SOME RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST, ^-j-j 



family separates, and while the young are receiving their lessons in 

 mouse-hunting, it becomes very evident, first, that owls are great 

 talkers ; and, secondly, that they are decidedly intelligent. I was im- 

 pressed with these facts during a pleasant moonlight evening last 

 October, when, having taken my stand to watch the owls, I saw the 

 whole family of six as they came from their nest in the tree. The 

 old birds first appeared, flew directly toward the meadow, and disap- 

 peared in the long grass. Soon the four young birds made their 

 appearance, but only to creep cautiously along the limbs of the tree, 

 and then settle themselves, in a lazy, muffled-up manner, as though 

 nothing remained to be done. All the while the old birds kept up a 

 peculiar call — more like a scream than a hoot — not altogether unpleas- 

 ant to the ear. I am in doubt whether the young owls made any 

 reply, though I took a faint clicking noise to be such. In a little 

 while, however, they began to get hungry, and then they uttered un- 

 mistakable cries, to which the parent owls replied by returning to the 

 tree. In the beak of each owl was a mouse, or what I took to be 

 such, and when they alighted on the maple I could detect, in the un- 

 certain light, that they did not approach closely to the young birds, 

 but, having removed the mice, which they now held in their claws, 

 they chattered and screamed to their young, in a manner that could 

 only be interpreted as, " Come over here and get your mouse." It was 

 evident that the young owls were to be taught to help themselves, 

 and to practice their power of flight. As an inducement to do the 

 latter, the mice were held temptingly before them, but quite out of 

 reach. Finally, one young owl, more venturesome than his fellows, 

 essayed to fly ; but it was a miserable failure, for, instead of reaching 

 the desired branch, it fell short a foot or more, and tumbled to the 

 ground. I can not prove that owls laugh, but I think any one who 

 heard the old birds just then would never doubt the fact that they do. 

 The funniest feature, however, was that the three remaining young 

 birds were disgusted with w^hat they saw, or were frightened by it — 

 at all events, they hastened back to the nest, and I saw them no more 

 that evening. 



Of the poor fellow that fell to the ground there is much to be 

 said, as it was with it that the old birds were now wholly concerned, 

 and their actions were highly entertaining. Leaving the tree, they 

 flew down to the hapless bird, and muttered in low tones to it, in a 

 most sympathizing manner. Their utterances now, which I could 

 hear notwithstanding the racket made by the frogs, were very varied, 

 and gave the impression that they were holding a conversation. After 

 the lapse of a minute or more the old birds together took a short, low 

 flight, and then returned to the young owl. Was it not to show it 

 how easy flight was ? Then again they flew away, in the same manner, 

 and the young owl endeavored to follow. It was with evident diffi- 

 culty that it left the ground, but when once its feet were clear of the 



