88 



Bird -Lore 



Owls invariably crushed their skulls with their beaks, and then swallowed them 

 whole, head first, with much effort and a very human opening and shutting of 

 the eyes. The only sounds they uttered were a threatening snapping of the 

 bill and a peculiar hissing with a rising inflection, accompanied by a side-to- 

 side swaying of the body. On seeing me approach, they would fly down to me 



from their favorite rafter, 

 and ahght on the floor with 

 their legs stretched out in 

 front of them like Ducks 

 striking the water. They 

 were able to distinguish me 

 from strangers and, when 

 frightened, snapped their 

 beaks and ruffled their 

 feathers till they appeared 

 very formidable. 



The barn door was often 

 open, and one day they left 

 it and flew to the nearest 

 trees, and from then on 

 gradually made their way 

 further and further up the 

 drive till they reached some 

 woodland, where they took 

 up their permanent quarters. 

 One of them became quite 

 shy, but the other still flew 

 down occasionally into the 

 road when I called him and 

 whistled to him. But before 

 winter he too became retir- 

 ing, like the rest of his race. 

 Since then, there has been a pair in my wood every year. In summer their 

 headquarters are among some tall oaks, and in winter they perch in a group of 

 Norway spruces \-cr\' near the house. I ha\'e never succeeded in finding the 

 nest, but in July the young fly (|uitf tamely about in broad daylight on the 

 edge of my [lond and near the house. Both old and young hiss and hoot at all 

 hours of the day and night, and fly fearlessly about in the open, although too 

 often pursued by Crows, Jays, Kingbirds, and Robins. The only damage I 

 can attribute to thoni is the destruction of a nestful of young Catbirds and of 

 a brood of young Mallards. Since that episode, my Ducks have been kejitsafe 

 by the simple expedient of hanging rags from strings criss-crossed over their 

 3'ar(l. I ha\e nevi-r known a Barrt-d Owl to attack an adult bird. 



YOUNG BARRED OWLS 



