THE SAW-WHET AND OTHER OWLS. 221 



this term is not very clear. The little screech-owl has a 

 variety of notes, not one of which is suggestive of a 

 " hoot," as I understand the meaning of the word. The 

 long-eared owl is known here as the " cat-owl," because 

 its voice resembles much the mewing of that animal. 

 The great horned or eagle-owl has the nearest to a " hoot- 

 ing " note, perhaps, but it is far less gloomy than one might 

 suppose. In broad daylight it would attract and inter- 

 est one ; and only because it is heard at night, when few 

 other sounds but the hum of insects are to be heard, 

 does it, popularly speaking, " fill one with dread." These 

 large owls fret, cackle, laugh, and chatter, rather than 

 " hoot." The barn-owls, although abundant, do not often 

 "give tongue." Have they learned wisdom by experi- 

 ence, and fear that by hooting they will only make their 

 whereabouts better known ? Not long ago, however, I 

 heard one of them scream to some purpose. On the 5th 

 of May, 1883, my nephew discovered a nest of this owl, 

 containing six eggs and the mother bird. With some 

 difficulty she was secured and placed in a covered basket. 

 With her new surroundings she was evidently disgusted, 

 and soon uttered the shrillest and most unearthly scream 

 I have ever heard from beast or bird. It may be repre- 

 sented by the letters Jcr-r-r-r-r-r ick ! Commencing as 

 a low murmur, the volume of sound gradually increased 

 until it became an ear-piercing shriek, ending suddenly 

 with a click. The bird at the time opened its beak 

 widely, and closed it suddenly with the ending of the 

 utterance. It was several times repeated. 



I say it was the wildest scream I ever heard. Not 

 so ; once, a year or more before, while passing along 

 the wooded bank of Watson's creek at night, I was 

 fairly frightened by a wild scream I had never heard 

 before, and failed then to identify. What manner of 



