Evening star., 1946-11-13
This and That
By Charles 3. Tracepeu.

ar. -. oAkWooD STREET 81
4 wonder L Won can ide1fssg I sound
We heard last night outside % bedroom
It had four short notes and one lore,
Could it have been an owl? They were
low, Wierd sounds. We were unable 70
see It with q fash HIGHT
Thank you for & very. ENJOYABLE
coiurnn Sincerely. G. C. G."
~ ~
This bird probably was the ereat
horned owl, a resident of the District
OF Columbia.
Tiger Of the air." 1t has been called.
This Is because Of its habits Of eating
partr1dges. young turkeys, woodchucks,
even skunks.
7 Dining on q skunk is not altogether
family affair. The big owl-he e .
feet long, with wing spread Of about
% inches fortunately doesn't mind
wnat happens to himl. He goes right
ahead eating.
He kills and devours woodchucks. song
birds and rabbits.
II he finds a plentiful food much to
ms liking, he may develop the oueer
habit OF eating only its brains.
All TINS makes him likely to come
back again and again to farmvard
where he usually ends his career u;tl,
q bullet through him. "-'--
Yet ne Is q marvellous creature. and
ne H not too plentiful, so that IL seems
killed. 10e NC
The great horned owl has one Of the
most characteristic hOCts of anv ~ NC
family. = AA's
4 has . cry while on the prowl that
resembles series Of yelps, perhaps even
Iemlnolng one Of Q dog yelping. These
sounds sometimes end with sound 81
CATS meow, 80 that If household has
feline pet, the members NAV think
nearing an owl, that the animal has
been seized. A-a'
Inere Is not much chance Of an owl
catcning q house cat, although it has
peen cone. The flight of the bird js
ansoiuteiy silent, only the final swish
o. the wings being heard as it strikes.
ine great horned owl is also called
tne virginia owl, the cat owl, and the
virginia horned owl. The ear tufts arr
inches long, and with large ewes.
90 give the bird catlike expression
Wnen tnis appearance Is combined wifi,
tne feline squall, 1t is no wonder That
sometimes tn the deep country Il e
called the cat owl. In addition to these
cnaractistics, the silent flight adds Ia
the catlike traits.
his bird often deposits its err IN
the winter. Note the singular: the
great horned owl mostly deposits one
egg, and then waits awhile before Law
Ing another.
In cases Of winter sitting the o,,,,
has been known to brood while snnr,
lay over the nest. The denositinc go ~
eggs at intervals has been held hv so,,,a
observers to show the wisdom ~ this
pig owl. It is claimed that by SO do
ing, tne Matched owl is able to watch
over the unmatched egg. But since the
nedging Is more or less helpless. this
Iatner doubtful Other observers
IaA TO see any deliberate intelligent
planning IN all this. They say it means
notmng at all-which 1t probably
The bird has another unusual habit
~ olten tears out the nest, as soon IS
tne young birds can stand easily III the
Iork o. the tree. All this, Of course, il,
case the nest was placed In such q
position. The idea seems to Be that
the nest. on account Of its bulk. is con-
spicuous. whereas the barred bodies 81
the young blend In with the limbs of
the tree. Whether this is, however. 4
real instance Of deliberate planning
is another matter.
Photographs of the great horned owl
on such nest, with only the head
above. show how very catlike the bird
IS In appearance.
The cry usually given as soot-too-hoo,
hoo-hoop At distance, it seems COM
posed Of four notes, two long, followed
BY two short notes. There probably Is
no more uncanny sound In nature.