A MKIUCA N ORNITHOLOGY. 



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stroke his breast would reach out his claws much in the same manner 

 as a cat will. If you drew your hand away of course an ugly scratch 

 would result, but not from any design of the owl, for if the hand was 

 allowed to remain he would not attempt to pinch or scratch. When in 

 captivity they bathe as do other birds, by standing in the middle of the 

 dish and splashing the water over them with their head and wings. It 

 is probable that they go through the same performance when they are 

 at liberty, although probably few, if any, ever saw them. They drink 

 after the fashion of the barnyard fowls; filling their bill with water and 

 then turning their face skyward and rolling their eyes in the most 

 ludicrous way. 



The only sounds or signs of anger that they show is' the loud snap- 

 ping of the beak. As they sit -dreamily on their perch, with their eyes 

 half closed, they are aware of everything that takes place about them, 

 and their very large ears catch every sound. I have often crept quietly 

 lip behind one when he was apprrently asleep, and clapped my hands 

 loudly. Not a movement showed that he had any nerves. He slowly 

 unclosed his eyes and deliberately faced about, and his great black eyes 

 seemed to express amusement that I should have tried to startle him. 

 On the other hand, a slight scratching, as of a mouse, would awaken 

 him instantly, and he would watch intently to see the anticipated rodent 

 appear. All his actions are either slow and deliberate or else so quick 

 that the eye can hardly follow them. As you walk about one, without 

 shifting his body in the least, he will turn his head to watch you imtil 

 it has made nearly a complete revolution. From the extreme position 

 on one side to the extreme position on the other an owl can make 



nearly two complete revolutions 

 of the head, whereas a human 

 being has to exert himself to 

 make even half a revolution. 



It is to be hoped that farmers 

 and sportsmen will cease kill- 

 ing the large numbers of these 

 birds that they do every fall, as 

 undoubtedly they do their share 

 of good for the community. 

 Probably the greater part of the 

 destructive work that is charged 

 to them is that of the great 



horned owl, and even that could 

 be avoided if farmers would 

 take care to properly house 

 their fowls at night. 



