V0l 'i9n VI11 ] Sherman, Nest Life of the Screech Owl. 161 



quently they yawned, monstrous, big-mouthed yawns. Stretch- 

 ing was the favorite exercise, during it the birds seemed to be made 

 of india-rubber. On May 16 the height to which one stretched 

 itself was seven inches by actual measurement. Sometimes they 

 ate if food was before them, and always they exhibited a wide- 

 awake interest in any eye that they espied looking at them through 

 a peep-hole, even when the mother paid no attention to it. They 

 would stare quietly at it for a time, then stare while their bodies 

 swayed from side to side: this swinging motion would slowly 

 come to an end, the performers would grow drowsy, two pressing 

 against each other would lean their heads together and drop off to 

 sleep. This pose was a favorite one a few years ago among pho- 

 tographers of human subjects. It may be needless to say that, 

 it is much more artistic and charming when assumed by owls. 



During their nest life but three varieties of cries were heard from 

 them, the first, beginning as soon as they were out of the shell, 

 had some resemblance to the peep of a chicken, and was uttered by 

 them when out from under the mother's wings, seemingly a cry for 

 shelter and for food : this ceased when they were about three weeks 

 old. At this age a second cry was heard for the first time, which 

 had a decidedly squeaking sound and was made when they were 

 squabbling for the warmest place in the family circle. The remain- 

 ing cry, a sort of chatter, appeared to be the tone for a dinner 

 discussion, friendly enough in quality, for they were never seen to 

 quarrel at meals. Besides these there was the snapping of the 

 bill which commenced the day they began to show fear, and a 

 hissing sound made when they were frightened. 



The owlets were marked with different colored strings, and were 

 weighed every evening about twilight, when an hour or more was 

 spent in the weighing and in observations of them outside the nest. 

 While removing them from the box a struggle generally occurred 

 with signs of fear and the use of claws defensively, but not until 

 three days before they left the nest did one make an offensive 

 clawing attack upon my hand. While out of the nest aside from 

 an occasional snapping of the bill they seldom showed signs of 

 fight or fear, but allowed themselves to be patted and handled 

 freely. Once one of them having exercised until tired turned its 

 head to one side, laid it flat on the palm of my hand and went to 



