. The birds about us . er, be itbeetle or butterfly. . * When in pursuit of food the owls perch on a small branch nearthe ground, sit bolt upright in an indolent, drowsy manner until theirquick eye detects an insect moving on the plain; then they pouncesuddenly upon it, hold it down with their small but powerful claws,and with their sharp beaks tear the captive to pieces. . Hungersatiated, they return to their tree, and, cuddling lovingly together, sitand doze away their time, protected from the blazing rays of themid-day sun by the foliage of the sturdy oak. . 16* 186 The Birds About Us. Earl
. The birds about us . er, be itbeetle or butterfly. . * When in pursuit of food the owls perch on a small branch nearthe ground, sit bolt upright in an indolent, drowsy manner until theirquick eye detects an insect moving on the plain; then they pouncesuddenly upon it, hold it down with their small but powerful claws,and with their sharp beaks tear the captive to pieces. . Hungersatiated, they return to their tree, and, cuddling lovingly together, sitand doze away their time, protected from the blazing rays of themid-day sun by the foliage of the sturdy oak. . 16* 186 The Birds About Us. Early in May two small eggs were laid,—a large knot-hole in thebranch of the oak being selected as the nesting-place. . The Indians, without exception, hold this little owl in terribledread. To see one in the day or to hear its feeble cry, not unlike astifled scream, is a fatal omen to brave or squaw ; the hearer or nearrelative is sure to die ere the end of the moon. To kill one is anunpardonable WILD TURKEY. Game-Birds and Pigeons. 187 CHAPTER IX. GAME-BIRDS AND PIGEONS. BY Game-birds is meant those that are popu-larly known as Grouse, Quails, Partridges, Ptar-migan, and the Wild Turkey. Of these so-calledgallinaceous birds we have a considerable variety,and but for the greed of sportsmen, want of con-science of pot-shooters, and asininity of legislators,would have scattered over the whole country a vastlygreater number of individual birds; for we hear thecry of late from every quarter, Game is gettingscarce. Nevertheless, everybody chases the lastbird to death, saying, If I didnt, some one elsewould. In the extreme South and Southwest there are afew doves and pigeons peculiar to those regions; butin the United States generally there are but the WildPigeon and Turtle-dove, and the former is prettynearly blotted out of existence. The common Eastern Quail, or Bob-white, is to alla familiar bird. It probably has not a single habitnot thoroughly well known. It is a residen
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1895
