76 ASNAPPER. 



very exhausted condition. It appeared to be only 

 a few weeks old, fully feathered, but unable to feed 

 itself; I suppose it had fallen out of the nest and 

 was dying for lack of food. I need hardly say I 

 carried it indoors, and did my best to feed and 

 restore the poor orphan, and right well did he 

 second my efforts. A juicy uncooked mutton chop 

 was cut up and mixed with feathers, and with 

 resounding snaps of his great beak the morsels 

 were received and swallowed. A second chop was 

 disposed of before my friend seemed satisfied, and 

 with such a mighty appetite I felt there would be 

 no difficulty in rearing this vigorous infant. Next 

 morning I found two sparrows and a mouse had 

 been obtained. These soon disappeared, and had 

 to be supplemented by a piece of raw meat. 

 And if this is the daily diet of a very young 

 owl, we may form some idea of the way in which 

 full-grown birds must reduce the hordes of mice 

 and rats which would otherwise overrun the 

 country. 



Whenever we passed the owl's cage he gave a 

 resounding snap with his beak, not viciously but 

 as a friendly recognition, and somehow this habit 



