THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



which is soon to be called "home" After watching" the bird for 

 a few hours we are led to exclaim with the poet, — 



"Where do )^ou hide such a store of delig-ht, 



O delicate creature, tiny and slender. 

 Like a mellow sunbeam brig-ht. 



Overflown with music tender!" 



The nest is completed in a surprisingly short time. In seven 

 days the eg-g^s are hatched, and ere a fortnight has come and gone 

 the little ones are full-fledged birds. Now the fond father ler.ds 

 the happ3' family from one feeding- ground to another with tones 

 of authority as behooves a father of five children. 



Tiir: scuKECii OWL. 



Another bird which makes himself conspicuous at this season 

 by his vocal aspirations is the screech owl {Mr^u^scofs asio). He 

 does not condesend to vocal Articulation until the little screechers 

 are old enough to imitate. Then old and young- betake themselves 

 to a small grove or woodland and, when darkness conceals them, 

 one and all take up the most unearthly strain that ever proceeded 

 from the throat of a bird. At a loss to know what to call the sound 

 writers have termed it "screeching-." And that, though perhaps 

 as good as any other .Vng-lo-Saxon word, gives but a faint g-limmer 

 of th« orig-inal weird and grotesque sound. 



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