THE TAWNY AND BARN-OWLS 147 



weighed down by the heavy heads of the chicks, 

 and consequently present the tails of these birds 

 to the cherishing influence of the mother's body. 



" Crafty is the mode in which owls fight other 

 birds. When surrounded by a great number, they 

 fling themselves on their backs, and fight with 

 beak and claws, their bodies being closely con- 

 tracted and thus protected on all sides. The kite 

 will help them, from a natural kinship in robbery, 

 and shares the combat. Nigidius says that owls 

 sleep for sixty days during winter, and have nine 

 different cries" (Pliny, x. 16-19). 



When popular belief made the Owl to be a 

 messenger of ill-omen we need not wonder that 

 even in modern times the mournful hoot of the 

 Tawny Owl, or the more hissing screech of the 

 Barn-Owl, is understood by the ignorant and 

 superstitious to be as ominous as the actual cry 

 of a goblin. I was once awakened during trie 

 small hours of morning, and asked to come to the 

 front of the house, as there was some one outside 

 wailing and calling as if in great pain or distress. 

 Thinking, in my half-sleepy state, that there might 

 be a murder or some other terrible tragedy happen- 

 ing outside, I had thoughts of taking my gun with 

 me, but happily I first went and listened to the 

 sounds. No sooner was I in the room, where these 



