He made journeys into all parts of the American wilderness, pursuing; the work 

 which he loved and which today the world loves him for. He explored Labrador 

 and the prairies of the West. He knew the everglades of Florida and the forests 

 of the North. The breath of the forests was his breath and the birds were his 

 children. 



John James Audubon was the greatest of our American omithologists, for 

 he was the one who gave inspiration to the study of the birds, and through all 

 kinds of provocations and difficulties carried his study forward to success. "Just 

 as sunset was flooding the pure, snowcovered landscape with golden light, at five 

 o'clock on Monday, January 27, 1851, the 'godlike spirit, beautiful and swift, out- 

 soared the shadow of our night.' " 



The writings and drawings of John James Audubon are a fitting monument 

 to his memory, but his noblest memorial is to be found in the work of the 

 societies formed for the protection of the wild bird life and which bear his name. 



The Great Gray Owl ^ScoUaptcx nebuiosa) 



By I. N. Mitchell 



Length: 25 to 30 inches — the largest of all owls. 



Range: Arctic America, straggling southward in winter to southern New 

 England, New York, New Jer.sey, Ohio, Illinois. Idaho and northern Montana. 



Owl, a family of birds of prey. The owl is known at once by its large 

 feather}' face and great wise eyes immersed in depressed circles of plumage. 

 The owl is unable to roll its eyes or to look sidewise without throwing its head 

 around. The bill is half hid in feathers. It is curved from the base like that of a 

 hawk, and is well adapted to rend prey. The claws arc .sharp and curved for 

 seizing, but arc less powerful tlum those of a hawk. In order to surprise its prey, 

 the flight of an owl is swift and noiseless. Most owls see better at dusk than in 

 the daytime. For that reason they feed at night and seldom molest ]ioultry. but 

 live chiefly on rabbits, mice, insects, and other animals that move in the night 

 time. A study of the stomachs of many Iniiidred owls has demonstrated that, 

 by the destruction of mice, they are to be regarded as more useful than other- 

 wise. The owl eats its food, hair, feathers, and all. It is said that its health 

 actually fails if fed on pure beefsteak. Hair, bones and feathers are formed into 

 pellets and cast up through the mouth. A study of these pellets gives a clue to 

 the diet of the owl. In the northern states owls nest in February. The eggs of 

 an owl, usually two to four in number, are unifonnly white and are almost hemi- 

 spherical. In perching, the owl has the power to reflex the outer toe at will, thus 

 grasping the perch with three toes forward and one backward, or two forward 

 and two backward, thus giving it a firmer hold. 



No ear-tufts; general plumage mottled, dusky, grayish-brown, and dull whit- 



410 



