THE BIRD OF NIGHT 



Fortunately, though, the owls have voices, and most 

 of them are inclined, at times, to lift them up in singing 

 — if one may so call it. This makes an intelligent and 

 persistent hunt for them quite likely to succeed, pro- 

 vided, of course, that there are any owls there to find. 

 And owls there almost certainly are within the limits 

 of any country town which is reasonably well wooded 

 with fairly large timber and is not too suburban. 



Our two principal "hooters" are the Great Horned 

 Owl and the Barred Owl, both of which are confused 

 under the popular name of "Hoot Owl." They are 

 both big birds, especially the former, which is also 

 distinguished from the other by having large ear tufts, 

 which look like horns. They do not migrate to any 

 great extent, though they wander more or less in winter 

 when food is scarce, but stay, for the most part, in the 

 same general region or tract of woodland in which they 

 nest. In the autumn they begin their loud hootings. 

 One can easily distinguish the two by these sounds, for 

 the Great Horned Owl has but three hoots to his song, 

 while the Barred fellow's vocal effort is much longer 

 and more elaborate. They are most apt to hoot about 

 sundown on mild or moist days when it threatens to 

 rain or snow, and, indeed, they are pretty good weather 

 prophets. Probably they "feel it in their bones" when 

 a storm is brewing, though there is no likelihood that 

 these hardy creatures are rheumatic. These hootings 

 are their love notes, their mating cries, and I just wish 

 I could find out from them why their fondness deepens 



58 



