XX Xi 
THE OWL FAMILY 
(Bubonide) * 
Owts differ from all other birds in having eyes 
that look forward like ours. They have also a 
broad face, which is made to look even wider by 
the feathers which stand out around the eyes. 
Owls cannot turn their eyes in the sockets, so 
they have to turn the whole head to see to one 
side. Many of them have tufts of feathers like 
horns, which they can stand up or lay down as 
they choose. These are called horned owls. An 
owl’s legs are covered with feathers, sometimes 
down to the toes. The whole plumage of this 
bird is soft and fluffy, so that he can fly with- 
out making any noise. This is important to him, 
for he lives mostly on mice, and he never could 
catch one if he made much noise getting about. 
The owl’s mate looks like him, and — what 
is unusual among birds — she is larger than he. 
Because they come out in the evening, when we 
1 See Appendix, 25. 
