X 



OWLS 



IT is the misiortime of owls thai they are uni- 

 versally unpopular. They are heartily detested 

 b\" ilieir fellow-birds, who never miss an 

 oppor:;uiity of mobbing them. They are looked 

 upon with superstitious dread by the more ignorant 

 classes all the world over. Jews and Gentiles, Chris- 

 :-;.:-.s ar.d !v:..:l-.::-.s. ahke hate them. Owls are thought 

 i: l\ ■ c:..:"a " .vds," "foul precursors of the liend," 

 "birds wh::-: V :a:h brings sickness, and whose note 

 is death." deatlis dreadful messengers, Satan's chap- 

 ■^ .'5.v\v ::v: d:\-rs paultr\-. Poets join \^-ith the \-iilgar 

 /.".'< v:. sh;v.Y::n^ abusive epithets upon them. 

 Owls are gibbering, moping, didl. ghastly, gloomy, 

 ::;■:■" ;:-ael. fatal, dire. foul. balefrJ. boding, grim, 

 siu^cu '. .:af, bii'ds of mean degree and e\'il omen. 

 The na:a::.^-^: is. however, above the \-iLlgar and ill- 

 fo vjided prejudice against the " sailing pirates of the 

 night." To him. owls are birds of peculiar fascinarion 

 and s^-.T^assiiig interest. They are of peculiar fascina- 

 ::::: : : . r: ..: r ::. d comparatively little about 

 their habits. We day folk have but a slender know- 

 ledge of the hves oi the creatures of the night. To 



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