Familiar Studies of Wild Birds 



eyesight, contrary to popular opinion, is suffi- 

 ciently keen even in bright sunlight, and the 

 sagacity with which the birds would time and 

 consummate their attacks merits admiration. 



One other incident of the day was of par- 

 ticular interest. One of the owls was perched 

 in the tiptop of a pine watching me jealously 

 as I handled the young. Suddenly a body 

 shot downward out of the sky, swerving past 

 the owl's head at such terrific velocity as to 

 produce a sound like a small clap of thunder. 

 It was an uneasy glance the wise old bird cast 

 upward, as it apprehended the swoop of the 

 cooper hawk just in time to prevent being 

 struck. The hawk evidently had perceived 

 the owl's unwonted preoccupation, and had 

 been tempted to startle it, probably an unusual 

 occurrence in the life of these birds. 



