crj 



BULLETIN 



OF 



THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Vol. 3 Charleston, S. C, February, 1907 No. 2 



LOCAL FAUNA LIBR/ 



NEW 



The Owls of Charleston and Vicinity BOTA^ 



The live owl exhibit has been the attraction of the month <^Al!^£. 

 at the Museum. A pair of Great Horned Owls and a Barred 

 Owl, captured on a plantation near Florence, S. C, by means 

 of a steel trap, placed on the top of a long pole, were presented 

 to the Museum by Mrs. Henry S. Holmes. Master Samuel 

 G. Stoney, Jr. brought in a Florida Screech Owl which had 

 come down the chimney of the plantation house, "Medway," on 

 Cooper River and a Barn Owl, caught in the tower of the 

 Cathedral, on Broad St., wa& presented to the Museum by the 

 sisters in charge of the Orphan House. This owl, unfortu- 

 nately, lived only a few days in confinement. 



These birds, by reason of their strange appearance and ludi- 

 crous manners, have been a source of unfailing interest to 

 the younger portion of our visitors. They exhibit noteworthy 

 individuality in their reception of such unwonted attention. 

 The Screech Owl sits with half-closed eyes, a mere, indifferent 

 o fluff of feathers. The Barred Owl gazes calmly out of wide- 

 open, mild, blue-black eyes and betrays excitement only by 

 ruffling of feathers and winking of the large u;pper lids and 

 filmy nictitating membrane. 



The Great Horned Owls, however, indignantly resent atten- 



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