Owls 
225 
neighbourhood. Perhaps old associations were 
too painful; perhaps she was shot on her way 
South that winter ; or perhaps she took another 
mate with more sense and less greed, who pre- 
ferred to reside elsewhere. 
As you may imagine, fish hawks always live 
near water. In summer they frequent the in- 
lets along the Atlantic coast, but over inland 
lakes and rivers also, many fly back and forth. 
You may know by their larger size — ^they are 
almost two feet long— and by their slow flight 
that they are not the winter gulls. Their dusky 
backs and white under parts harmonise well with 
the marine picture, N orth or South. Their plum- 
age contains more white than that of any other 
hawk. No matter how foggy the day or how 
quietly the diving osprey may splash to catch 
his fish dinner, any bald-headed eagle in the 
vicinity is sure to detect him in the act of seiz- 
ing it, and then to relieve him of it instantly. 
OWLS 
Like many children I know, owls begin to be 
especially lively toward night, only they make 
no noise as they fly about. Very soft, fluffy 
plumage muffles their flight so that they can 
drop upon a meadow mouse creeping through 
the grass in the stilly night before this wee, 
