72 



OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



tions were to no purpose, for the murmur of 

 the night voices gradually grew faint in his 

 ears and it would seem but a moment until he 

 awoke with the sun streaming full in his face. 

 The Screech Owls were nowhere to be seen, 

 nor would they again respond to his call until 

 the shadows again were falling. 



As the nights grew frosty and the voices of 

 the crickets were no longer heard, the Natu- 

 ralist still called to the owls in early evening. 

 The occasions were less frequent, nor were 

 they prolonged since it was no longer pleasant 

 to lie on the ground in the moonlight. Some- 

 times on a winter day when the sky was gray, 



HHKHB^SHBHBHHl a screech owl 



would fly out to 

 take a look 

 around. At 

 other times he 

 would appear at 

 the entrance of 

 the box where 

 he was spending 

 the winter days, 

 and remain 

 looking out for 

 hours at a time. 



On a winter day when the sky was gray. 



