OWLS. 



Owls must be classed amongst the rapacious birds, 

 and much as they are disliked by all the Hawk tribe, 

 there are many points of resemblance between them. 

 Their beaks and claws are much of the same make, 

 and their eyes are as bright, though much larger and 

 fuller. There are Eagle Owls and Hawk Owls, so 

 called for their resemblance to these birds, who fly by 

 day as well as night, and are equally destructive to 

 game. The night-flying Owls are wonderfully clear- 

 sighted and acute of hearing, and their wings are pro- 

 vided with feathers so soft and pliant as to make no 

 noise in striking the air, so that they can fly quietly 

 along in the silence of night. They feed chiefly on 

 mice, and small reptiles, and insects, and are very 

 useful birds on account of their wholesale destruction 

 of vermin. They are accused of robbing pigeon- 

 houses and dove-cotes, and no doubt they will carry 

 off pigeons and other small birds, if they can find no 

 other food ; but Mr. Waterton and other close ob- 

 servers of Owls assert that they often frequent pigeon- 



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