204. BIRDS 



When the young have hatched, the old become very 

 uneasy about the nest at the approach of a stranger, cir- 

 chng about, and ahghting in the grass a short distance 

 away, while continually uttering an alarm note which sounds 

 like the whine of a puppy. 



THE GREAT GRAY OWL* 



The Great Gray or Cinereous Owl is the largest of the 

 American owls. The appearance of great size, however, is 

 due to its thick and fluffy plumage. Its body is very small, 

 being only slightly larger than those of the barred or hoot 

 owl. The eggs are also said to be small, when compared 

 with the size of the bird. 



The range of this handsome owl is practically confined 

 to the most northern regions of North America, where it 

 breeds from the latitude of Hudson Bay northward as far 

 as forests extend. In the winter it is more or less migra- 

 tory, the distance that it travels southward seeming to 

 depend solely on the severity of the season. It has been 

 captured in several of the northern United States, from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. 



It is crepuscular or slightly nocturnal in the southern 

 parts of its range, but in the high North it pursues its prey 

 in the daytime. In the latter region, where the sun never 

 passes below the horizon in summer, it is undoubtedly neces- 

 sity and not choice that prompts it to be abroad in the day- 

 light. Its yellow eyes are very small, and would indicate 

 day-hunting proclivities. 



Dr. A. K. Fisher states that its "food seems to consist 



