eH oe ASU De B.OPNe eB UE LET EN 11 
again and the parent appeared at once. It stopped, flew to a branch near 
the crotch, and studied me. Its size, long ear tufts and markings told me 
it was a long-eared owl. In its bill was a young striped ground squirrel or 
‘“sopher.”? It eyed me for perhaps five minutes, uttering a sort of chuckling, 
scolding note. Satisfied that I was not dangerous, it deposited the gopher 
in the crotch, gave a couple of soft hoots, and swooping low over my head 
for another look, disappeared silently through the woods. It is indeed 
CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES PHOTO 
Long-eared Owl 
surprising how an owl as big as that one was could fly so rapidly through 
the heavy woods and not even rustle a leaf. All owls have feathers specially 
adapted for silent flying so they can stalk their wary prey. I was curious 
about the young, and so climbed and struggled up to the crotch. There 
was a nest made of sticks and twigs on an old crow’s nest. It was lined 
with bark and had a few green leaves, now badly soiled, in it. There were 
four young, about four weeks old, with well-developed beaks and claws. 
Their white down still showed through their immature plumage. They 
looked at me rather stupidly for a minute or so, then their warning instincts 
told them of danger and they ruffled their feathers, spread their wings, 
stood high on their legs with talons ready, snapping their beaks and hissing. 
The half-eaten gopher lay on the side of the nest. A harsh, long who-il-il-loo 
told me the adult was back, and both birds were in a tree close by, fussing, 
muttering, and snapping their beaks. Not wishing to disturb these very 
