GREAT HORNED OWLS 



323 



just hatching, but the owl flew as he approached. When he 

 was halfway up the tree the owl swooped from behind and 

 struck him a terrible blow with her talons, tearing his scalp 

 quite badly. After this she kept her distance. 



THE YOUNG WERE SAFELY HATCHED 



The Great Horned Owls aforementioned next year had 

 abandoned their old nesting-site. A sawmill had been located 

 on that side of the mountain, and what I feared had indeed 

 happened. Climbing and wading laboriously through the 

 deep snow early in March, I stood, perspiring and regretful, 

 gazing upon the stump of the ancient rock oak which had 

 held far aloft the great nest of sticks in which those splendid 

 owls had reared their young. Why could not that avaricious 

 lumber company have realized that that was an owl-tree ? 



