42 THE GREAT HORNED OWL. 



listen to the voiee of the Owl, and even contemplate its 

 physiognomy with feelings of disgust, and a kind of fearful 

 awe. The priests, or conjurers, among some of our Indian 

 nations, have taken advantage of the reverential horror foi 

 this bird, and have adopted the Great Homed Owl, the 

 subject of the present account, as the symbol or emblem of 

 their office. 



" Among the Creeks," says Mr. Bartram, in his TraveU, 

 p. 504, " the junior priests, or students, constantly wear a 

 white mantle, and have a Great Owl skin cased and stuffed 

 very ingeniously, so well executed as almost to appear like 

 the living bird, having large, sparkling glass beads or 

 buttons, fixed in the head for eyes. This insignia of wis- 

 dom and divination they wear sometimes as a crest on the 

 top of the head ; at other times the image sits on the arm, 

 or is borne on the hand. These bachelors are also distin- 

 guished fi-om the other people by their taciturnity, grave 

 and solemn countenance, dignified step, and singing to 

 themselves songs or hymns in a low, sweet voice, as they 

 stroll about the town." 



Nothing is a more efi'ectual cure for superstition than a 

 knowledge of the general laws and productions of nature ; 

 nor more forcibly leads our reflections to the first, great, 

 self-existent Cause of all, to whom our reverential awe is 

 then humbly devoted, and not to any of his dependent 

 ereatures. With all the gloomy habits and ungracious 

 tones of the Owl, there is nothing in this bird supematonJ 



