68 



OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



barn window when he went to finish the chores 

 after dark. 



The babies in the hollow tree grew very 

 fast, and soon they were very comical little fel- 

 lows with part feathers and part down. One 

 day the Naturalist placed them in a row on a 

 nearby limb. They were much disturbed by 

 the light, and blinked unceasingly. The 

 anxious parents became greatly excited and 

 flew back and forth above them, snapping 

 their bills and complaining until they were 

 replaced in the hollow tree. As the young 

 birds neared maturity they became so well ac- 

 quainted with the Naturalist that they showed 

 little anxiety because of his visits, although 

 they sometimes looked very much surprised 



when he placed them in 

 some strange situation. 



After the family was 

 grown, Father and 

 Mother Screech Owl 

 decided to move. The 

 , hollow tree seemed very 

 much deserted after 

 yk their departure. In the 

 r meantime the Naturalist 

 had made some boxes 

 mmmmmmmmmmmm^mf^mmmm^ 



They were very comical little fellows with 

 part feathers and part down. 



