THE MOTTLED OR "SCREECH ^^ OWL. 



JGHT WANDERER," as this 

 species of Owl has been appro- 

 priately called, appears to be 



peculiar to America. 



They are quite scarce 

 in the south, but above the Falls of 

 the Ohio they increase in number, and 

 are numerous in Virginia, Maryland, 

 and all the eastern districts. Its 

 flight, like that of all the owl family, 

 is smooth and noiseless. He may be 

 sometimes seen above the topmost 

 branches of the highest trees in pur- 

 suit of large beetles, and at other 

 times he sails low and swiftly over the 

 fields or through the woods, in search 

 of small birds, field mice, moles, or 

 wood rats, on which he chiefly sub- 

 sists. 



The Screech Owl's nest is built in 

 the bottom of a hollow trunk of a 

 tree, from six to forty feet from the 

 ground. A few grasses and feathers 

 are put together and four or five eggs are 

 laid, of nearly globular form and pure 

 wdiite color. This species is a native 

 of the northern regions, arriving here 

 aboutthe beginningof cold weather and 

 frequenting the uplands and moun- 

 tain districts in preference to the 

 lower parts of the country. 



In the da^'time the Screech Owl sits 

 with his eyelids half closed, or slowly 

 and alternately opening and shutting, 

 as if suffering from the glare of day ; 

 but no sooner is the sun set than his 

 whole appearance changes ; he be- 

 comes lively and animated, his full 

 and globular eyes shine like those of a 

 cat, and he often lowers his head like 

 a cock when preparing to fight, mov- 

 ing it from side to side, and also ver- 

 tically, as if watching you sharply. 

 In flying, it shifts from place to place 



"with the silence of a spirit," the 

 plumage of its wings being so ex- 

 tremely fine and soft as to occasion 

 little or no vibration of the air. 



The Owl swallows its food hastily, 

 in large mouthfuls. When the retreat 

 of a Screech Owl, generally a hollow 

 tree or an evergreen in a retired situa- 

 tion, is discovered by the Blue Jay 

 and some other birds, an alarm is 

 instantly raised, and the feathered 

 neighbors soon collect and by insults 

 and noisy demonstration compel his 

 owlship to seek a lodging elsewhere. 

 It is surmised that this may account 

 for the circumstance of sometimes 

 finding them abroad during the day 

 on fences and other exposed places. 



Both red and gray young are often 

 found in the same nest, while the 

 parents may be both red or both gray, 

 tlie male red and the female gray, or 

 vice versa. 



The vast numbers of mice, beetles, 

 and vermin which they destroy render 

 the owl a public benefactor, much as 

 he has been spoken against for gratify- 

 ing his appetite for small birds. It 

 would be as reasonable to criticise men 

 for indulging in the finer foods pro- 

 vided for us by the Creator. They 

 have been everywhere hunted down 

 without mercy or justice. 



During the night the Screech Owl 

 utters a very peculiar wailing cry, not 

 unlike the whining of a puppy, inter- 

 mingled with gutteral notes. The 

 doleful sounds are in great contrast 

 with the lively and excited air of the 

 bird as he utters them. The hoot- 

 ing sound, so fruitful of " shudders " 

 in childhood, haunts the memory of 

 many an adult whose earlier years, 

 like those of the writer, were passed 

 amidst rural scenerv. 



157 



