The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-02-09
Foster the scrssoh-owls.
From the Lancaster Inquirer.


screech-owl, the little fellow that pro-
duces the mournful lugubrious notes 50
frequently heard near our dwellings
during iwilight's reign. Ovid says:
"Screech Owls they're called because with
dismal cry.
In darkling night from place to place
they fy."
The notes are not "portents weird, +"
as Virgil makes them, for the "Unhap-
py Queen of Carthage" for with all
their seeming weirdness and solemnity
they are only the curious loyenotes of
the owl and are uttered only by the
male bird. The notes are heard main
ly from February to May though used
occasionally as call notes during the
rest of the year. The notes form one Of
natures harmonies; they are so in keep
ing with the night and its shadows.
There are two phases of coloratiOn in
this species, the red and the gray. Many
people think them different varieties or
species but have taken both phases
from the same nest and find the dis
tinetion begins with the first plumage
Wilson aud all the older ornithologists,
Of course, described them as distinct
species, or regarded the gray phase as
the final pIumage assumed by the fully
developed bird. He grew gray with
age to them.
With advancing knowledge it is be-
ing demonstrated that many raptorial
birds exhibit two phases, one a type
coloration and the other black or mel
anistic variation from the type. Each
Of these may be the inhabitant of GER
tain kind of physical region, and per-
haps the gray phase Ofscreeeh owls has
been product OF the forests Of Amer
lea.
The plumage, like that Of all owls
and night-fiying birds, is soft and fluff
fy, with the outer edges Of the quills
soft and downy. This gives the bird
the power of noiseless flight, and,
therefore, enables them to obtain their
prey without giving alarm.
AS they obtain their food only at
night, they must secure a large supply
in short period to furnish nutriment
for the twelve or fifteen hours of day
light. This is especially true when a
family of four young owls are being
reared.
The nest of this owl is usually placed
in a hollow tree trunk, or limb. A
careful search would reveal an OWLS
nest OF two in nearly every orchard,
where they have been perhaps for
years, for an owl in its habits is the
very persOnification of conservatism.
No attempt is commonly made to con-
struct nest, the eggs being laid on the
dead wood at the bottom Of the natural
cavity OF in the abandoned excavation
of a flicker. -Four eggs are laid early
in spring, the shape of which is nearly
that of a slightly probate spheroid.
Let Us now consider the economical
side of the question.
1t is the opinion of nearly every one
that owls are destructive, and this
Judgment is without doubt well ground
ed, for their whole organization shows
wonderful adaptions for destroying
life. But when people say they are in
imical to the interests of the farmer
and pOul.rier the question assumes a
very different aspect.
We are all prone to make inductions
from too few f6cts. Nothing in reas-
oning exemplifies this better than in
common inductions as to owls. An
owl has taken and eaten some of the
poultry we intended for ourselves aud
therefore man must destroy all owls.
We do not stop to investigate the food
habits of the birds throughout the
year, but from one case and probably
from the actions of one species, con-
denim all. There can be no justifiea-
ton of such action, for fairness would
demand weighing evidence on both
sides of the question and then render
ing decision for or against the spe-
cies.
Now let US produce the facts:
/. Two screech owls during the
winter of 1886, inhabiting a hollow ap-
pie tree within thirty yards Of an open
hen roost, never disturbed a chicken or
guinea, and when they were shot and
brought to me, examination of their
stomacEs showed their food habits to
be to our benefit. Their stomaehs were
filed with beetles that bore out the life
of our forest and shade trees.
.. During the winter of 1855. four
specimens found in hollow snag were
taken out one at time on four eonsec-
utive Saturday mornings aud though
within forty feet of poultry yard and
house, had never disturbed the poultry.
Upon examination, their stomachs
were found filled with mice and in
sects. In every case their stOmachs
were crammed With their prey.
8. In the spring of 1888 1 took the
mummy of one Of these owls from a
house sparrow box. The elected pei
let contained the bones of some bird,
and therefore the presumption would
be that the owl had gone in pursuit Of
its prey into the box and that the prey
was n snarroW. Beinp unable to get
out again the owl perished from star
vation.
4. During the winter Of 1892 many
of these little owls were brought to me
by the boys of the village. In every in
stance made careful examinations of
their stomach contents and always
found insects or mice and an occasional
sparrow among their food.
5. On the night of January %, 1885,
during driving sleet storm lasting the
entire night, one would have thought
the securing of mice as prey almost i'm
possible, yet an owl taken about 8 a. m.
had three mice in its stomach.
5. A farmer living near the village
raises great many grapes and these
are injured to considerable extent by
the sparrows. He tells me that screech
owls do him a great benefit by destroy
ing the sparrows. In consequence he
endeavors to foster the owls. providing
them with suitable retreats and breed