Woodland Twilight. 79 



again along this mound. It is a white owl : he flies 

 about five feet from the ground and absolutely 

 without a sound. So when you are walking at 

 night it is quite startling to have one come overhead, 

 approaching from behind and suddenly appearing. 

 This owl is almost fearless ; unless purposely alarmed 

 he will scarcely notice you, and not at all if you 

 are still. 



As he reaches the wood he leaves the hedge, having 

 gone all round the field, and crosses to a small de- 

 tached circular fir plantation in the centre. There he 

 goes out of sight a minute or two ; but presently 

 appears skirting the low shed and rickyard yonder, 

 and is finally lost behind the hedges. This round he 

 will go every evening, and almost exactly at the same 

 time that is, in reference to the sun, which is the clock 

 of nature. 



Step never so quietly out from the mound, the 

 small birds that unnoticed have come to roost in the 

 bushes will hear it and fly off in alarm. The rabbits 

 that are near the hedge rush in ; those that are far 

 from home crouch in the furrows and the bunches. 

 Crossing the open field, they suddenly start as it seems 

 from under your feet one white tail goes dapping 

 up and down this way, another jerks over the ' lands ' 

 that way. The moonbeams now glisten on the 



