OUR AMERICAN OWLS. 



M7 



doubtless foraging for themselves for their natural prey, and return- 

 ing to their shelter behind my tent in the morning. 



The adult great horned-owl has considerable vocal ability. At 

 one time it will startle the hearer with a barking like that of a doo- 

 at another time it will utter sounds much like half-suppressed screams, 

 as if of one who is getting throttled ; then it will break out into a 

 loud, wild, demoniacal yell of " Waugh O ! waugh O ! " startling the 

 woods, and almost terrifying every living thing. 



I was myself greatly interested in a pair of these young owls, 

 taken from the nest early in March. Big, flufly things they were, 

 covered with thick, yellow down ; and such eaters, nay, gormandizers 

 is the word ! It really seemed as if nothing came amiss to their 

 appetites. The ojSal of chickens heads, entrails, gizzards all went 

 down in quick order. One thing surprised me. As we could not at 

 all times obtain animal food for them, my daughter thought of an 

 experiment. She made balls, as large as hickory-nuts, of moistened 

 meal, the outside being flavored with raw eggs. These they took 

 down quite greedily, and, when very hungry, took the meal-balls 

 without the flavoring. It was necessary to feed them with one's 

 fingers. It was amusing to hear them snap their bills when annoyed 

 or made afraid. The report thus made was pretty loud. They grew 

 finely ; but soon got killed, when off on a stray. 



The little horned-owl is shown by Fig. 4. It is the Scops asio 



Fig. 4. The American Screech-Cwl {Scops asio). 



(Bonap.), and is variously known as the American screech-owl, the red 

 owl, and the mottled owl. It is but ten inches long, though that is 

 even two inches longer than its European relative. It ranges through 

 all the Atlantic States, even, up to Greenland. Nor is it driven away 

 by the clearing off of the woods ; and now more than ever it seeks to 

 be a winter denizen of the city parks, attracted, doubtless, by the 

 abundance of English sparrows, which afford it food. This little 



