SOME EXOTIC OWLS 



"An owl is an owl all the world over," said the 

 late Charles Waterton ; and certainly the illustra- 

 tions accompanying this chapter are convincing 

 proof of the correctness of his statement. They 

 nevertheless show at the same time that there is a 

 great deal of diversity underlying the similarity, 

 and it is very possibly this difference of feature — if 

 one may be allowed the expression — which makes 

 people visiting the Zoological Gardens linger 

 longer before the owls than before the hawks 

 and eagles. Take, for example, the two most 

 popular of all, Pel's fish-owl {Scotopelia pelt) and 

 the milky eagle-owl (Biibo lacteus), which used to 

 be chummed together in one of the large apart- 

 ments of the owls' residence on the north side of 

 the gardens. The milky one is the largest owl 

 in the gardens, and the most dignified ; the sober 

 mottled grey of her plumage, and the majestic 

 calm of her countenance, give her a truly episcopal 

 appearance, and make it difficult to believe that in 

 her native home in South Africa she is addicted 

 to robbing hen-roosts — one would as soon suspect 

 the Pope of picking pockets ! But all these eagle- 

 owls are veritable terrors of the night, and at 



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