HAWKS AND OWLS. 35 
rather than reflect it to the eye. The second is that, 
in order to see any given object, the eye is only con- 
cerned with those rays of light which proceed directly 
from that object to itself; in other words, the object, 
and not the eye, must be illuminated. Light arriving 
from any other quarter serves merely to dazzle, a 
fact abundantly proved by our instinctive habit of 
shielding our eyes from a bright sun when gazing 
intently at a distant object. A telescope, again, shuts 
off all rays save those proceeding directly to the eye 
from the object upon which it is directed, thus 
greatly relieving the optic nerve by freeing it from 
the strain which would otherwise be so painfully felt. 
The true object of the feathery disc appears to be 
that of a natural ‘‘splay-window,” enlarging the field 
of vision, and enabling the bird to command a large 
area of ground without obliging it to alter its 
position; and this is very necessary when we consider 
the voracious appetite of owls and their young, and 
the small size of the creatures upon which they chiefly 
feed. 
The hawk-like character of the owls is sufficiently 
shown by the size and strength of their formidable 
talons, the first grip of which generally causes the 
immediate death of their captive. Contrary to popu- 
lar belief, no “stroke” is voluntarily delivered by 
these birds. The claws, indeed, are self-acting, the 
muscles being so formed that the mere weight of the 
body rapidly descending from a height causes the 
feet forcibly to contract upon the victim. The talons 
are thus automatically driven into the body of the 
