'340 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



even two inches longer than its European relative. It 

 ranges through all the Atlantic States, even up to Green- 

 land. Nor is it driven away by the clearing off of the 

 woods ; and now more than over it seeks to be a winter 

 denizen of the city parks, attracted, doubtless, by the 

 abundance of English sparrows, which afford it food. 



0. This little screech-owl, with its staring eyes and 

 pert, ear-like tufts, has a decidedly cattish look. In truth, 

 it wears a grave, grimalkin cast of countenance, which, in 

 a bird, is quite uncanny and unnatural. A mounted speci- 

 men in my parlor was an object of dread to a little girl 

 visiting us from the city. It availed nothing to tell the 

 child that little Motley would not hurt her, while the un- 

 bird-like little thing would stare at her so. 



10. To the naturalist Scops asio has been a provoking 

 elf. It is to be hoped that the sage-looking little fellow 

 did not scoff behind his gravity at these learned men, or 

 count any of them asinine whom he so misled by his ec- 

 centric freakiness in dress. Coming before a man of science 

 at one time wearing a suit of sober frieze, again appearing 

 in mottled gray, and anon clad g-iyly in tawny red, how 

 ludicrously easy and inviting was the trick of specie-mak- 

 ing ! Well, that controversy is over now, and to write the 

 strife down as history would be enough to make Motley 

 bristle to his toes. Jjw _ Samuel £ockwoocl 



THE OWL-CRITIC. 



"Who stuffed that white owl ? " No one spoke in the 



shop ; 

 The barber was busy, and he couldn't stop ; 

 The customers, waiting their turns, were all reading 

 The "Daily," the "Herald," the "Post," little heeding 



