BIRDS OF PREY AND OWLS 



8s 



hunt down and kill birds larger than themselves. 



UVVLS. 



Fi-:\v birds have been more misrepresented in 

 literature than the Owls. For centuries they have 

 been depicted as birds of ill omen, and accused of 

 all kinds of diabolical practices. Shakespeare, for 

 example, repeatedly makes the owl do duty for 

 some evil sign, or fulfil some dire purpose. Thus 

 in Macbeth, Act II., Scene ii.. 



It was the owl that shriek'd. the fatal bellman, 

 Which gives the stern'st good-niglit. 



.\nd later on, in Act IV., it is an owl's wing which 

 he makes the w-itches add to their caldron of noi- 

 some things, when brewing their deadly potion. 

 In Spain the scops and tawny owls are believed to 

 be devil's birds, and are accused of drinking the 

 oil from the lamps suspended before the shrines 

 of saints. The gamekeeper nails their bodies up 

 on the barn door as oftenders of the worst type, 

 whilst the Malagasy believe owls to be the embodi- 

 ments of evil spirits. 





TAWNY OWL 



One cf iht commoner Brhhh oivh 



Ph,i. h C. K. fl/jir„,„,-] \_Smyr, 



EAGLE-OWL 



One of (he largest oivls 



It is therefore a relief to find this unwarrantable 

 prejudice is not absolute!}' universal, since amongst 

 some jieople, at least, the owl has found some favour. 

 The best-knovv-n instance of this is the case of the 

 ( ireeks, who made the owl the symbol of wisdom, and 

 chose as an emblem, sin^^ularlv enough, the species 

 known as the Little Owl, a bird which is notorious for 

 its ludicrous behaviour, so much so that it has earned 

 for itself the reputation of being the veritable buffoon 

 of birds. Its grotesque and ridicttlous antics are 

 utilised by Continental bird-catchers, who use it as a 

 lure to attract small birds, tethering it for this pur- 

 ])ose near nets, snares, or twigs smeared with bird-lime. 



Aiuongst other birds, strangely enough, the owl 

 appears to be as luuch disliked as the fiercer and more 

 dangerous members of the Hawk Tribe, and in con- 

 sequence, should one venture abroad during the day 

 or be discovered in its retreat, the alarm is given, and 

 every small bird within call is suiumoned to take part 

 in a general mobbing. 



Although proverbially unpalatable, the Little Owl 



