48 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



These owls are abundant at Buzzard's Roost. The gar- 

 dener tells me that they have entered through the open win- 

 dow into the upper story of the cottage in search of mice, and 

 that frequently he has found them in the barn. A pair of them 

 have their nest in the cavity of a sycamore on the bank of Fall 

 Creek directly in front of the cottage, and another in a beech 

 snag near the east line of the woodland. At Somerleaze they 

 come with their young to the lawns in July. From then until 

 the snow flies we hear them almost every morning and even- 

 ing. One often comes to the elm which branches over our back 

 porch, and within twenty feet of where we sleep, makes his 

 "tremulous, wailing whistle." Sometimes it is like the cry of 

 a child and very distressing, but I have never heard them 

 screech. In an article in the Indianapolis News, July 20, 

 1901, I made mention of this fact, and this inspired my friend, 

 Mr. Wm. A. Wood, to write : 



"Thou art an ill named bird, my lady owl, 

 Who sittest before me on the lonely bough: 

 Men had less reason e'er to wince or scowl 

 Had thy sex all such mellow tones as thou. 



"The shimmering light from off the winter moon 



Falls rich and soft upon the quiet wood, 



As rich and soft as thy fond, maternal croon 



That warms with sound this snow clad neighborhood. 



"The birds that nest in summer mid these trees, 

 At frost to tropic climes and cheer they go; 

 But thou dost stay in spite of chilling breeze, 

 To comfort with thy tender tremolo." 



For a long time it was believed that the owls could not 

 see well in the daytime. But later investigations have proved 

 that they see as well as we do at that time and better in 

 the twilight. The query, then, is, why are they not seen in 

 the daytime? There are two answers to this. The first is, 

 that they are despised by all of the other bird families. What- 

 ever differences they may have among themselves, the various 

 families of birds regard the owls as outlaws, and birds of one 

 family will help those of another in fighting their common 

 enemy. If another bird espies one of them, it immediately 



