STARED OFF IN SUCH AN INTERESTED AND SPIRITED ATTITUDE 



CHAPTER XVII 



ADVENTURES WITH GREAT HORNED OWLS 



C>, '^vheii the night falls, and roosts the fo^wl, 

 Then, then is the reign of the horned owl. 



Cornwall. 



I AM free to confess that no other bird gives me the same 

 thrill of ecstasy as the Great Horned Owl in its native 

 forests. Savage and destructive though it is, there is 

 a majestv in the appearance and character of the splendid 

 creature which compels admiration. Owing to its intractable 

 wildness and secluded haunts, there is no bird more difficult 

 to observe and know. Hardy above all our birds, it makes 

 or selects a great nest in the most inaccessible woodland 



