Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1904 — A "Monky Faced” Bird. [ARTICLE]

A "Monky Faced” Bird.

A bird was brought to town Saturday of a species so odd and unusual in appearance, that in places where they are not well known they always fill beholders with astonishment, and set them to wondering what kind of a “critter” they are, anyhow. And usually when one of them is brought into any Indiana town, some one rushes a dispatch to the city papers about the wonderful and unheard of bird with a face like a monkey, that has been captured or killed . (t triti, tie y are rare enough birds in northern Indiana, having been practically unknown here a bouts until about 25 or 30 years ago; but they are Common in many places east, and their rightful name is the barn owl, though some very small owls are sometimes called I y that name also, Tney are about half way in size between the little screech owls and the big horned fellows. They have a ring of feathers around the face which discounts the "lace curtains” Uncle Horace Greeley used to wear, in their palmist days, and which make their faces look very much like a monkey’s. Butin spite of thfir odd appearance, the colors and richness and softness of their feathers make them very beautiful birds and the handsomest of the owl species. This particular specimen was caught by Jim Cox, in his barn up about Parr. Its mate was with it, but it flew against and broke a window and escaped. Jim gave it to his nephew Will MoColly, who has hired Charley Spriggs to stuff it for him.

According to Amos W. Butler, one of Indiana’s greatest bird authorities these owls live almost exclusively on house and qidadow mice, moles, and other like injurious animals, and only on very rare festal occasions do they treat themselves to a poultry dinner. Hence they do much more giod than harm and should be spared accordingly. Aud this same remark applies to nearly all other kinds of owls, except an occasional individual of the big horned species; and also to nearly all hawks, except the one usually called the chicken hawk, And this almost universal practice by every man or boy that gets loose with a gun, of banging away at every hawk or owl, and every other large or unusual bird he sees, is all wrong, should be totally suppressed. In truth, practically all birds exoept birds of prey should at all times be protected by law and public opinion, and birds of prey killed only by people who are well enough informed to know which are beneficial and wnich injurious. Moreover, we believe the time has come when the greatest good of the greatest number should forever forbid the killing of those great weed seed, and insect eaters, prairie chickens and quails.