OWLS 295 



Owls catch fish. They would lie clown flat ou the 

 rocks beside a jjot-hole, as if asleep, but the mo- 

 ment a fish rose to the surface, would thrust out 

 the foot next the water, and with the quickness of 

 lightning seize the fish and draw it out. 



Unlike most of the Owls, the SnoAvy is diurnal 

 in habit, but it is most active in early morning 

 and toward evening. 



Looking back over this interesting group of 

 birds, we see how easily they may be discrimi- 

 nated. Those with ears are the Screech Owl, the 

 Long-eared, the Short-eared, and Great Horned 

 (Plate XXI. p. 287, Plate XXII. p. 288, Plate 

 XXIII. p. 290, Plate XXV. p. 292). Of these 

 the Screech Owl is the smallest, the Great 

 Horned the largest. The Great Horned has 

 broad ears wide apart, while the Long-eared and 

 Short-eared have narrow ears set close tooether, 

 but the length of the ear is enough to distinguish 

 them. The Barred Owl, the Barn, and the Snowy 

 have round heads without ear-tufts and cannot be 

 confused (Plate XXIV. p. 290, Plate XXVI. p. 

 294, Plate XXVII. p. 294). 



As a grouj) the Owls supplement the good work 

 of the Hawks ; for while the Hawks kill diurnal 

 mammals, the Owls kill nocturnal ones. More- 

 over, as the Owls usually remain on their nesting 

 grounds during the winter, they continue their 

 good work after the Hawks have gone south. 



