220 



RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



reeds and tall grasses in search of wounded birds ; know- 

 ing that many such are to be found by following in the 

 wake of gunners, who murderously discharge their guns 

 at the dense flocks of reed-birds, and wounding a dozen 

 often where one is killed. That the little red owl is 

 quite himself while the sun shines, is known to every 

 country lad. That all these owls love the twilight, no 

 one can doubt ; but that their activity increases with the 

 growing darkness, is not true of any of the nine species 

 of owls that I have found in this vicinity. 



Although I have found these saw-whet owls at all 

 seasons, I am not quite sure that I have ever heard their 

 voices. The " saw-mill " note, of which Audubou speaks, 

 I have never heard to recognize it ; nor the bell-like note 

 mentioned by other writers. "When I have captured 

 them alive, they made the usual clicking noise with the 

 beak, and faintly murmured, as nearly as I can express 

 it ; but beyond this I have heard no utterance. 



A neighbor, on the accuracy of whose observations I 

 can rely, has had better luck in this respect, and describes 

 to me the note of this owl as expressed fairly well by 

 the syllables tlee-klee, tlee-Tdee, twice or thrice repeated. 

 Then an intermission of a minute or more, and the note 

 or notes are repeated. He further says he has heard it 

 during dull, cloudy days in summer, and early in the 

 evening, but at no other time of the year. It is not, of 

 course, to be inferred from this that the saw-whet does 

 not utter its peculiar cry in autumn and winter, or late at 

 night. Being nocturnal in its habits to the extent that 

 are all owls, of course it must do so ; but, on the other 

 hand, it is additional evidence that this species is not as 

 strictly nocturnal as has been supposed. 



A word about the voices of owls. It is common to 

 speak of these birds as " hooting," but what is meant by 



