Two barred owls were observed making short flights over the swamp uttering strange gasping notes 
that of some large animal in labored 
breathing, came from within the edge 
of the woods. The first thought was 
that a straying cow or horse had suf- 
fered some accident and was breathing 
its last. The point from which the 
sound proceeded was approached but 
the dim light disclosed nothing but tree 
trunks and low bushes. Presently the 
startling gasp came again, this time 
from another position. Approach was 
again attempted, which resulted in an- 
other change of position of the source 
of the sound. Evidently the author of 
it was moving from place to place. 
Closer attention proved that the sound 
was different from that likely to be 
made by any large animal in distress, 
and it could not be attributed to any 
creature, domestic or wild, that was 
known to inhabit that region. A warn- 
ing shout was sent in the direction of 
the sound, followed a little later by a 
charge of shot, after which the sound 
ceased. Several years afterward we 
were camping in early spring at the 
edge of an extensive swamp or glade 
well up in the Alleghany mountains. 
One evening just at twilight we were 
walking along the border of the glade 
when suddenly a sound, or gasp, like a 
brief exhaust from a steam pump, came 
from among the tall ferns and cat-tails 
in the swamp below. The sound seemed 
identical with that heard before at the 
border of the woodland. Looking close- 
ly, we observed two barred owls making 
short flights near to the ground and fre- 
quently approaching each other in a 
threatening manner. Evidently they 
were rival males. At intervals one of 
them would give voice to that unearthly 
gasping note, which, varied as the vo- 
cabulary of the barred owl is, neither 
of us had ever suspected was within the 
vocal range of that bird. 
Q UITE rarely the common cottontail 
rabbit when startled at night will 
utter a shrill whistle which many 
persons do not recognize; and there is 
sometimes heard from the woods in chill 
February evenings and nights a long- 
drawn, hollow trill which we have heard 
attributed variously to the rabbit, rac- 
coon and screech owl. Undoubtedly the 
screech owl is the author of this note, 
yet we have been informed by experi- 
enced woodsmen that they have wit- 
nessed a rabbit uttering the same sound. 
It seems that many birds and mam- 
mals hold in reserve certain notes that 
are used only on rare occasions or under 
stress of unusually exciting influences. 
It is possible for a person to have an 
acquaintance with the woods covering 
many years and still not be familiar 
with all the vocal possibilities of even 
our commonest wild creatures. The 
robin and chewink occasionally puzzle 
us with a new song. We need not be 
surprised when even our home wood- 
lots are made romantic by wild night 
voices with which we are entirely un- 
acquainted and which sound strange. 
Years ago an old hunter-naturalist 
related to us that one night in the 
“early days” he was following a trail 
that led through a dense forest toward 
his camp. He was suddenly startled to 
hear a musical, tinkling note, not unlike 
the sound of a little bell, coming from 
the trail ahead. As he moved forward 
the tinkling sound also moved, remain- 
ing about the same distance in advance 
•and continuing for about half an hour. 
He knew there was no domestic crea- 
ture within many miles, and that the 
sound must come from some form of 
wild life, whether bird or beast he could 
not guess. In a long life spent mostly 
in the woods he never heard a similar 
sound and could only conjecture that it 
might have been made by a red fox, 
“for,” said he, “a red fox, when it tries, 
can make about any sort of sound that 
it wants to”. 
T HE writers never think of mysteri- 
ous night sounds without recalling 
that piercing, long-drawn scream 
that awakened them at 2 p. m. in their 
camp at “Devil’s Retreat” on October 8, 
1897. Long experience in the woods had 
made us familiar with the general vocal 
li itations of such creatures as owls, 
foxes and wild cats. This was the voice 
of something different, just what we do 
not know since the panther is supposed 
to have been extinct at the time within 
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