BIRDS OF PREY 145 



ter the white snowy owl from the Arctic sometimes 

 makes us a visit, more often along the coast, and for- 

 tunate is the student who meets with it. In all my 

 travels I have run across but one. 



Of medium-sized owls there are two which we may 

 encounter almost anywhere in Northern and Middle 

 districts, the long-eared and short-eared owls. 

 The former has ear-tufts and is a bird of dense woods 

 and swamps; the latter is a frequenter of open 

 meadow, marsh, or sea-shore, and practically lacks 

 ear-tufts. The barn owl, with the " monkey-face " 

 and white breast, is found in Middle and Southern 

 latitudes, hiding by day in old buildings or hollow 

 trees. 



The common little owl is the screech owl, with ear- 

 tufts, found frequently about houses and orchards. 

 There is also the saw-whet owl, very tiny, with no 

 ear-tufts, a bird of the deep woods and rather rare. 

 Well to the north are found the great gray, the Rich- 

 ardson's and the hawk owls, and on the prairies of 

 the West and of interior Florida the quaint burrow- 

 ing owl. 



By far the best way to really know these birds is 

 to find their nests and thus be able to study their 

 home-life. They are nearly all early breeders. The 

 great horned owl is first, beginning in Middle and 

 Northern districts by the first of March. The barred 

 owl usually follows suit about the first of April, often 

 by March twentieth. Very early April is the time 

 for the red-tailed hawk, soon followed by the red- 



