70 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



cle. Every time she swooped down toward 

 him she uttered a loud, angry cry. Why was 

 the little fellow so indifferent to the assaults 

 of the robin, while he kept his face turned 

 toward me, standing four or five rods away ? 



After enjoying the fun a while (it was fun 

 for me, at least) I slowly drew nearer. Master 

 Owl glared and stared, but did not move until 

 I almost touched him with my cane ; then he 

 uttered a scornful hiss, spread his wings, and 

 tried to ily away, but tumbled helplessly, like a 

 loose bunch of gray feathers, to the ground, al- 

 most rolling head over claws. When I got 

 close to him again he snapped his bill at me, 

 and muttered something in an angry undertone. 



Suddenly there was a wicked snapping of 

 mandibles and a wrathful mumbling above me 

 in one of the trees. It was the mother owl, 

 who would have been only too glad to swoop 

 upon me and tear out my eyes, had not the 

 bright daylight blinded her. As it was, she 

 could do nothing but grind her beak and tread 

 her perch in helpless rage. 



Seeing she could not hurt me, I gave my 

 attention to her interesting infant. He opened 

 his little mouth, so humanlike, and muttered, 

 and seemed to be ready to defend himself ; yet 

 when I put my cane to his mandibles he did 



