Pattye Endicott, age 12, Louisville, Ky., for her question:

How do birds hear?

You do not hear with those shell‑like ears on the sides of your head. They are merely your outer ears, The real job of hearing is done by the inner ears which. are safely buried in the bones inside your head, The: outer ears merely catch and direct the sounds inside to the inner ears. You could hear quite well without them,

Birds have no outer ears. Even the pussycat ear tufts of the owl are not re ally ears. However, birds do have inner ears, very good ones. Like your inner oars, they are buried in the bones of the skull. Instead of outer ears, the bird has a tiny hole on each side of his head. These holes carry sounds to the inner ears on each side. You cannot see them on a bird's head because they arc covered with a layer of skin and a few loose feathers.