SCREECH OWL 



THE FEATHERED CAT 



{Figs. 13, 14) 



OOKING from a second-story win- 

 dow, in the dusk of a winter eve- 

 ning, I saw on the nearby ridge of 

 the piazza roof what, at first 

 glance, seemed to be a queer, little 

 hunched up feathered cat! Its 

 erect ears pointed slightly outward, its big yellow 

 eyes glared at me and, with a sharp turn of the head, 

 followed every move I made. Slowly I raised the 

 window for a nearer view when, behold! my 

 feathered *'cat" spread its wings and flew noise- 

 lessly into the neighboring spruces. One never for- 

 gets one's first real meeting, face to face, with an 

 Owl. 



Probably there are but few homes in town or 

 country which have not a pair of Screech Owls living 

 near them. Only a short time ago while walking at 

 night-fall to my home in a large city, I saw one fly 

 a short distance down the street and alight in a 



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