Bird Study 107 



5. Describe the colors of the screech owl. Are all these owls of the 

 same color? How do these colors protect the bird from its enemies? 



6. How is the owl's plumage adapted to silent flight? Why is silent 

 flight advantageous to this bird? 



7. How does the owl's ear differ from the ears of other birds? Of 

 what special advantage is this? As the owl hunts during the night, what 

 does it do in the daytime? How and by what means does it hide itself? 



8. Where does the screech owl make its nest? Do you know any- 

 thing about the devotion of the parent owls to each other and to their 

 young? How many eggs are laid? What is their color? At what time 

 of year do the little owls appear? 



9 Where does the screech owl spend the winter? What do the 

 screech owls feed upon ? Do they chew their food ? How do they get rid 

 of the indigestible portion of their food? How does this habit help the 

 scientists to know the food of the owls? 



10. How does the screech owl work injury to the farmers ? How does 

 it benefit them? Does not the benefit outweigh the injury? 



11. How many other kinds of owls do you know? What do you 

 know of their habits? 



Supplementary reading — Audubon Educational Leaflets, Nos. 22, 12, 

 14; Second Book of Birds, Miller, Chap. 32-3; Familiar Wild Animals, 

 Lottridge; "The Boy and Hushwing," Kindred of the Wild; "Koos, Koos, 

 Koos" in Wilderness Ways; Wings and Fins, chap. 19; Heart of Oak 

 Books, Vol. 4, p. 51; The Aziola, Shelley; American Birds, Finley. 



TWO WISE OWLS 



We are two dusky owls, and we live in a tree; 



Look at her, — look at me! 

 Look at her, — she's my mate, and the mother of three 



Pretty owlets, and we 

 Have a warm cosy nest, just as snug as can be. 



We are both very wise; for our heads, as you see, 



{Look at her — look at me!) 

 Are as large as the heads of four birds ought to be; 



And our horns, you'll agree. 

 Make us look wiser still, sitting here on the tree. 



And we care not how gloomy the night-time may be; 



We can see, — we can see 

 ThrougJi the forest to roam, it suits her, it suits me; 



And we're free, — we are free 

 To bring back what we find, to our nest in the tree. 



— Anonymous. 



