THE BURROWING OWL. 



HE little burrowing owls were 

 among the first folk you, met 011 

 your way to the Pacific Coast. After 

 crossing the Mississippi River, you 

 spent half your daytime w r atching 

 the little fellows and their com- 

 rades, the prairie-dogs. Not that these two ani- 

 mals really love each other, or live in the same 

 neighborhood for the sake of each other's com- 

 pany. The burrowing owls take up with the 

 prairie-dogs and the ground-squirrels on account 

 of the nice underground passages the latter make. 

 True, the owls are able to make roadways in the 

 earth for themselves, in a pinch, but they are lazy 

 by nature, and much prefer taking advantage of 



another person's labor. 



The burrowing owl has 

 other names than the one 

 so familiar in the books. 

 He is the " johnnie-owl," 

 the " billy -owl," the 

 "cuckoo owl," the "senti- 



168 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 



Prairie-dog towns 

 the Great Plains. 



ground- 



Burrows of 

 squirrels. 



Eyes of twilight birds 

 and animals. 



