116 TWENTIETH CENTURY CLASSICS 



hunger, seldom venture out until the little day birds, that 

 annoy them greatly, have retired to their roosts. At twi- 

 light and on moonlight nights they are the most active, fly- 

 ing noiselessly and with ease through the timber and over 

 the open ground in search of rabbits, mice, and other small 

 quadrupeds that feed and run about at night, doing great 

 damage to the farmer in his fields. It is, therefore, one of 

 our most beneficial birds, and not injurious, except to the 

 owners of fowls that are either too lazy, or not thoughtful 

 enough, to house them at night. 



In olden times the Owls, on account of their rounded 

 heads, large bright eyes, and stately mien, were selected 

 by the philosophers as emblems of wisdom; but their 

 gloomy habits and night wanderings impressed the super- 

 stitious with the thought that they were the embodiment 

 of evil spirits, and their hoots that broke the stillness of 

 night struck terror to their hearts, as well as to the awak- 

 ened birds upon the perch, and their voice was supposed 

 to bode no good, and their silent visits the forerunner of 

 death. But of late years, as we come to know their ways 

 and habits better, we more properly associate them with 

 the feline race emblems of desolation ; and this powerful 

 bird may well be called the tiger among birds. Its loud, 

 guttural, " Whaugh, ho, hoo, hoo," is not only a note of 

 love, but one of defiance. The birds are, however, very 

 attentive parents, both assisting in hatching and rearing 

 their young. The female (as is the case with nearly all 

 birds of prey) is the larger bird, in order to protect the 

 family in case of a quarrel with her mate, and from his 

 too aggressive advances. 



It nests in natural cavities of trees, deserted nests of 



