
374 THE MOTTLED OWL. 
catching its game, which consists of small birds, mice, 
crickets, beetles, and other insects. These are swallowed — 
mostly whole, and afterwards the bones, feathers, hairs, etc., 
are ejected in the form of pellets. As a caterer this harm- 
less little owl is not excelled by any of its genus. . 
It is difficult to describe the cry of this bird; sometimes it 
sounds like a child crying, then again like the syllable hö-hö- 
hd-h6-hé-hd-h5-h6 in quick succession with the quivering — 
sound, or as Wilson admirably describes it: “It reminds one — 
of the shivering moanings of a half frozen puppy. These | 
notes you hear in the spring during pairing season, and also 
when the young have recently left the nest. They are gener — 
ally answered by the mate or by the young. Last spe 
meeting one of my neighbors in the morning he inquired if l 
my child was sick? I replied in the negative, and asked him : 
why he thought so? He said ‘I heard a child ery almost all : 
night, and it appeared to come from your house!’ Soon ak 
other accosted me like the first, and he was positive that the 
crying came from the same source. The mystery was 800) 
explained when I informed them that a young Seree a 
was the sole occupant of a box eight inches square pee ! 
waggon-seat. By the superstitious, this wailing ¢ty e 
the house is considered the forerunner of death. a 
one of my patients I found the mother in tears, wringing = 
hands and moaning piteously, when she informed m 
her child must die, for an owl had been near the WIN? 
cried almost all night. I endeavored to pacify the good i 
by assuring her that her child would recover, oi 
purpose, for she believed the owl was a sure messene 
death, and no earthly power could avert it. 
covered, and although seven years have elapsed, no ™ 
has yet obeyed the summons of the owl, yet the 
dame is hourly expecting that some one must go 
One of the Latin poets, in alluding to the cry 
says,— , 







soon” 
of the 
“ Est illis strigibus nomen; sed nominis hujus 
Causa pii y nereuse stridere nocte solent.” 
