NEW YOKE ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 129 



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SPECTACLE OWL. 



ly noiseless flight. The soft, downy feathers of the owl 

 permit it to wing its way through the air with as little noise 

 as a falling leaf. 



The Screech Owl, {Otus asio). — This little horned owl is 

 our commonest species, and frequents the neighborhood of 

 dwellings and orchards. Being nocturnal it is more com- 

 mon than is generally supposed, and its curious cry, which 

 is not a screech, but a musical, quavering series of notes, is 

 the cause most frequently leading to its discovery. Its two 

 phases of plumage, red and gray, occur independently of 

 sex, age or season. Its food consists of mice and insects. 



The Florida Burrowing Owl, {Speotyto cunicularia flori- 

 dana). — The habits of the Florida Burrowing Owl differ 

 somewhat from those of its western congener. There being 

 no prairie-dogs in Florida, these birds make all their exca- 

 vations for themselves. These are about six feet in depth, 

 and at the end the round, white eggs are laid, usually six 

 in number. The anomalous habits of these birds and their 

 curious little gnome-like faces make them interesting in- 

 mates of a zoological garden. 



