158 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
“Tt’s only a Screech Ow! that I found up in the pigeon- 
coop this morning, but it’s such a different colour from the 
gray ones we have here, that I brought it up for you to 
see if it was a rare kind. I daren’t take it out because it 
claws and bites so.’”” And Tommy took away the cloth that 
partly covered the box, and there sat the bird with open, 
yellow-rimmed eyes, with which he seemed to see with 
difficulty. 
The Owl was no taller than a Robin, but his large, round 
head and thickset body made him appear to be a much 
larger bird. He had two ear tufts (or horns) of feathers, 
a strong, curved beak, and powerful toes, lightly feathered, 
ending in the hooked talons that mark the birds of prey, 
that is, birds that prey, or feed, upon forms of animal life 
other than defenceless insects, worms, etc. Its feathers 
were a bright rusty red colour, streaked with black; its 
underparts being more or less white, mixed with red and 
black. 
“The Owls in the orchard are like this one, only they 
are all gray and black,” said Goldilocks, after taking a 
long look. 
“Perhaps this is the father bird; you told us that if one 
bird is a gayer colour than the other, it is generally the 
father,” said Sarah Barnes. 
“Yes, that is often the case, as I am glad to find that 
you remember, but not with the Screech Owl, the most 
common of American Owls, and one that is known under 
many names — Mottled Owl, Gray Owl, and Red Owl. 
“There may be some gray birds and some red ones in the 
same brood, but this does not depend upon sex, season, or 
age. The strange difference is called by a long name, 
