THE VIRGINIAN OWL. 31 



the following animated description of the habits 

 of this bird of the wilderness : " His favourite 

 residence is in the dark solitudes of deep swamps, 

 covered with a growth of gigantic timber. Here, 

 as soon as evening draws on, and mankind retire 

 to rest, he sends forth such sounds, as seem 

 scarcely to belong to this world, startling the so- 

 litary pilgrim as he slumbers by his forest fire, 

 4 making night hideous." Along the mountainous 

 shores of the Ohio, and amidst the deep forests 

 of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the woods, 

 this ghostly watchman has frequently warned me 

 of the approach of morning, and amused me with 

 his singular exclamations. Sometimes sweeping 

 down and around my fire, uttering a loud and 

 sudden Waugh O! WaughO! sufficient to have 

 startled a whole garrison. He has other noctur- 

 nal solos no less melodious ; one of which very 

 strikingly resembles the half-suppressed screams 

 of a person suffocating, and cannot fail of being 

 exceeding entertaining to a lonely, benighted 

 traveller, in the midst of an Indian wilderness." 



THE VIRGINIAN OWL. 



When wand'ring afar in the woods of the west, 

 The traveller pauses at night-fall to rest, 



