Rural School Leaflet. 



1343 



small birds killed, however, cannot begin to compare with the large 

 number of mice killed, and so this most interesting bird is certainly 

 deserving of protection. 



Suggestions 



Where to look. — Close to the trunk of evergreen trees or better still 

 in holes in orchard or other trees. One must look very closely, for 

 Screech Owls often look like the 

 bark of the tree. 



What to look for. — (i) An owl, 

 small as a pigeon, with conspicuous 

 ear tufts. This bird has two color 

 phases, a red phase, in which the 

 general color is reddish brown, and 

 a gray phase, in which the genera] 

 color is grayish. In many birds the 

 males and females are colored dif- 

 ferently, but in this bird the differ- 

 ence in color has no bearing on the sex. 



(2) Food. This owl lives principally on small mammals, such as 

 mice and shrews, insects, frogs, and small birds. It swallows its food 

 v.'hole and later ejects the hair, feathers, and bones in the form of oval 

 pellets. Look for some of these pellets. 



(3) How do an owl's eyes differ from those of other birds? 



(4) Did you ever hear a bird fly? Did you ever hear an owl fly? 

 Why not ?' 



(5) Why does the owl have such sharp claws or talons and such a 

 hooked beak .'' 



(6) How does the Screech Owl help the farmer? 



i'owwi! owls 



AN OFFER IX FRUIT-GROWING 



C. S. Wilson 



To the first one hundred applications made by boys and girls under 

 sixteen years of age, who are interested in growing fruit, the Division 

 of Pomology will send the following plants: 



12 Strawberries (different varieties) or 

 6 Currants " " or 



6 Raspberries " " 



The plants will be sent in the spring just before planting time, which 

 will vary with the season, but which is usually about the first of May. 



