OUR SCREECH OWL. 81 
More birds came in from the neighboring yards, and 
the din they all made grew so great that we had to shut 
the owl in the woodshed. Then the birds seemed to 
hold a council to talk the trouble over, and to devise 
ways and means of getting rid of the enemy. At last 
they seemed to settle the matter, and went away. But 
we noticed a number of linnets and a mocker in sight, 
as if they had been left in charge as spies, and spies 
they were in fact. 
As soon as we took the cage out again and attempted 
to pet the owl and watch him, these spy birds gave a 
shrill call, when back came all the other birds. We 
carried the cage to the upper balcony, and the confusion 
was the same. At last we left it in the shed. 
This owl had doubtless caught the mouse the night 
before and dropped it down our chimney, so we thought 
we would keep him a while, to teach him better than to 
be prowling around our house in the evening. His 
feathers were very soft and thick, as are the feathers of 
most owls. Being so soft, and able to fly without any 
noise, the owls can catch their game on the sly, while 
the hawks depend upon their swiftness for their food. 
It makes no difference, when a hawk is on the hunt. 
whether he makes a noise with his coarse feathers or 
not; he knows that he can be quick enough to catch 
his little victims, be they birds or mice. 
Well, we kept that screech owl just as long as we 
wanted his company. He was not a beautiful or an 
interesting pet. In fact, he would not be petted at all. 
G 
