SCREECH OWL. 233 



during some winter.s there is scarcely a farm in the country which has- 

 not its Screech Owl in the barn. There it sits on a rafter, snoozing 

 away the hours of daylight, occasionally opening its round, yellow, 

 cat-like eyes, and glowering at the farm hands as they move about 

 like shadows below. After dark it is all alive ; not a mouse can stir 

 without being observed, and so quick and noiseless is the flight of the 

 bird, that few escape which expose themselves. It thus renders good 

 service to the farmer, in consideration of which it is protected by the 

 more intelligent of that class, but it is persecuted almost to extinction 

 by the " boys." 



As will be seen by the description of the markings given above, 

 individuals of this species assume different phases of plumage, and 

 are spoken of as the "red" and "gray." For many years great 

 difference of opinion prevailed on this subject, some believing the red 

 bird to be the male, and vice versa. It is now fully understood that 

 the color is entirely independent of age, sex or season. It is one of 

 those seeming irregularities which we find in nature, and all we can 

 do is to bear witness to the fact, without being able to tell the reason 

 for it. 



During the long winter of 188.'5-8i, I kept a record of the birds 

 of this species I heard of, in or near Hamilton, and the total num- 

 ber reached forty. In 1884-85, they were less common, and during 

 1885-86, I am not aware of a single individual having been observed. 



The Screech Owl seems partial to the south-west of Ontario, for it 

 is common at Toronto, Hamilton and London, while Mr. White has 

 not yet observed it at Ottawa, nor is it named among the birds of 

 Manitoba. Of the two colors, the gray is the more common here, the 

 red being rarely met with. 



During summer it has a very varied bill of faie, but in the severe 

 winters it lives chiefly on mice, though it sometimes takes small 

 birds. It has been placed in Class h, as one of the beneficial class, 

 worthy of protection. 



The genus is widely distributed, chiefly east and west. It contains 

 eight different species, only one of which occurs in Ontario. They 

 all resemble each other, but are sufficiently different to warrant 

 specific distinction. 



