The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-05-11

SlTlI efNl. these maligned lit
lie creatures do the
\ II farmer good sery-
~ ice. The hoopOo.
or pewit. for example. doti much more
good than harm. This extremely timld
bird lives In bushes. looking for ants
and beetles. He derives his name from
his superb topknot OF twenty-slx red
feathers. which arc fringed with black
The flth OF the hoopoo's nest Is pro-
verbal. and yet the bird can hardly be
blamed. The nest is built In a deep
hole-so deep that Il Is impossible TO
remove the accumulated dirt Another
PECULIARLY OF this bird Is that he doos
his best TO escape notice. lie has no
song and only barely utters a cry re-
sembllng that OF a grOssbeak The
tlchodrome that haunts our walls lives
In summer on the high mountains and
only comes down 10 us In winter. He
Is a very gentle bird and one can get
very near to him. SIN he has q whole
some dread OF q gun and files far on
az the approach Of a hunter. Now for
the night birds. the birds Of blood and
carnage 10 dear TO the story writer's.
Who does not remember the hooting Of
the owls and the picturesque part
played by them In the story Of the
wars Of the Chouans? Victor Hugo.
I.amartlno. Balzac. Fonimoro Cooper
have a tender regard for this bird.
Most OF the screcch owls come 20 as
from the most northerly countries OF
Europe. their fayorlte food being Nor
wcglan wood mice. When the screcch
owl has trayersod this country. SAYS
Townsend. he quite naturally. since he
has become eager for the quarry. goei
|a-hunting for wood mice. first In Den
mark and then successfully In Han
over. Prussia and France. Hunters se,
such scrocch owls often 10 heath ant
vineyards. especially In Artois. Bcauc'
and Champagne. All honor to this owl
the great destroyer Of wood mice an'
aeld mice! The sparrow owl makes
nest In old tree trunks. In ruins and u
abandoned Qaurrics. which are YER
common IN the west This Is the "a
yorlto bird Of Breton legends. III
silent flight causes much fright u
these countries; voc 10 him who's
checks are touched by his ominou
wings The bird lives on raw nesl
Geld mice. rats and small birds. Thu
In one sense. the sparrow owl Is do
s,royer-nay. a cannlbal-but on N
whole he may fairly be classcd anon
those birds who preserve more tia
they destroy and who therefore d
serves our protection. The barn on
the white owl OF belirlcs and churel
yards. is Of an nocturnal birds the OF
which fears mos, the light Of the SOL
lie squats ai the bottom OF hole, 40
viii let himself be killed rather thl
be tempted to leave his dark hldif
Mace. Yet be ls a migratory bird. ~
,pe Of the boldcst being found In q
attitudes. The owl known 40 the Lit
Duke Is distinguished from the cor
- mon owl by the smallness Of his bod
which Is scarcely larger than that
= thrush. and By the short horns oy'
Ton his ears. A very handsome bi
! ne il. his plumage being harmonic
!. blending Of gray. red. brown and bla'
= He leaves us when the swallows lea
= us and comes back to us almost
. the same time. Button advises far
a ers TO protect this bird. HE does gr'
!. good !" says the eminent naturalist,
!. a destroyer OF field mice, which prof
!, eat. 30 fast that In a few days n
- deyour all the seed and all the you
"a plants Al times when these m
- have been especially numerous Of
"a hRy, come and quickly got rid
A them"
- The color OF these birds varies
~ eordlng 10 their age their sex and
n climate. In youth they are gray {
- when fully grown are brown. IN
~ eve, too. are Of the same color as u
ys plumage. The owl, which. accord
h, 10 paran Greece Is Mlncrya's bird.
Ia ite mos, birds OF this class, very G.
~ less about constructing nest
~ deed he Is satisfied with an ahando
u. most. and often takes one that belon
-. an n mnrple-lor every one knows
The magpic iorgakcs hts nest e,
wear IN order TO build a now one.
a rule the owl lays four or five e
- ulrie Of this class are not affected
an cold weather and DO not suffer at
vac during the winter Ordinary owls
." sereech owls are often used 20 att
uo binds into nets. Button noticed
MI large birds come more willingly az
y. cal OF the ordinary owl, which
OF p, sort Of plalntlye cry or a deep and
ue iongcd wall. whereas, on The oon'r
uly little birds come In greater numhe
~ ~ the call Of the screceh owl which
w high voice That all the birds he
~ referred TO. and an others which
~ of manifest service 90 mankind, sh
'H'' be- protected Is evident Some OF
uu may be dcpredators and may seer
"a times uncanny visitors. but Their
'1' ample evidence that they rld %
anu much undesirable ycrmin, and the
~ vition OF those who have studied
~ habits and who consequently
' you, the best right to speak on the sal
Jug Is that they are far more entitle
20 be- considered henciactorE than
! uu -.--.--.- MN InLLlnnl