathers, looks towards the person in the most uncouth manner, but, on the least chance of escape, moves off in great leaps with considerable rapidity.

The barred owl is very often exposed for sale in the New Orleans market. The Creoles make gumbo of it, and pronounce the flesh palatable."

11. STRIX VIRGINIANA, THE GREAT HORNED OWL.

AUDUBON, PLATE LXI. MALE AND FEMALE.

WE recommend to our readers Audubon's admirable account of the natural history of this species.

12. PICUS PRINCIPALIS. THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER.

AUDUBON, PLATE LXVI. MALE AND FEMALE.

"I HAVE always," says Audubon," imagined, that in the plumage of the beautiful ivory-billed woodpecker, there is something very closely allied to the style of colouring of the great Vandyke. The broad extent of its dark glossy body and tail, the large and well-defined white markings of its wings, neck, and bill, relieved by the rich carmine of the pendent crest of the male, and the brilliant yellow of its eye, have never failed to remind me of some of the boldest and noblest productions of that inimitable artist's pencil. So strongly, indeed, have these thoughts become ingrafted in my mind, as I gradually obtained a more intimate acquaintance with the ivory-billed woodpecker, that whenever I have observed one of these birds flying from one tree to another, I have mentally exclaimed, "There goes a Vandyke!" This notion may seem strange, perhaps ludicrous, to you, good reader, but I relate it as a fact, and whether or not it may be found in accordance with your own ideas, after you have inspected the plate in which is represented this great chieftain of the woodpecker tribe, is perhaps of little consequence."

The natural history of this bird, given by Audubon, will be read with delight by readers of every description.

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13. ICTERUS PECORIS.

THE COW-PEN BIRD.-COW BUNTING OF WILSON.

AUDUBON, PLATE XCIX. MALE AND FEMALE.

As preliminary to his amusing account of this bird, Audubon beautifully remarks:

"The works of nature are evidently perfect in all their parts. From the manifestations of consummate skill everywhere displayed, we must infer that the intellect which planned the grand scheme, is infinite in power; and even when we observe parts or objects which to us seem unnecessary, superfluous, or useless, it would be more consistent with the ideas which we ought to have of our own feeble apprehension, to consider them as still perfect, to have been formed for a purpose, and to execute their intended function, than to view them as abortive and futile attempts.

"The seed is dropped on the ground. It imbibes moisture, swells, and its latent principle of life receiving an impulse, slowly unfolds. Its radicle shoots down into the earth, its plumule rises toward the sky. The first leaflets appear, and, as we watch its progress, we see it assuming size and strength. Years pass on, and it still enlarges. It produces flowers and fruits, and gives shelter to multitudes of animated beings. At length, it stands the glory of the forest, spreading abroad its huge arms, covering with its dense foliage the wild animals that retreat to it for protection from the sun and the rain. Centuries after its birth, the stately tree rears its green head to the sky. At length symptoms of decay begin to manifest themselves. The branches wither, the core dies and putrefies. Gray and shaggy lichens cover its trunk and limbs. The woodpecker resorts to it for the purpose of procuring the insects which find shelter beneath its decayed bark. Blackness spreads over the heavens, the muttering of the thunder is heard. Suddenly there comes on the ear the bickering noise of the whirlwind, which scatters