Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/345

OWL is nearly equal with the skin, the j)ovvdcr Hlone will be surticient to etieft a cure. Ounce. See Weight. OWL, the Common, or Strix ^fiamTnca, L. a well-known British bird, the elegant plumage and other good qualities of which, amplycom- pensatefor the ugliness of its form. This species of the owl may be coasidere,! almost a domestic bird : At inhabits, during the greater part f of the year, barns, hay-lofts, and other out-houses ; where it is as useful as the congenial cat, for clearing those places from preda- tory vermin, especially mice. To- wards twilight, this bird quits its perch, takes a regular circuit round the adjacent fields in quest of prey, and speedily returns to its usual abode. It may be easily distin- guished by a hooting and snoring noise J but, when on the wing, it utters the most frightful screams. From the peculiar stru6ture of their eyes, owls enjoy a very distinft vi- sion in the dawn, or evening 3 though, in a dark night, they can .see no more than other anin)als. As the young of these birds keep their nest for a considera'ble time, and arc fed long after they can fly^ hundreds of mice become neces- sary for supplying them with food. Hence, their breed ought, by every possible means, to be encouraged. Besides, they may be employed O X [323 with great advantage for decoying other birds, particularly crows, that are easily attra6ted by the uncom-- mon figure of the owl, the beak and legs of which are singularly covered with downy feathers. OwLEK. See Alder. OX, a general appellation fof male black-cattle 5 but which strict- ly denotes a castrated bull. Having already treated, under the heads Bull, Cattle, &c. of the best mode of feeding and fat- tening oxen ; and shewn their su- periority over horses, in p. 483 of our 2d volume j we shall confine our observations, in the present article, to the most advantageous way of harnessing and managing them, as beasts of burthen, of Draught, The piinciple of draught de- pends, as Lord Somerville has justly observed^ on the joint power of the neck and base of the horn. This objed^ is effected in Portugal, by a long leather strap, which is wrapped round the yoke; thence round the lower part of the horns ; and is again fastened to the yoke. Thus, the heads of oxen become more steady in performing their work, and the animals themselves are rendered more trai5table. Another mode of working oxen, is that termed, In/ the head, which is praftised in France, and repre- sented in the following Cut :