Ornithological and Other Oddities 



not feel called upon to resent intrusion. Piscator, 

 however, was not content with being left alone ; 

 he proceeded to insult his reverend companion. 

 With erected wings he stepped along the perch 

 to where his companion sat with her usual air of 

 serene contemplation, and let off in her face a few 

 yells which for dreary unpleasantness might bear 

 away the palm from any of Grimalkin's perform- 

 ances. These insolences were received by his 

 companion with absolute calm, and not until the 

 unmannerly fisher thrust his nose almost into her 

 face did she, without any show of temper, peck 

 him gently but firmly on it. Subsequent attempts 

 on Piscator's part had not any better success, so 

 he resigned himself to sitting at the opposite end 

 of the perch. This frigid state of affairs lasted 

 some time, but latterly the fish-owl was oftener 

 seen nearer the other ; he had ceased to insult, and 

 possibly wished to scrape acquaintance, but the 

 milky one still remained impassive. She was not 

 the owl to give away her heart lightly. 



Meanwhile Piscator extracted a certain amount 

 of amusement out of the public by giving vent to 

 an occasional howl, just when they had ceased 

 looking at him, and making them wonder who was 

 responsible for it. Possibly he wanted to get the 

 Bishop credited with caterwauling ; but, if so, he 

 must have been disappointed, as, even if he re- 

 frained from repeating the offence himself, he 



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