. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. 104 Handbook of Nature-Study THE SCREECH OWL Teacher's Story "Disquiet yourselves not: 'Tis nothing but a little, downy ;—Shellev. Of all the fascinating sounds to be heard at night in the woods, the screech owl's song is surely the most so; its fascination does not depend on music but upon the chills which it sends up and down the spine of the listener, thus attacking a quite different set of nerves than do other bird songs. The weird wail, tremulous and long drawn out,
. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. 104 Handbook of Nature-Study THE SCREECH OWL Teacher's Story "Disquiet yourselves not: 'Tis nothing but a little, downy ;—Shellev. Of all the fascinating sounds to be heard at night in the woods, the screech owl's song is surely the most so; its fascination does not depend on music but upon the chills which it sends up and down the spine of the listener, thus attacking a quite different set of nerves than do other bird songs. The weird wail, tremulous and long drawn out, although so blood- curdling, is from the stand- point of the owlet the most beautiful music in the world; by means of it he calls to his mate, cheering her with the assurance of his presence in the world; evidently she is not a nervous creature. The screech owls are likely to sing at night during any part of the year; nor should we infer that when they are singing they are not hunt-. Screech owls. From Country Life in America. ing, for perchance their music frightens their victims into fatal activ- ity. Although the note is so unmistakable, yet there is great varia- tion in the songs of individuals; the great variety of quavers in the song offering ample opportunity for the expression of individuality. Moreover, these owls often give themselves over to tremulous whispering and they emphasize excitement by snapping their beaks in an alarming manner. Any bird that is flying about and singing in the night time must be able to see where it is going, and the owls have special adaptations for this. The eyes are very large and the yellow iris opens and closes about the pupil quite similar to the arrangement in the cat's eye, except that the pupil in the owl's eye is round when contracted instead of elongated; in the night this pupil is expanded until it covers most of the eye. The owl does not need to see behind and at the sides, since it does not belong to the birds which are the
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