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feathers to look big, and went to sleep. But 

 with the first slight movement I made to 

 ^^'fvf-^', creep nearer, he heard me and was wide 

 :inowy ^i^^^f- awake, and flew to a higher point. Such 

 hearing is simply marvelous. 



The stomach of an owl is peculiar, there 

 being no intermediate crop, as in other birds. 

 Every part of his prey small enough (and 

 the mouth and throat of an owl are large 

 out of all proportion) is greedily swallowed. 

 Long after the flesh is digested, feathers, fur 

 and bones remain in the stomach, softened 

 by acids, till everything is absorbed that can 

 afford nourishment, even to the quill shafts, 

 and the ends and marrow of bones. The 

 dry remains are then rolled into pellets by 

 the stomach and disgorged. 



This, by the way, suggests the best method 

 of finding an owl's haunts. It is to search, 

 not overhead, but on the ground under large 

 trees, till a pile of these curious remnants of 

 savage feasting reveals the nest or roosting 

 place above. 



It seems remarkable that my fisherman- 

 owl did not make a try at the coots that were 



