An Owl-rabbit Hybrid?

    Menominee, Mich., June 10.—An animal bird—half owl and half rabbit—is Michigan’s latest contribution to natural history.
    Henry Neville, a druggist of this city was up the [Menominee] river hunting and fishing the other day and he saw what he at first glance supposed to be an owl flying over his head. He fired, and found that the bird he had shot looked like a rabbit. It seemed to have taken refuge under a log, and all that could be seen was its head. At any rate, Neville pulled the animal out of the hole, and saw that it had wings and was the exact counterpart of an owl with the exception of its head, neck and legs. These were like those of a rabbit. The nose, ears, eyes and neck were a rabbit’s, and the legs from the thighs down to the claws were a rabbit’s. The body and wings were those of an owl, the feathers extending to the claws, which were shaped like a rabbit’s, except that they were more than twice as long. The body and wings were gray, but the head and legs were brown.

    Menominee, Mich., June 7.—[Special.]—An animal-bird—half owl and half rabbit—is Michigan’s latest contribution to natural history. Henry Neville, a druggist of this city, was up the river hunting and fishing the other day and he saw what he at first glance supposed to be an owl flying over his head. He fired and the object shot at came to the ground. He was on the point of leaving his prey where it fell, when one of his companions advised him to go and see what it was. His astonishment cannot be described when he found that the bird he had shot looked like a rabbit. It seemed to have taken refuge under a log, and all that could be seen was its head, and it surely was a rabbit’s head, At any rate, Neville pulled the animal out of its hole, and imagine his surprise when he saw that it had wings and was the exact counterpart of an owl with the exception of its head, neck and legs. These were like those of a rabbit. The nose, ears, eyes and neck were a rabbit’s, and the legs from the thighs down to the claws were a rabbit’s. The body and wings were those of an owl, the feathers extending to the claws, which were shaped like a rabbit’s, except that they were more than twice as long. The body and wings were gray, but the head and legs were brown. Mr. Neville brought the curiosity to this city, and it has been taxidermized by M. M. Stierle. It is the greatest curiosity ever seen in this section of the country. It stands about two feet high. Some years ago, a Peshtigo [Wisconsin] tanner found a chicken-rabbit among one of his broods, but this is more remarkable even than that.