156 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
are two which the nature lover cannot readily overlook or forget— 
the quavering and not unmusical whistle of the little screech owl, 
and the hoarse horn of the Great Horned Owl, Bubo Virginicanus, 
coming faint and far from the distant woods. 
“The little screech owl is the farmer’s best friend, though 
mercilessly hunted out and shot down by the thoughtless and 
‘ignorant who know nothing of his better qualities. Most people 
know the screech owl only by the quavering whistle or screech, 
which has given him his name. But for my own part I like to think 
of him at his best by his song—yes, the screech owl’s song, for song 
he has—the peculiarly sweet and musical trill, tremulous, quavering 
and faint, which sometimes comes up from the heart of the woods 
in a dim October afternoon, or which mingles with the evening note 
of the wood thrush and adds an additional charm to the tender airs 
and faint indefinable earthy odors of twilight in early spring. 
‘But the big brother of the little owls, Bubo Virginicanus, the 
Great Horned Owl, the black sheep and rascal of the family, is in 
reality of greater interest to the student than the smaller screech 
owl. Bubo is the hen thief, the midnight marauder, the mortal 
enemy of-hawks, crows and farmers alike, who never fail to make it 
warm for the rascal when they catch him abroad in the daytime. 
“Watch his eyes and you will see a curious thing, for the black 
pupil is small in the daytime, but at night the yellow covering is 
drawn back and the big black glowing disc remains, with the retina 
set to catch every wandering glint of faintest light. Besides this he 
has a special covering of film which he can let down over the eyes 
when the light is too strong. His tongue too is curious, and is set 
in his mouth ‘‘t” fashion, so that it literally wags at both ends. An- 
other interesting feature is his ability to turn his head in any direc- 
tion so that he can look directly over his back, as illustrated in the 
slide. Try it for yourselves and see if you can do it. 
“When the Great Horned Owl eats a hen or a rabbit he de- 
vours it entire, fur, feathers, bones and all, and in a short time a 
little ball of feathers or fur is disgorged, the indigestible part of the 
feast. But the strangest feature of the owl’s conduct is his fashion 
of feigning death. I have seen these owls in captivity many a time 
relax their wings, fall over, and lie for a long time apparently dead. 
But touch their wings with a stick and they soon come to life again. 
