Among the birds of prey (Raptores) none are better known, more written about or more cosmopolitan than that nocturnal division (Family Strigidae), which includes the two hundred or more species of Owls. From the Arctic regions of the north to the. Antarctic regions of the south they are known. Most of the genera are represented in both hemispheres, though eight are peculiar to the Old World and three to the New. The majority of the species finds a home in the forests, though a few live in marshes and on the plains. Some invade the buildings of civilization and may be found in the unfrequented towers of churches and in outbuildings.

Disliked by all birds its appearance during the day is the signal for a storm of protests and, knowing that there is little need of fear of his power at this time, they flock about him, pecking and teasing him till he is obliged to retreat to his obscure roosting place.

The Owls in most countries, of both the New World as well as the Old are regarded as birds of ill omen and messengers of woe, and are protected from harm by some uncivilized and superstitious peoples, some believing that spirits of the wicked reside in their bodies. By others they have been called "Devil's Birds." The belief of some unlearned people in the close relationship of the Owl with death and the grave dates back at least to the time of Shakespeare, who speaks of the Owl's hoot as "A song of death." Among the ancient races only the Athenians seem not to have possessed this popular fear and superstition. They venerated the Owl and regarded it as the favorite bird of Minerva. On the other hand the Romans looked upon the Owl with fear and detestation, dreading its appearance as the embodiment of all evil and the omen of unfortunate events to come.

By them the Owl was consecrated to Proserpine, the wife of Hades and queen of the underworld. Pliny tells us that the city of Rome underwent a solemn cleansing because of the visit of one of these birds. When the unearthly character of their cries and their quiet, spirit-like motion, as they fly through the night hours, are taken into consideration, it is not surprising that they have been and are held in awe and dread by many people. The characteristics of the two sexes are practically the same, except that the female is somewhat the larger. The young resemble the adults, but are usually darker in color. Excepting those species that are whitish in color, the Owls are usually a mixture of black, brown, rufous gray, yellow and white, and barring is common on the wings and tail. Their bills are blackish, dusky or yellowish. Their eyes are so fixed that they have little power of turning the eye balls and thus are obliged to turn the head when they wish to change their range of vision. This they do with great rapidity, in fact, the motion is so, rapid that without close observation the bird seems to turn its head in one direction for several revolutions if the object looked at passes around the perch upon which the Owl rests. A remarkable characteristic is the reversible fourth toe or digit, enabling the Owl to perch with either one or two toes behind.

Mr. Evans tells us that "the note varies from a loud hoot to a low, muffled sound or a clear, musical cry; the utterance of both young and adults being in some cases a cat-like mew, while the screech owl snores when stationary. The hoot is said to be produced by closing the bill, puffing out the throat, and then liberating the air, a proceeding comparable to that of the Bitterns. On the whole the voice is mournful and monotonous, but occasionally it resembles a shrill laugh." The utterances of the Owls are, however, quite various. Some species will give a piercing scream and hiss like an angry cat when disturbed.