THE NEIGHBORLY SCREECH OWLS 73 



Sometimes, when the Naturalist missed the 

 friendly creatures of the summer day which 

 had long since gone to warmer climes, he 

 would go to the box and arouse the little owl. 

 It would fly out into the light and sit for a mo- 

 ment blinking in the sun and then sail away 

 to find a dark place among the shadows of the 

 wood. 



Although the Naturalist never knew one 

 of these friendly little birds to commit a single 

 questionable act, there were some who would 

 not have hesitated to take their lives had 

 opportunity offered. They were accused of 

 catching birds and chickens, and other un- 

 likely crimes. Their accusers did not think 

 far enough to know that they were too small 

 to take anything but very young chickens 

 and that even these very young chickens were 

 never abroad at night, the only time when the 

 owl hunts for its prey. One evening, just at 

 early dusk, one of them alighted on a post near 

 Tommy Jones's barn. Tommy with his ever 

 ready gun did not fail to take note of its pres- 

 ence, and rested his gun across the fence to in- 

 sure a good aim in the failing light. Just then 

 a mouse ran out from under the barn and at- 

 tracted the attention of the owl. Down went 



