BIKDS OF PREY: OWLS. 



65 



OWLS. 



Owls are birds of prey which, in most cases, are ac- 

 tive by night, and rest during tlie day. Their large 

 head, and large staring eyes, and the tufts of feathers 

 resembling ears, wliich many of them have, give to the 

 face a strange, cat-like expression. Their plumage is 

 soft and loose, and their flight is almost noiseless. 



Fig. 108. — Great Homed Owl. 



They prey upon birds, hares, squirrels, mice, and in- 

 sects. There are about forty kinds of Owls in Amer- 

 ica, varying from the size of a robin to that of a small 

 turkey. The Great Horned Owl has large ear-tufts 

 standing up like horns ; the Screech Owl is small, and 

 is noted for its tremulous, doleful notes ; the Long- 



