52 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



And among some of the Indian tribes, the priest often carries a stuffed owl 

 at the top of his head, with large sparkHng glass eyes. He considers it an 

 emblem of mystery, yet there is no mystery about the bird. He is simply a 

 bird of prey, and with all the habits of his race. All day he hides himself 

 in some thick bush, and is rarely seen to venture abroad ; but when night 

 comes, out he flies, and sweeps round and round in search of food. He has a 

 laro-e strong bill, and two tufts of feathers stand up like horns on either side 

 of his head. He utters hideous noises as he flies — so hideous, that you would 

 suppose all living creatures would fly from the sound. 



Rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, and little birds are his favourite food ; and 

 if he can rob the hen roost, so much the better. 



One that was kept in a cage became rather troublesome, not by devour- 

 ing chickens, but by barking like a dog. 



The master of the house could not sleep for the constant yelp, yelp, of 

 the supposed cur. And a large Newfoundland dog was so deceived that he 

 kept barking in reply. At last the gentleman got up, and took his stick, and 

 sallied forth to drive away the intruder. But no dog was to be seen, and he 

 at last traced the yelping sound to the cage of the owl. 



On a clear night, the owl will bark in this way till the morning. 



The owls live all the year round in the forests. They make a nest in the 

 fork of some great tree. It is built of a great many sticks piled altogether, 

 and lined with dry leaves and feathers. Sometimes a hollow tree is chosen. 

 There are four pure white eggs laid in the nest, nearly as large as hens' eggs. 

 After the young ones have left the nest, the bones and feathers of many 

 little birds have been found in it. Even the poor woodpecker has fallen 

 a victim. 



An o\\\ of this species is now and then — but very seldom — seen in Britain. 

 He is like the bird in the picture, and is called by many names, such as the 

 duke owl, or the great-eared owl. He is said also to live in the islands of 

 Orkney, in Scotland, and to be caught napping now and then on the ledges 

 of the hills. 



Nothing is known of his habits here, where he is so rarely seen. But he 

 IS not so uncommon in Sweden, and a pretty anecdote is told about him. 



There was an owl's nest near to a gentleman's house, and one day the 

 servants caught a young bird that was unable to fly, and put it in a hen-coop. 

 The next day a dead partridge was found lying close by the coop, that had 



