1891 
December 18 
A singularly 
tame 
Screech 
Owl 
While at Ball's Hill one of my men (Bensen) called 
to me that he had found 11 a fine bird which you can take 
in your hand, sir". I rushed up to the top of the hill, 
expecting to see something novel when I was shown a 
beautiful red Screech Owl which was sitting erect, plumage 
drawn in, "ears" raised, eyes reduced to narrow slits, in 
the middle of a clump of oak sprouts to which most of the 
leaves still clung. These matched the bird's coloring so 
closely that I marvel how the man happened to see him. 
After looking at him a moment I advanced my hand 
slowly and actually first stroked his furred feet, then 
released one of ^nis claws from the twig (using some force) 
and finally drew my hand gently dovm over his back. Bensen 
tried the last experiment but so roughly that the bird 
flew. It dipped down over the brow of the hill and we 
lost sight of it. On the evening of the 13th, I heard 
the Owl in the pines near North Bridge, wailing at 4.45 P. M. 
