258 Twelve Months With 



"Darkness, grow and blacker fold, 

 Rattle, hail, and blast be bold. 



Old trees, blow together 



In the cold, roaring weather; 

 Louder you howl 



The jollier he, 



In his nest in the breast of the hollow tree, 

 The warm little owl, the little warm owl. 

 Play up, wild pipes i' the forest bare, 

 Gallop, goblins, down the air. 



Ride, hug to the back 



Of the scudding rack; 

 Fiercer it scowl 



The jollier he, 



In his nest in the breast of the hollow tree, 

 The warm little owl, the little warm owl." 



All the owls named are nocturnal in their habits, 

 except the short-eared owl, which feeds and moves 

 about by day. It is between the barred owl and 

 the screech owl in size, and frequents the grassy 

 marshes, instead of the deep woods. The plumage 

 is brown and buff, and the ear-tufts are very short, 

 and the eyes the usual yellow. 



The long-eared owl is a little smaller, has very 

 conspicuous ear-tufts, an inch or more in length, 

 and the brown and buff plumage is mottled with 

 white. Unlike its short-eared cousin, this little 

 owl is rarely found in open places. Thick willow 

 swamps or heavy coniferous trees furnish favorite 

 daytime roosts. The bird is tame and will not fly 

 until closely approached. When conscious of 



