124 THE BROWN OWL. CHAP. vn. 



their highest notes, they became hushed in an instant. 

 I was amazed at this, and began to wonder at the 

 sudden termination of the concert. But, looking 

 about, I observed a Brown Owl drop down, with the 

 silence of death, on to the top of a low dyke close by 

 the orchestra. 



*' He sat there for nearly half an hour, during which 

 there was perfect silence. The owl himself remained 

 quite motionless, for I watched him all the time. 

 Then I saw the owl give a hitch, and move his head a 

 little to one side. He instantly darted down amongst 

 the grass and rushes, after which he rose with some- 

 thing dangling from his claws. It was a frog : I saw 

 it quite distinctly. He flew up to a tree behind the 

 one against which I was leaning. I turned round a 

 little, and looked up to see how the owl would pro- 

 ceed with his quarry ; whether he would tear him in 

 pieces, or gobble him up whole. In this, however, I 

 was disappointed. Although I moved very quietly, 

 the quick eye or ear of the owl detected me, and I 

 was at once greeted with his hoolie-gool-oo-oo as loud 

 as he could scream. I might have shot him ; but 

 my stock of powder and lead was very low, and I 

 refrained. Besides, he soon put it out of my power 

 by taking wing and flying off with his prey." 



There were two other birds which Edward often 

 observed prowling about in the twilight in search of 

 food, namely, the Kestrel and -Merlin. On one 

 occasion he shot a specimen of the latter, when it 



