AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



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with their talons, they will dash so close to him that he is frequently 

 hit by the soft wings and involuntarily dodges, fearing the sharp talons 

 with which he knows they are armed. When the female is incubating 

 she will generally remain on the nest and allow herself to be removed 

 by force, after which she will perch close by and express her disap- 

 proval by snapping her bill, making a very impressive clicking sound, 

 not unlike the forbidden snapping of fingers with which school boys 

 were wont to attract the attention of the teacher. 



Photo from life by C. A. Reed. 



Barred Owls are the most easily tamed and docile of all the members 

 of the family. I have handled a great many of them, and have never 

 seen but one that would make any attempt to grasp me with his tal- 

 ons. This one was a very lively, playful bird, and if you attempted to 



Photo from life. 



