Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-09-09
Jopkiilsuillr Aentnfkia,l.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1890
HUNTING WIN owls.
A NaturaIIst's story OF Two Birds Called
Fludy and Puny.

A NnturaIist's story of Two Birds Called
flufy and Pufy.
Mr.. Frank Bolles contributes to the
AUX very entertaining story of two
barred owls, Fluffy and Puffy, which ha
took from the nest and brought up in
captivity. Soon after their capture
Puffy, accidentally injured one OF his
wings and was mover afterward able to
sy. Contrary to their owners expecta-
tions 1t soon appeared that they could
not only see we'll in the strongest sun
light, but could not see at all in the
dark.
While watching ssy thing which IN
terests them they throw their heads far
forward and then swing them about
like signal lanterns, or wave them
back and forth and up and down, as II
seeking the clearest avenue OF vision
This trick, Mr. Bolles thinks, Is prob
ably due to their ancestors habit OF
peering through thick branches In
search Of prey.
Puffy. the injurad bird, 10 quite will
Ing to ba asrrlad about pcrched on 9
short stick, spd Nv, HOLES has found
him . really vslusbls ssslstanea ip bis
thologlesl stpalsh He hss aRly 70
taks ppAy out with him. and sfers
bird IN ths wnoas GENES Resr 70 ieea
! A and issv "a tts hsrsal.ars eneMy,
llAl hrsLN hp segs 'lt pAs hBs essH 70
! indusB baRs 10 lesge Nj taSs aaa ael
UotipaAy NE, but aftef I les lessShs hS
eoiseAted to step from his perth hpoii
tho shoft pife stick on which l used u
carry him, and 10 rehaih clingihg I'd IL
while I walked or ran, scrambied btet
lodges, 8r forced my way through thick
cts and brambles
In the woods Ii held him too neal
tempting log OF projecting branch he
would hop of. Sometimes he would
weary Of my walking, and. jumping t.
the ground, would scurry away to covel
and snap his beak angrily II ] polSet
his perch in toward him and told Linn t
get on AS the summer wore on, h'
grew more and more obedient and les
inclined to nip my fingers on the sly a
I he had way OF doing when first car
ried him about
"Sometimes would leave the owl II
comparatively opon ground on bowl
der in pasture. or stump in
meadow. Then his favorite position
! was with his head tipped directly back
ward and his eyes, half closed, fixe
either on the sun or spot not ten dc
grees from it
Il never could fully understand thi
= attitude, but | sool found that the ow
was kecnly alive to any thing passin
skyward. for IL hawk or q crow cam
into view far away in the deep blue
y Puffy's gaze was instantly turned fnI
" upon the growing speck, the eyelid
partly closed and most intent loo
coming into his eyes.
again and again Puffy has SOC
rth hawks or gulis overhead which my eye
yr. although unusually far-sighted, have
- first been unable to discern. On oil
Jr. eyentful day he showed me three hn
dred and thirty-four hawks sailir
outhwest under the pressure of sti
northeast gale. 1t was September ]
|O one Of the days when fires were ragir
among the forests along the St job
river.
The hawks were most OF them ilyiI
~. very high. think Puffy saw every o.
Of them. 1t mattcred not whether tn
}. came siugly or in punches of twenty
. forty, his ever-rcady eye was upon tht
JG as som as they came into view"