332 
WILD WINGS 
my next camera-shot. After a vigil of an hour and seven 
minutes I had another. 
If there were any question as to whether such sport is 
worth while, in answer I would point to the picture of the 
old owl, every marking of her beautiful plumage distinct, her 
feathers Hulled out, stooping over to caress her owlet, which 
is snuggled down behind the piece of rabbit visible on the 
edge of the nest. If such a picture of such a bird is not 
thought worth a day’s sport in the open air, I do not think 
much of the sporting blood of one who holds such opinion. 
The exhilarating drive through the hue woodlcmd and moun¬ 
tain scenerv, the bracing air, the excitement of tree-climbing, 
the lunch with keen appetite in the laurel thicket, the sights 
of unsuspecting wild creatures, the exciting expectancy 
through all, — even these, aside from the picture, make a glori¬ 
ous day’s outing. 
After the second exposure I stole out of the grove without 
alarming the brooding owl — leaving the plate unchanged 
— and summoned the youth again to assist me. First I had 
him climb the owl-tree, slender and partly rotten, to the nest. 
There was only one owlet, now about the size of a pigeon, 
covered with white down, save for incipient yellowish feathers 
on back and wings. With it was a rotten egg which contained 
a small embrvo. Probably it had become chilled, and this 
episode helps account for the fact that these owls often raise 
but one owlet. I noticed another thing, too. The nest of 
sticks, unusuallv small and rough in the first place, — probably 
an old nest of a pair of Broad-winged Hawks which breed in 
these woods, —at each of mv succeeding visits was smaller 
than before, as though it was gradually dropping to pieces. 
There was now barelv enough of it left to hold the owl family 
and its stock of food, which latter consisted of the hind quar¬ 
ters of a rabbit. 
