OWL LIFE 



tinct from the others— and the various species of the homed 

 and hoot owls. 



The barn owl is the one which most commonly frequents 

 European ruins and which has been such a fruitful source 

 of romantic inspiration to the poets. She is most common in 

 the southern portion of our country, being rarely f oimd north 

 of Massachusetts. 



The screech owl — ^this is a misnomer, for her cry is more 

 of a melancholy call or tremulous sob than a screech — ^is found 

 all over the United States. In autumn it appears to be most 

 abimdant owing to the necessity of its coming near our habi- 

 tations at that time in quest of the food which earlier in the 

 season is to be found in the fields. The voracious appetite of 

 this little owl renders her an invaluable farmer's assistant. 



A declining sun rouses her from her slumbers and sends 

 her forth to seek food for herself and young, for whom she 

 provides bountifully. An old apple orchard is the most 

 promising place to look for her nest — in a hole made by the 

 decay of a dead branch — though it is often found elsewhere. 



At nightfall we may hear her soliloquy of comfort as 

 she snuggles close to her dormitory bough for a final nap 

 after a day of deeper slumber. Her comfortable "oo-oo-oo" 

 is strongly suggestive of the enjoyment one has in his pillow 

 on a crisp morning after he knows it is time for him to be 

 up and doing. 



However much the owl may enjoy the slothfulness of 

 the home perch, it does not take her long to throw off her 

 drowsy feeling, for by the time the fireflies have lighted their 

 evening lamps she is alert and abroad. Should she go forth 

 earlier or on cloudy days, as she sometimes does, she would 

 more than likely be pursued and attacked by other birds who 

 regard her as an enemy. In spirit, the jay, the chickadee and 



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