Entered in prize competition. 



My Screech Owl Finds in '99. 



It was a cool aixd crisp morning 

 on the 12th of April, when a companion and 

 myself started to search for screech owls eggs. 

 The first place that we intended to visit was a 

 dense cane thicket, in the middle of which was an 

 old dead and hollow chinaberry tree. 

 I had often passed this tree in my hunting trips, 

 and with rap on the trunk, brought the old owl 

 out of a hole near the top. 



As the nesting season was at hand I judged that 

 they were breeding. It was about eight oclock 

 in the morning when we arrived at the tree, 

 strapping on my climbers and with little difficul- 

 ty I reached the nest hole. 



Out flew a screech owl, so near my face that her 

 wing brushed me, peering in the hole I saw an- 

 other owl and two white eggs; 1 did not disturb 

 the owl but took the eggs. 



Before taking the eggs I pricked a small hole in 

 one to see if the set was complete, I was at once 

 assured of the fact by seeing a small speck o f 

 blood appear at the hole. 



—8— 



