NOTES BY THE WAY. 185 



hollow trunk and was waiting for the darkness to 

 deepen before venturing forth. I was first advised 

 of his presence by seeing him approaching swiftly on 

 silent, level wing. The shrike did not see him till 



' O 



the owl was almost within the branches. He then 

 dropped his game, which proved to be a part of a 

 shrew-mouse, and darted back into the thick cover, 

 uttering a loud, discordant squawk, as one would say y 

 " Scat ! scat ! scat ! " The owl alighted, and was, 

 perhaps, looking about him for the shrike's impaled 

 game, when I drew near. On seeing me he reversed 

 his movement precipitately, flew straight back to the 

 old tree, and alighted in the entrance to the cavity. 

 As I approached, he did not so much seem to move 

 as to diminish in size, like an object dwindling in the 

 distance; he depressed his plumage, and, with his eye 

 fixed upon me, began slowly to back and sidle into 

 his retreat till he faded from my sight. The shrike 

 wiped his beak upon the branches, cast an eye down 

 at me and at his lost mouse, and then flew away. He 

 was a remarkably fine specimen, his breast and un- 

 der parts as white as snow, and his coat of black 

 and ashen gray appearing very bright and fresh. A 

 few nights afterward, as I passed that way, I saw 

 rhe little owl again sitting in his door-way, waiting 

 *or the twilight to deepen, and undisturbed by the 

 passers-by ; but when I paused to observe him, he 

 law that he was discovered and he slunk back into 

 ois den as on the former occasion. 



