The BRAZILIAN or RABBIT OWL (_Pholeoptynx cunicularia_)--called by the natives the Caruje--is about eight inches long, and twenty-two broad; the wing measures six and the tail three inches. The upper part of the body is reddish brown, marked with oval and round white spots; the chin and eyebrows are white, the lower part of the neck reddish yellow, spotted with greyish brown, the breast greyish brown marked with yellow; the lower part of the belly is yellowish white; the eye is yellow, the beak pale greenish grey, as are the legs. This bird inhabits the Brazils, and is replaced in North America by THE PRAIRIE OWL. The PRAIRIE OWL (_Pholeoptynx hypogæa_), a species so closely resembling it both in appearance and habits, that one description will suffice for them both. The Burrowing Owls are found in great numbers throughout the extensive plains of the American continent, perching upon hillocks, or scrambling in and out of the holes in which they live; they constantly frequent such excavations as have been made by anteaters, armadilloes, or prairie dogs, and instances have occurred in which they have been seen quietly creeping in and out of a hole tenanted, not only by the last-mentioned quadruped, but by a rattlesnake. Like the Stone Owl, they are capable of enduring the full light of the sun, and display considerable agility in evading pursuit; the colour of their plumage aids them considerably, as it closely resembles that of the ground on which they sit. They walk with ease and rapidity, and fly in an undulating course, but only remain for a short time upon the wing; they never frequent trees, but pass their lives almost entirely upon the earth. Whilst seated they indulge in all the strange attitudes, bowings, and tossings of the head with which their congeners amuse themselves, and greet the approach of a stranger with a fixed stare, their eyes shining like stars. Whoever attempts to capture one of them generally finds that his labour has been spent in vain, as they easily elude pursuit, and if hard pressed take refuge in one of the many holes that abound in their favourite haunts. They are remarkably social, even during the breeding season, and several pairs frequently lay their eggs in such burrows as are near together. The Brazilian species deposits its three white eggs upon the bare ground of the cavity selected, whilst the North American Prairie Owl on the contrary, according to Townshend, lays four whitish eggs, and lines its hole with fine grass; both subsist principally upon mice, snakes, lizards, and grasshoppers, and will occasionally eat crabs or such other inhabitants of the water as find their way to dry land. The North American Indians declare that these Owls retire into their holes about the end of August, in company with the prairie dogs, and there sleep away the winter months, but we should be inclined to imagine that their undeniable disappearance during the cold season is occasioned by