336 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 
dazed by the light, and sometimes, when perched on a fence in 
the sunlight, as occasionally happens, they may easily be ap- 
proached and even captured. At dusk they become active, 
often uttering their cries, which may be heard at all hours of 
the night until early morning, though never, so far as I know, 
in the day. They search the woods, fields, meadows, and often 
the neighborhood of houses and barns, now gliding like a 
shadow near the ground, or among the trees, and now perching 
to call to their mates or companions. They feed upon mice, 
various insects (many of which they catch upon the wing), 
and occasionally small birds. They are probably beneficial to 
the farmer, like some other owls, who differ in this respect from 
the hawks. Our night-owls, though aided by very keen sight, 
and by a flight so silent that their presence is often indicated 
only by their shadow, undoubtedly find it more difficult to 
obtain birds at roost than other creatures who betray them- 
selves by moving. The Screech Owls as pets exhibit many of 
those traits, more or less characteristic of their whole family, 
which are less easily observed in the birds at liberty. I shall 
therefore quote from the ‘* American Naturalist” an extremely 
interesting article by Mr. Maynard, on ** The Mottled Owl in 
Confinement,” from which, however, I am reluctantly obliged 
to omit several passages. He says: ‘*On June 15, 1867, I ob- 
served some boys around a small owl which was perched on a 
stick. On closer examination I found that it was a young 
Mottled Owl (Scops asio Bonaparte). It was staring about in 
a dazed manner and seemed half stupefied. I easily persuaded 
the boys to part with it for a trifle, and took it home. I should 
judge that it was about two weeks old.t. It was covered with 
a grayish down. I put it in a large cage, and gave it some 
meat which it ate, but not readily, for it seemed frightened at 
the sight of my hand, and at my near approach would draw 
back, snapping its beak after the manner of all owls. It soon 
grew tamer, however, and would regard me with a wise stare, 
as if perfectly understanding that I was a friend. 
1This fact renders it probable that this species sometimes rears a second brood. 
