THE SCREECH OWL 43 



and Florida Screech Owls, and others too numerous to men- 

 tion. The differences between all these are not very great. 

 Let each American know his own Screech Owl, and study its 

 habits, and he will then know the others quite well enough for 

 all practical purposes. 



To me, the cry of this little Owl is one of the most doleful 

 sounds in animated nature, not even excepting the howl of 



N. Y. Zoological Park. 



SCREECH OWL. 



a wolf. It is like the quivering, shivering, heart-broken wail 

 of a lost spirit, and suggests chattering teeth and freezing 

 vocal chords. Written out it is "Woe-woe-woe-woe-woe-woe- 

 woe — ah!" But no phonetic spelling can even suggest the 

 high-pitched mental and physical anguish expressed in the 

 cry that one hears. 



The Screech Owl is a round-bodied little fellow, sometimes 



