48 Bird - Lore
The female was at home on this occasion and made a line display
of temper.
There was no semblance of a nest other than the rotten wood and some rubbish. made up largely of broken pellets and a few feathers, the former revealing the bones and hair of meadownnice. The young at this date. May H. had not opened their eyes.
mm mm. Him '1' FIVE “thki um)
About three weeks later, May 30, another visit found only three young Owls at home. Two of these. as shown in the accompanying photograph. were much larger than the omen—doubtless due to the interval in hatthing.
Their e)es were open, and they made a loud, hissing noise when disturbed. but gave no sign of fear or anger at this age.
They were entirely covered with a yellowish down. and had more the appearance of young Vultures than Owls. owing to the great appar- ent length of head and heak.
My next and last visit to the nest was made June [4, and in the in- terim the young Owls—now only two in number—had made much progress toward maturity. The facial disks were well formed. and the wing- and tail-feathers had begun to appear. although they still retained their downy Coats. ln disposition the change they had made was equally
