Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-11-18

born without eyes. At night he can
see farther and hear better than any
other bird or animal that lives. If
man had the sight of an owl at night
he would have no need Of gas or cleo.
tricity. The finest print could be read
anywhere at midnight.
This owl had a habit twas Ill,
And his wife she protested until
She saw twas in vain
To say 1t again
And get a new peck from his bill.
Naturalists have asked each other
the question, "Why does an owl boot
at night?' but none of them can find
a sensible answer AS long as night
is the time when he searches for his
food. why make Il noise and drive him
away? Every bird on its perch hears
that boot to realize the danger So do
the rabbits and field mice and frogs.
An owl may boot to call his mate, but
why should he call when he knows
she can find her way back to the nest
without trouble? The lion roars as
night comes on, but that is to tell all
other animals that he is big Injun and
that he can hunt them out, no matter
where they fee, but an owl hasn't that
vanity. French naturalist says that
it is because he is in love with his
own voice, the same as most public
speakers, and we may let it so at that.
He'd a voice like a horn in a fog.
And he'd below away like frog.
He'd boot half the night
And give folks fright
And keep the old farmer agog
On still night an OWLS boot can
be heard two miles. If a man had a
voice in comparison he could speak to
another twenty-five miles distant and
cut down the profits of the telephone
companies. The owl has no songs.
When he gets ready to boot he just
gets a good brace with his feet, throws
his head back and lets her go and
hangs on to the 100000" as long as
possible. The appetite of the owl has
wide range. He preys on every sort
of bird, rats. rabbits. mice, chickens,
grubs, frogs. fish crabs. birds and
hens eggs. He cant break into a hen
coop, like Il fox or coon. but woe to
the hen that's left outside after sun
down He has been known to carry
off a rooster weighing five pounds.
However, let's get back to the boot:
"Your boot it will give you away"
His wife she often would say
"They will come with a gun,
And you will be done
And you won't be hooting so gay"
1t was very sensible advice the old
lady gave him, but like many another
husband he thought he knew it all and
couldn't be told anything. He didn't
seem to realize nor care that every
time his boot was heard Uncle Reuben
would sit up in bed and eXclaim to his
wife: by gosh. but that old hooter
! is around after more chickens. I'm
a-going to blow his old head off If 1t
| takes my last cent for POWDER"
II will boot till they hear me a mile.
! will boot the long night to beguile.
I'm the bird with a boot
And another to boot.
And l see but hunter to SMILE"
The only wild animal that preys on
the owl is the fox. and he seldom finds
the old bird on the ground and off his
guard. When he does and the owl
has a chance. there is sure to be a
good fight. A Canadian naturalist saw
a fight between an owl and a fox in
which reynard was so used up that
he backed out and was captured by
the man. lie had lost one eye and
received a dozen bad wounds. In the
New York zoo few years ago an owl
struck the hand Of an attendant with